Page 88 of The Defiant Wife

"It is."

Before either of us can say anything else, Aadhya suddenly dumps an entire bucket of Lego bricks onto my lap.

"Boom!"

The colorful pieces scatter everywhere.

Diya bursts into laughter. Not a polite laugh. A full one. She throws her head back, clutching her stomach as tears gather in her eyes.

I watch her.

For a long moment . . . I don't look away. Watching her laugh like this without worrying about what anyone thinks, without carrying the weight her father usually leaves on her shoulders . . . Does something strange to my chest. It feels . . . Warm.Comfortable. Like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I bend down to help gather the Lego pieces. At the same moment, Diya reaches for the same blue block. Our fingersbrush. We both freeze. Neither of us pulls away immediately. She looks up slowly.

I meet her eyes.

Then Aadhya proudly places another plastic teacup into my hand. "Chai!"

Diya starts laughing all over again.

And for reasons I still don't fully understand . . . I don't mind losing this battle at all.

30. TRADITIONS

DIYA

This is it.

Mission Three ofOperation: Break the Stone Princeis officially underway, and I'm standing in the palace kitchen with a huge container of table salt in my hands, feeling like an evil genius.

After the complete disaster that was my clay-and-water attack at the NGO, and after the very inconvenient emotional breakdown during our midnight ice cream trip, I need a win.

A proper one. I need to see Veeraj Singh Shekhawat react. Just once. Even if it's only for a second.

The palace's head cook—who has probably cooked for three generations of Shekhawats—watches me with deep suspicion as I scoop three generous spoonfuls of salt into a mug of freshly brewed black tea.

"This much, Kunwarani sa?" he asks carefully.

"Trust the process," I reply with complete confidence.

He doesn't look convinced. Neither would I, honestly.

I stir the tea until every grain disappears into the dark liquid. It looks perfectly normal. Completely innocent. Which makes it even better. I grin to myself.

Nobody can drink something this salty without making a face. Nobody.

He's going to cough. Or choke. Or at least grimace.

Today . . . today I’ll finally win.

Balancing the silver tray carefully, I make my way through the palace corridors toward Veeraj's study.

The closer I get, the more nervous I become.

Please don't fail again, Diya.

Just once.