Emerald St. Clair's POV

I sat at my older sister Sapphire's fabulous office in the flagship store of St. Clair Diamonds as she promised to have lunch with me. Among Daniel St. Clair's granddaughters, Sapphire was the one who had the knack for business just like our grandfather. People even speculated that she would be the next CEO of St. Clair Diamonds once our grandfather retires.

The female version of Daniel St. Clair—that's what they called her, I mused silently.

"I'm sorry, Em." My older sister apologized but her gaze was still fixed on the papers she'd been reading since I arrived. She wore this classic business suit with killer heels. She didn't let men intimidate her just because she was a woman. Sapphire was a powerful corporate woman in the man's domain. "I know you have lots to do than wait for me to have lunch. But I am caught up with my work."

She was also like our Granddad, a certified workaholic. Since her divorce two years ago she buried herself to work. I smiled at my sister, making myself comfortable in my chair. "Don't worry, Sap. I have a free day. I don't have any appointments today and it's not lunchtime yet. I will wait for you to finish those papers."

Sapphire sent me an apologetic look. I was startled when the door opened wide and our older sister, Amethyst barged in.

"Have you heard the latest news via the St. Clair household grapevine?" Amethyst said without preamble.

"What news?" I asked with a frown, while Amethyst sat in the vacant chair beside me, facing Sapphire's table. She wore a white trench coat with a striking unique brooch she designed, knee-length high-heeled black boots, and leather gloves for the chilly winter of New York. Amethyst didn't look like she already had a baby boy of five.

"The maids in The Jewel were buzzed with the question of who was the gorgeous Spaniard who paid Granddad a visit a few days ago." She informed us, removing her leather gloves and making herself more comfortable in the chair.

The caught Sapphire's attention and drew her gaze to Amethyst with unmistakable interest. As if, this was more interesting than the papers she'd been reading at the moment. Well, who could resist some gossip in the family?

"Spaniard, you say?" I asked with casual interest. "Is he, by any chance, a tall dark-haired man with a pair of pale grey eyes?"

"I'm not sure," Amethyst replied, mulling her brain for more information. She eyed me curiously. "Why? Do you know him?"

I shook my head and permitted myself to smile a little as I remembered the day I found a handsome Spanish man on my doorstep looking for my twin sister. "Not me, it's Ruby."

"Ruby?" Sapphire inquired with such interest in her green eyes. Now, now, now if my twin sister was hiding something from us. She should be thankful that she managed to dodge me these past few days due to my work that's why I don't have time to interrogate her with this mysterious man.

"Yes," Answering my older sister's question. "Two days after Ruby went home a Spanish man turned up in my penthouse and called me 'Red'," I recalled the first encounter I had with the mysterious man looking for my twin sister. "At first, I thought he'd mistaken me for someone he knew. But the only person I know who is a mirror image of me is my twin so I called Ruby..."

"And...?" Amethyst asked impatiently, her eyes gleamed in the sunlight. "Come on, Em. You're killing us with the suspense."

I smiled vaguely continuing my tale. "Once the mystery man and Ruby were in the same room I could feel the tension cracks in my living room. And from what I could tell, Ruby knows this man very well."

"That doesn't mean anything. Maybe this Spanish man knew Granddad so he visited him while he was in town." The ever-logical Sapphire said hopefully.

"Does it ever occur to you that Daniel St. Clair never guests in The Jewel unless there's a party he's hosting?" Our eldest sister countered lightly. "The fact that he invited one was enough to create rumors about it."

"He's planning something," I told my sisters seriously, after carefully analyzing everything. "And it involves Ruby."

"Do you think Granddad had this ridiculous notion of pairing Ruby with this Spaniard?" Sapphire raised the question when silence filled her office.

I laughed at the outrageous question of Sapphire while our older sister looked horrified at the thought. "My twin?" I asked indecorously. "Marrying this mysterious man? Not in this lifetime." I told them smugly. I knew Ruby that well she's not the type of person who would fall on our grandfather's matchmaking. "I will happily tell Granddad that his plan will fall to naught if he's thinking of pairing my twin to this man. Besides, Ruby already knew this man if we were talking about the same person. I'm sure Ruby will oppose until her last breath."

"I wouldn't be so smug if I were you, Em," Amethyst warned, with trouble in her eyes. "You know that he's been vocal about wanting us to marry for years. Maybe this year he will set his plans into motion starting with our sister, Ruby."

I snorted. If that's true I knew Ruby wouldn't let our dear old grandfather outsmart her. She's known for being rebellious for nothing. I have some faith with my twin sister against Granddad's plan.

"Amethyst is right, Em. He thinks it's high time we should marry and have a family of our own." I raised my eyebrow at Sapphire's speech, she blushed slightly and added. "Uh...well, not me of course. One lousy marriage is enough for me. I don't wish to repeat that bitter experience. I have enough of marriage and family things in this lifetime."

Sometimes I wondered if Sapphire hadn't yet recovered from her divorce from my ex-brother-in-law, Loukas Spiridakou. They were so in love and full of hope for the future when they married but their marriage fell apart on the first problem they encountered. I knew Loukas was the perfect man for my sister. He loved Sapphire more than anything in this world. It's such a shame that they didn't fight for their marriage.

"Do you want Granddad to set his eyes on you and start shoving men under your nose?" Sapphire countered gravely. Unaware of my wayward thoughts about her failed marriage. Even though Loukas had been divorced from Sapphire he remained close to the rest of the family, especially with Granddad. One of these days I would visit him.

"Hell, no!" I told her fiercely. "That's the last thing I want. And men are just pain in the rear. Do you know that great Khalil Al-Farsi is in town? Why did no one tell me that he's in town so I went out of New York while he stays here? I just bumped into him last night at a charity event I attended. I nearly killed him with his awful date. Gosh, he reduces me to be murderess always."

Sapphire smirked at me like an idiot. I scowled at her openly. I don't think I like the way she smiled with those judging eyes.

"Well, I'll look for more information about this mysterious Spaniard. One can't let it pass on what's the relationship our sister with this mysterious Spaniard." Amethyst said brightly, unaware of the silent glare I'd been sending Sapphire as she stood from her chair. "How about we have lunch now? I'm rather famished."

"He wasn't so mysterious if Ruby had bothered introducing me to him and then sending me to my room so they could talk privately," I muttered softly, focusing on the main topic. I picked up my bag to prepare to leave Sapphire's office for our lunch.

"Something is going on here." Amethyst believed with such conviction in her voice. "I can feel it. Whatever Granddad is planning with Ruby right this moment we will be affected the three of us in the end."

"Why don't we talk about this over lunch?" Sapphire suggested, standing from her chair too. "My work can wait but this suspicious deed Granddad is doing right now should be solved as soon as possible before it's too late. Our grandfather is one sneaky old man before we knew what was happening he got us where he wanted us."

I shivered at the thought Sapphire had predicted. Our older sister was the first one who went out of the office. Sapphire and I followed her behind. Before we could leave her office I muttered to Sapphire's ear very softly. "It's not what you think—about me and that hateful prince."

My older sister raised her eyebrow in my direction and had the nerve to look amused about my explanation. "I'm not thinking anything, sis. I know you hated Khalil more than anything in this world because he's belittling your work as a model."

I scowled at her openly. "It's more complicated than that, Sap. He's..."

"What?" Lucid green eyes gleamed with enjoyment. "He's what, Em?"

"He's a terrible person, that's all."

"What's with all the whispered conversation you have, care to share?" Amethyst came back with annoyance in her eyes. "I've been waiting for you at the lobby for at least five minutes now like an idiot and here you are chatting merrily. Are we going to eat lunch or what?"

Sapphire smiled at our older sister cheerfully. "Sorry for the wait. Emerald is just explaining the reason why she hates Prince Khalil." She looked at me with a devilish twinkle in her green eyes. "Right, Em?"

I glared at her vehemently. One of these days I would get even to this woman. I promised myself.

"Prince Khalil is such a nice person, Em," Amethyst remarked casually. "I wonder why you couldn't get along with him."

I looked at them with distaste. "Maybe because we're talking two different people because the man I know with such a name is anything but nice." That made my sisters laugh as we evacuated Sapphire's office like they were enjoying some private joke for my benefit.