Chapter - 5 The Game Begins -
Ava’s fingers drummed against the cold library table, her eyes fixated on the thick leather-bound volume of Political Psychology in Power Structures. Not because she was interested, but because he was watching.
Dev Aryan Singh.
Perfectly poised, ridiculously good-looking in that rich-boy-who-knows-it way, with a smirk that screamed trouble. He sat diagonally across the room, pretending to flip through a copy of The Art of War like he was starring in a goddamn movie.
He hadn’t said a word to her since the student council debate fallout.
But now, every time she entered a room, she felt it — his eyes. Calculated. Cold. Curious.
Like he was waiting.
And Ava? She hated how it made her feel seen. Like he knew she didn’t belong here. That she was the fraud with a scholarship and secrets.
“Don’t look now,” whispered Rhea, her roommate, sliding into the seat beside her with a secretive grin, “but Dev Aryan singh has been staring at you for the last ten minutes. Again.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Maybe he’s got a staring problem. Or maybe he’s just trying to intimidate the ‘new girl’ who dared to beat him in a debate.”
“You didn’t beat him,” Rhea laughed. “You destroyed him. In front of the whole auditorium. Of course he’s obsessed.”
“Great. A sore loser with daddy’s money and a god complex. Just what I needed.”
---
Later that night, Ava returned to her dorm only to find a package waiting on her bed.
No note. No label.
Inside: a pristine copy of The Prince by Machiavelli — blood-red leather cover, pages edged in gold.
On the title page, a single sentence written in calligraphic black ink:
> "To understand the enemy, you must think like one."
—D.A.S.
Ava’s grip tightened around the book.
He was playing games now.
Fine. So would she.
---
Next day, she walked into the dining hall wearing a black sleeveless dress, sleek ponytail, and a confidence that turned heads — and one particular pair of eyes sharp with interest.
She sat across from him without warning.
“You really think you're clever?” she said, voice low but sharp. “Sending me Machiavelli like you’re some villain in a Bond movie?”
Dev didn’t flinch. Just sipped his coffee slowly, gaze never leaving hers.
“I think you like it when I get under your skin,” he said, tone maddeningly calm. “You wouldn’t be sitting here otherwise.”
“Careful,” she replied, leaning in just enough, “you might start thinking I enjoy this little power play.”
His smile was slow. Dangerous.
“Oh, but Ava… you’re already playing.”
And just like that, the game officially began.
---
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The Heiress Code (Dev & Ava)
Teen Fiction✨ The Heiress Code (Dev & Ava) Synopsis : Ava Verma is supposed to be invisible-just another scholarship student blending into the marble walls of Vermont Hill Academy, the most elite boarding University in the country. What no one knows is that she...
