# CHAPTER 12: The Apology That Changes Everything
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review CHAPTER 12 of "Of Curses And Kisses free digital audiobook". In this chapter, the ice between Jaya and Grey begins to crack—not into simple romance, but into something far more dangerous: understanding. And by the end, a shadow from Jaya's world reminds her that every choice has a witness.
The chapter opens with Jaya riding the ski lift down by herself, her righteous anger dissolving bit by bit into something far more uncomfortable: guilt. The wintry evening is beautiful, but she barely notices. Her mind keeps replaying the conversation with Grey on the mountain, the way she lashed out at him, the way her words cut deep. She knows he tried to steal her necklace. She does not like it. But she also understands him now. When Grey told her about the Emerson curse, the words memorized like a prayer he could not escape, she saw the haunted, hunted look in his eyes. He was not a cartoon villain. He was a boy trying to survive a story he had no framework to accept.
Jaya does not believe in the curse. Her world has always allowed ancient superstition and modern logic to sit side by side. Astrologers can choose a school based on stars, but antibiotics still cure infections. The Rao family never took the curse seriously. Jaya had heard the story only once, in passing, because no Rao believed it. She had no idea the Emersons did. That changes something in her. If Grey did not leak the pictures of Isha, then who did? Another Emerson? The journalist might have meant an Emerson aristocrat, not necessarily an heir. Maybe the curse was behind it all. Maybe that was why the Emersons kept coming for the Raos.
Still, what the Emersons had done to Isha and her family was unforgivable. Yet Jaya cannot stop wondering: how would Appa react if an Emerson had cursed their bloodline to end? How would Jaya react if she fully believed she was doomed?
At the lodge, she takes off her gloves and coat, hands them to the concierge, and sinks into the gold velvet armchair by the enormous fireplace. Staring into the flames, she admits the truth. She lashed out at Grey because he struck a nerve. She is scared of exactly what he said: that she is nothing more than a mouthpiece for her father. She has never confronted that fear before. And Grey is not the only one who has twisted and turned into himself. He is not the only one who has done things he never would have done under ordinary circumstances. Seeing his pain, knowing he could never have orchestrated the scandal against Isha, Jaya realizes she cannot carry her plan through. Not anymore.
But what does that mean for her loyalty to her family, to her sister? How can she avenge the Rao name if she steps aside? She does not know. All she knows is that you spar with an opponent in your own weight class. You do not strike at someone already hunched over in agony. She cannot make Grey fall in love with her. She cannot break his heart. Because if she does, she—not he—will be the beast.
Grey, meanwhile, walks into the lodge feeling bruised and paper-thin, as if he might rip in half. He regrets what he said to Jaya. He crossed a line. But the things she said in return hurt because they were true. He had poured himself out to her, laid himself bare, and that felt like a huge mistake. This is why he holds himself carefully. This is why he refuses to let people see who he really is. No one understands. No one can.
Then the attendant hands him a note. It is from Jaya. She asks for forgiveness and says she wants to talk. She is by the fireplace. Grey folds the note, sticks it in his pocket, and looks toward the armchairs. Jaya is there, watching him. She raises a hesitant hand. The embers of anger and shame in his heart begin to die down at the softness in her brown eyes. Without conscious thought, his feet carry him toward her.
She greets him quietly and gestures to the chair beside her. She has ordered two hot cocoas, just in case. Grey sits, noting her relief. Then Jaya apologizes. She calls her words cruel, defensive, mean-spirited. She admits he got under her skin. Grey takes a sip of the scalding cocoa and says there was no lie in what she said. He is exactly what she described. Jaya looks stricken. She leans forward and puts a small hand on his. Grey stiffens, unsure what to do with the contact. It feels perfect. It feels dangerous. She withdraws smoothly and tells him he is not what she said. He is scared, as anyone would be. Then she confesses her own fear: that she is a sock puppet, not just for her father, but for her country and a society with a narrow view of royal women. She wonders if she does more harm than good by going along with it. She is tired of being the old guard, the keeper of rules, while her sister is free-spirited. She fears it is hardening her into something she does not want to become. Grey studies her, surprised, and tells her that was very honest. He appreciates honesty. Her cheeks stain deep red.
They sit together watching the fire, and for a while, the world is quiet.
Later that night, Jaya and Grey board the bus at ten o'clock and take their old seats. Caterina's thinly veiled threats echo distantly in Jaya's ears, but she does not much care in the moment. Everything is different now. This morning she had been hell-bent on discovering what Grey Emerson was hiding. Now she knows. He is not the evil sadist she imagined. She does not know what to do with that.
Daphne Elizabeth tromps onto the bus and sits by them, looking gloomy. She complains about Alaric choosing to ride back with the other girl. Jaya advises her to leave Alaric alone, because he is not treating her right. Daphne Elizabeth dismisses this, saying Jaya is not in her shoes. Grey makes a dry joke about Alaric's hair looking like concrete, and Jaya elbows him. Daph raises an eyebrow, surprised by the joke. Grey smirks and lapses back into silence.
As the bus rolls through the neon-lit dark, Jaya leans her head against the window and closes her eyes. She feels like the ocean after a storm—tossed about, churning, with no end in sight. She wonders what she will tell her family, or Kiran, who abhors the Emersons as much as she does. What does it mean for her as the heiress to the Rao name if she is sympathetic to an Emerson?
Grey glances at Jaya, who appears to be napping. She looks calm, peaceful, like a tranquil lake. Grey, on the other hand, feels like an empty hull of a wrecked ship. He has never confided in another human like that before. He poured out all his weirdness, and she did not judge him. They fought, but then they talked, and he felt good about it. He felt heard as no one else had heard him before. Looking at her again, his heart squeezes. I like her, he realizes with a start. He really likes who she is, through and through. The feeling alarms him. It is unsanctioned and impermissible for someone in his position—not just cursed, but doomed. He frowns and looks out at the darkness.
A couple of days after the Aspen trip, Grey is in the aquatic center, swimming lap after lap. Swimming helps him think by making his mind go blank. The thoughts that usually jostle for space fall quiet. The only sounds are splashing water and the balmy warmth of the heated pool. When he surfaces at the shallow end, his goggles fogged, he sees a figure in a bright fuchsia swimsuit standing above him. He pushes his goggles up and finds Jaya. Her one-piece has ruffles along the plunging neckline. He forces his eyes to hers and greets her. She smiles, her eyes wandering over his naked shoulders. A warmth spreads through Grey's belly, and he squashes it with effort.
Jaya asks if she can swim. He waves toward the empty lap lane. She drops in gracefully, like a royal mermaid. She says she got bored in the dorms and felt like exercise. She asks permission with her gaze. Grey tells her she is not intruding, then resumes his laps. But this time his mind is not empty. He is too aware of her. There is a tentative ease between them now. Where before there was a brick wall, there is now also a tiny window. Whatever he feels about the Raos, he cannot ignore that Jaya Rao is the only one besides his family who knows all of him.
Jaya swims steadily, peacefully, enjoying the water. After thirty minutes, she gets out and walks to the hot tub. Grey watches her, her head leaned back, eyes closed, eyelashes resting on her cheeks. His heart thuds. He wants to sit by her. Should he? Without thinking too much, he gets out of the pool and walks to the hot tub. Jaya opens her eyes when he splashes in beside her. He says he hopes she does not mind the intrusion, echoing her earlier words. She gestures to the bench beside her: what it is there for.
A ghost of a smile touches his lips. After a pause, he points toward her chest, careful not to let his eyes linger, and notes she is not wearing her necklace. Jaya touches the bare skin under her throat. The rubies keep falling, she says, and she did not want to make it worse. Then she asks how he is doing. He knows she means since he thinks his life is ending. He says he is fine. She tells him she might take the necklace to get repaired, just to see what it does. Grey frowns, then understands. Does she mean if it gets rid of the curse? She nods. Grey rubs his jaw and says it will not help, though it is a little endearing that she wants to try.
Jaya suggests that if the pendant really knows when he is near, like he told her in Aspen, maybe it will sense him trying to help. She admits it might sound silly, but what can it hurt to try? He considers this, then says okay. She smiles, and Grey realizes how perfectly bow-shaped her lips are. She says she will find a good jeweler, and they could go together, if he wants. Her expression is tentative. Grey finds himself saying sure, that it would not be awful. He is already kind of looking forward to it. Her smile broadens, and she moves infinitesimally closer on the underwater bench.
She tips her head back to look at the stars through the paned glass roof. Her cheeks are dark pink, strands of wet hair curling on her neck. Her hand rests lightly next to his on the bench. Her pinkie is so close he could twitch his finger and touch her. His gaze drifts to her lips. They are close enough to be kissing. Did she want that? Did he? As if reading his thoughts, Jaya looks at him, her brown eyes soft and inviting. Grey's heart beats so loudly it is hard to hear his own thoughts. What is he doing?
Then he says he should go. He begins to haul himself out of the hot tub. There is no point in getting close to Jaya Rao, or to anyone. He is different. He is tainted. He cannot allow himself to feel anything for her, and he cannot let her feel things for him. It is as simple as that. So why is it so hard?
Jaya watches him, her pulse pounding. Had they almost just kissed? There was something in the air. Why are her hands trembling? She had wondered what his lips would feel like molded to hers, what his stubble might feel like against her cheek. In the history of bad ideas, there has never been one worse than a Rao heiress kissing an Emerson aristocrat. And not just any Emerson, but one who believes himself plagued by a curse that began with the Raos. What would her family say? How would it reflect on her reputation, on the Raos, if the eldest daughter cavorted with an Emerson at boarding school on the heels of the scandal involving the youngest daughter?
Besides, now that she is sure Grey was not behind Isha's scandal, she has a problem. She is back to square one, trying to figure out who leaked the photos. Perhaps she could reach out to the journalist in Mysuru again and offer to pay for a name. It might be a different Emerson. Another reason on a long list of why it is a bad idea to edge emotionally closer to Grey. He obviously has doubts too. Why else would he jump up to get away from her?
Still, Jaya reaches out and places a hand on his forearm. His muscles feel like steel cords under the skin. She asks him softly not to go. The realization surprises her: she really does not want him to leave. He turns to her, water dripping from strands of dark hair onto his face. He says he cannot. Jaya smiles and says it is okay. They will just sit and talk. She even moves a few feet away so they are nowhere near each other anymore. Grey pauses, studies her, then studies the distance between them. Very slowly, as if waiting for her to change her mind, he sits. Jaya nods, oddly happy, and suggests they enjoy the warm water. As the water froths around them, she leans her head back, closes her eyes, and takes deep calming breaths. Outwardly, she appears calm and in control. Inside, she feels like a shipwreck survivor on uncharted land she has no idea how to navigate.
The next afternoon, Jaya has just come in from the gardens, book in hand, when Penelope catches up with her on the stairs. Penelope says she has been looking for Jaya and asks if Caterina has talked to her yet. Jaya says no and asks why. Penelope says she just saw Caterina, who has a surprise for Jaya and wants her to come to her room. Penelope's cheeks are pink with glee, but Jaya's heart hammers. Unlike innocent Penelope, Jaya knows a surprise from Caterina is not a thing to celebrate.
Jaya walks quickly through the common room, past the smell of cooking popcorn, down the hallway with the dorm rooms, smiling at other students though her mouth is dry. She clutches her book to her chest. Perhaps Caterina wants to apologize—or at least smooth things over. Perhaps she realized Jaya was only doing what any reasonable person would. Perhaps they will talk, Jaya will say bygones are bygones, and that will be it.
She takes a deep breath, smooths her sweater, and knocks on Caterina's door. Caterina calls her in. Jaya turns the doorknob, walks in, and stops staring.
Caterina, dressed in a plum-colored sweaterdress and tan boots, sits at her desk. On the laptop screen are two familiar faces. Caterina smiles her most lovely, most carved-from-ice smile and says she believes Jaya knows her friends Sri Devi and Kiran. They were just catching up on Skype. Sri Devi Nair, daughter of one of the royal families in Kerala, the one Caterina brought up again in Aspen. And Kiran Hegde, who Jaya knows well. Quite well.
Jaya's pulse hammers in her temples. Her palms are suddenly damp. Sri Devi greets her. Kiran watches Jaya, unsmiling. Jaya manages a hello, feeling more discombobulated than ever. She walks closer to the screen. Sri Devi says Caterina was just telling them how well Jaya is fitting in, that she has met lots of interesting people. Jaya swallows. Had Caterina told Kiran she seemed to be getting friendly with Grey Emerson? And what had Kiran, in turn, told her? Jaya says everyone is very nice. Kiran says that is good, but he still does not smile. He asks if Isha is doing well. His eyes hold hers for a long, long moment. Jaya says she is, very well.
Caterina says they were just saying goodbye, that it is late where they are and Jaya missed all their chat. Jaya forces an easy smile and says maybe next time. Caterina wiggles her fingers and ends the call. Then she turns to Jaya, brown eyes sparkling, and says Jaya has such lovely friends, who seem to like her so much. Jaya agrees carefully, her eyes never leaving Caterina's face.
Caterina may not know anything of substance—how close Jaya and Grey came to kissing, for instance. Maybe she, Kiran, and Sri Devi barely talked about Jaya at all. But the important thing is for Jaya not to mention Grey. She knows this deep in the roots of her soul. This is a power move on Caterina's part. This is her way of saying: Don't ever cross me. If I bothered to really dig into your private life, I could crush you like a bug under my boot heel. Message received.
Jaya says she should go shower before dinner and makes her way to the door. Caterina says, "Good idea. You never know what kind of dirt might be sticking to you." They look at each other. Jaya nods, turns the doorknob, and leaves. She stops in the hallway for a moment, her breaths coming faster, as if she is caught in a lightning storm no one saw coming.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a beautiful, painful turning point. The ski confrontation was sharp, but the quiet apology by the fireplace is where the story truly deepens. I loved how Jaya's guilt did not make her weak—it made her honest. She begins to see Grey as a person rather than a target, and that shift costs her something. Grey, too, becomes more vulnerable than ever. The almost-kiss in the hot tub is charged with everything unsaid: fear, longing, curse, family loyalty, and the impossibility of wanting someone you are supposed to hate.
The chapter balances tender intimacy with dread. Just when Jaya and Grey find a fragile new understanding, Caterina reminds us that the outside world is watching. The Skype scene is ice-cold and effective. Kiran's unsmiling stare, Caterina's polished threat, and Jaya's forced calm all create a delicious sense of impending danger. This is the kind of chapter that makes you want to keep reading late into the night.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Caterina has fired a warning shot, and Jaya will have to decide how much she is willing to risk. I predict Jaya will try to repair the ruby necklace with Grey, and that outing will either bring them closer or expose them to someone who reports back to her family. Kiran may confront Jaya directly, and Jaya will be forced to lie or confess that she no longer sees Grey as an enemy. Meanwhile, Grey will likely pull away after the almost-kiss, convinced he is protecting Jaya from his curse, but his feelings will make distance impossible. The mystery of who leaked Isha's scandal will resurface, possibly pointing to another Emerson or someone closer to Jaya than she suspects. Expect more secrets, more stolen moments, and a confrontation that could shatter the fragile trust between Jaya and Grey.
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