Everyone had a different method of playing The Cruelest Jewel. The rules were clear—only two could win—and yet, every single one of them had been fine with giving Stella access to all the presents. Even Luna’s codex and bracelet were there. Stella could up and disappear in the middle of the night, much like Jewel had, double-crossing them all. There’d be nothing to stop her from winning because they had freely given the presents to her.

If Stella had the chance, would she take it?

“What are you doing?” Nicole placed the cookies on the nightstand and pointed to the empty spot next to Stella. “May I?”

Stella nodded. “Trying to absorb the answer through osmosis. I thought if I stared at it long enough, it would appear in my brain. That didn’t work.”

Nicole stretched out next to her, but not before grabbing the letter tiles. She arranged them on the bed, moving them around, making words and trying to memorize them. This was the first time Nicole had access to the tiles since their appearance earlier that afternoon because Harlow had given them to Stella—and only Stella. She made it clear no one else could have or borrow her present. “I can’t believe Harlow hid these from us,” Nicole said. “We all shared our presents as soon as we got them.”

“I don’t think she was hiding them. More like it was the last thing that made her feel special. The videos from the previous Golden Weekends crushed that feeling and the tiles brought it back,” Stella said. “She doesn’t care anymore. She just wants to go home, so I’m going to make sure she gets there.”

“You sure are something, Stella At All Times,” Nicole said, grinning. Her plan would take time, but it would work. She couldn’t be nearly as heavy-handed as she had been with Francis. “I wouldn’t have been able to solve any of the stuff you and Luna did. I have no idea why I’m here.”

“You’re the talent.” Stella turned on her side to look at her. “That’s why you’re here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m still working on it. You’re the talent. I’m the outsider with the inside edge. And Luna, well.” She whispered even though they were alone. “Don’t tell anyone, but Jewel wants Luna to win.”

Nicole had figured that out as well. The way Jewel had spoken about Luna in the theater had given her dead away. Apart from Francis, no one knew that she’d met with Jewel privately. Their meeting didn’t have to stay a secret, but it was going to.

“How do you know?” she asked.