Page 13 of Beautiful Deception

“An assisted suicide disguised as an accident turned into an alleged murder, but it really was just an elaborate plan for attention,” Remo adds tersely after I soak up the information with a big gulp of sweetened tea.

“Why would she put herself in trouble like that?” I quip, my brows curling as no other reason would justify her actions. She could go to jail for it.

Remo tips the mug to the side, letting the liquid swerve on the curved rim. “I expect to find a video from him claiming accountability and explaining the steps to the plan. And there is no physical evidence of Kimberly committing the crime.”

“Love makes people blind,” Dr. Kian reckons amusingly.

My lips tremble as a result of their unduly intense stare.

Chapter Four

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Maya

There is a question that’s been bothering me. Why did I sleep so soundly?

Outside of my house, I don’t have deep cycles of sleep. I usually wake up at the slightest sound, but I slept through the butler knocking on my door for breakfast. Nothing in my routine has changed; my body doesn’t feel different, and I don’t see my stuff out of place.

“Mr. Peter has come down with a bug,” the butler announces from the entrance of the front door.

Everyone turns to listen carefully as he explains how Peter was vomiting last night, and Dr. Kian had stated that he needed lots of rest. He’s not a medical doctor, so he can’t diagnose with confidence.

Junnie is in her room doing her makeup for an impromptu photo-shoot, and Kimberly already volunteered to be her photographer. This is out of character. Kimberly seizes every opportunity to practice her knitting passion, but my intuition raises the question of it being a nervous habit.

“I hope he’s better by lunch,” Joe says as he zips his coat up to his neck. “Is it food poisoning?”

“No,” Kimberly chimes in, “we’d be sick, too.”

“Maybe he just needs to shit it out,” Joe quips and is absolutely pale in the face afterward. “I’m generally not this vulgar.”

“It’s fine,” she chortles lightly and waves a dismissive hand. “It’s not like we’ll see each other again after this.”

Something triggers in Joe as his eyes redden, and tears stream down his quivering cheeks as he snivels loudly. Kimberly frowns as her lips twitch in response to the flowing snot.

“We won’t be keeping in touch?” he weeps, sounding wrecked like a wounded animal.

I avoid his gaze, opting to focus on Remo’s thick thighs. They are really nice, better than what Junnie had shown me on the phone of her beloved calendar firemen.

“That’s not what I mean,” she shouts while looking around frantically for backup.

Remo and I make a coordinated move to gaze intimately into each other’s eyes and pretend we’re having a moment instead of dealing with the mess she created.

Also, after finding out what she did, I’m scared to interact with her. I can’t tell Junnie, but I can steer her away from Kimberly. Perhaps it’s the nature of the crime or the severity of it, but I don’t have this visceral fear of being the next victim.

I can handle being polite but distant with Kimberly for the remaining days.

“My number is—” Kimberly squawks out her phone number and recites it more firmly when Joe stares at her, dumbfounded. “Call me when you want.”

She doesn’t conceal the look of regret in her eyes, but her shoulders droop in defeat when Joe’s face beams with joy.

“Did I miss a party?” Junnie quips curiously as she comes up to us, her breath blowing white puffs.

It stopped snowing early in the morning, so the temperature is decent enough not to shiver. I shake my head at Junnie’s inquisitive humming, and she’s not safe from Joe skipping up to her for her number.

Junnie denies it in a single breath and is unaffected by the distraught downturn of his lips.

“My contact is only for family and the hot men next door.”

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