Page 66 of Rivals

Nina’s brows drew together. “You saw her do cocaine. Can we find a way to report her, get the police to do a search of her house?”

“You know the police won’t search someone like Gabriella Madison based on an anonymous tip. We need proof.”

“What weneedis Gabriella’s Achilles’ heel,” Nina mused. “What’s her weak point, and how can we use it to trick her?”

Daphne smiled. “You sound like me.”

It was true; at some point, Daphne’s way of thinking had rubbed off on her. Nina found that slightly disconcerting.

“Tell me everything you know about Gabriella,” she decided. “Maybe there’s something we’re not thinking of.”

Daphne recounted the Madisons’ family history, whichNina already knew, and a lot of things Nina had never heard: A rumor that Gabriella wanted to be an “influencer,” only to quit when her parents cut her off in retribution—they thought it was tacky. Stories from high school, about girls Gabriella had bullied and trouble she’d gotten into, which her family had then promptly gotten her out of. When Daphne told her that Gabriella had failed physics at her lycée in Paris but had gotten into King’s College anyway, Nina frowned.

“That can’t be right. A passing grade in high school physics isrequiredin order to matriculate,” she said angrily. “At the very least Gabriella should’ve had to take summer school.”

“The university made an exception for her, because apparently ‘science is different in France.’ ” Daphne lifted her hands to make little air quotes around the phrase, rolling her eyes.

“Are you kidding? Science is not different in France! That is literally the core tenet of physics—that its laws are universal!”

“Don’t you know by now that laws aren’t universal? They’re different for people like the Madisons.”

Nina sat with that for a minute, then gave an angry sigh. “We’re not any closer to figuring out a plan. What makes Gabriella tick? Aside from her massive ego.”

Daphne’s head snapped up. “That’s it. Her ego!”

“Yes, she’s so full of herself that she literally owns a statue of her ownface.How are we going to turn that against her? Tape a mirror to the bottom of a swimming pool?”

“We’re going to do what you did at her party, when she caught you lurking in the upstairs hallway. We’ll flatter her into a false sense of security.”

“How?”

“It has to be me this time,” Daphne said slowly. “I’ll pretend to be her friend, make her believe I want to be part of her entourage, and get her to reveal something incriminating.”

“You want to sweet-talk your way into Gabriella’s inner circle? That could takeyears.”

“It won’t, because I’m going to really sell it. I’ll make Gabriella believe that I think she’s superior in every way—smarter, better, prettier.”

“You’re not capable of groveling that convincingly. We should probably practice.”

“Very funny,” Daphne said lightly, though her mouth curled upward a bit. Then she glanced at Nina with an unreadable expression. “You’re right, though. I’m not very good at giving up attention. That’s always been my real flaw.”

“I’m sorry, we’re limiting ourselves tooneflaw?”

“As if you’re perfect,” Daphne retorted, and Nina shrugged.

“I never said I was.”

“I should hope not. You’re unbelievably stubborn—”

“Okay,” Nina cut in, “that’s the pot calling the kettle black—”

“You’re incapable of taking feedback or constructive criticism—”

“Youcare too much what people think!”

“You’retoo nice!”

Daphne’s words were followed by a ringing silence. Then Nina let out a breath. “Look, we can’t just sit here pointing out each other’s flaws.”