Jinxed

T H I R T Y - F O U R

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: The Portrait

EMILIA 

The moment I entered our room, Kai threw another one of his theories at me.

"Listen to this" he said "I think, by the ways the letters were sounding, Lord Douche didn't want to get married to Amalia. It seems like he was into this chick, whoever she is."

I winced at how far from the truth he really was, immediately shooting down that theory. 

"I bet you twenty bucks that it isn't" I said, explaining to him what Lady Amalia told me and by the time I was finished, he was groaning in his chair.

"Just when I think I have it all figured out, something else pops up and destroys my theory. 

"I think we can cross Lord Devereux off our list" I admitted "He just doesn't fit the profile anymore." 

Kai blinked at me "One story about how romantic he was by not keeping her to that outrageous contract and suddenly you think he's as innocent as Prince Charming?" 

I scowled at him "I don't think he's Prince Charming." 

He snapped his fingers at me "But you think he's innocent?" 

I nodded "He just doesn't fit the bill of psychotic wife murderer." 

"And I'm sure all the wife murderers in the world didn't fit the bill either, but somehow they're still rotting in prison right now." 

"If Devereux did kill Amalia, then how come he was just as mangled as she was in the portrait" I whispered just incase some prying ears were listening to us through the thin walls "How could he have made that happen?" 

Kai twisted his lips, looking like he just ate a sour lemon at my words. 

"Alright he might not be the killer but he's still hiding something from us" Kai insisted "And once we find out what that is, all the puzzle pieces will click together. I bet you a hundred bucks."

I shot him a look "You really don't like him, do you?" 

He shook his head. 

"Why?" 

"Does a man have to have a reason why he doesn't like another man?" 

"Yes" I said "Especially you considering you're the most laid back person in history. You love everyone and never hate anyone." 

"That's not true" he argued "I hate Grandpa Stone."