Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 20

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**Chapter 20: Jealousy and Star Coin Schemes**

Damian felt a tempest brewing within him, an anger so fierce it threatened to consume him whole.

And then there’s Drake… what’s his game?

He was finished, utterly done.

Drake, the notorious Domain Lord of the Three Domains, was a figure steeped in power and authority. Everyone knew him for his ruthless dominance, seizing whatever he desired without a hint of hesitation. So why, then, was he here, showering star coins upon a woman like it was nothing?

Where had his arrogance gone? Where was that primal instinct to claim, to take without a second thought? Huh?

Drake, blissfully oblivious to the storm raging inside Damian, leisurely polished off the last dumpling in his bowl. With an air of calm precision, he wiped his mouth and stood, turning his attention to Emma with an unsettling nonchalance.

“Will you be able to soothe me again tonight?” he asked, his tone smooth and inviting.

Emma nodded, her voice steady. “Of course.” Of course I can. Of course I will.

With a satisfied smirk, Drake departed without casting even a fleeting glance in Damian’s direction.

“You’re really going to soothe him again?” Damian’s voice cracked, a raw edge of jealousy slicing through his words as he watched Drake walk away, his composure crumbling like a house of cards.

He grasped Emma’s hand tightly, desperation flooding his voice. “Don’t tell me he paid you for that, too?”

This is unacceptable!

Emma nodded, her expression serious. “Yes. 50 million star coins each time.”

Fifty million?!

Damian felt as if he might erupt. What in the world is wrong with Drake? Has he lost his mind?

Emma stifled a smile, her voice a soothing balm as she tried to comfort him. “I know you don’t have star coins. It must feel unfair.”

His ears drooped, and he nodded, the weight of his inadequacy pressing down on him. “It’s my fault for being useless, for not being able to pay. But I… I would really love to try your cooking. I really want you to soothe me, too.”

Wishful thinking. Best not to dwell on that.

Emma rolled her eyes inwardly, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

She suspected he was trying to take advantage, hoping to gain without offering anything in return, but without any solid evidence, all she could do was wait and see how things unfolded.

“I understand. Don’t be sad. Between you and Drake, of course, I care about you more.”

That was her signature three-hit combo of comfort.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t have star coins now. We can work hard to earn it together. With your Rank 5 strength, earning tens of millions won’t be a problem.” No one is getting anything for free from me.

However, Emma could barely breathe, her face squished against his chest. She pushed him away, her heart racing in irritation, a flash of anger igniting in her eyes.

“Don’t touch me without permission again.”

She wasn’t being dramatic; she had simply learned to be cautious over time. She loathed it when people with ulterior motives tried to get too close.

Chastened, Damian softened immediately, tugging at her sleeve with a sheepish smile. “I was wrong, Ms. Tibarn. Please don’t be angry.”

Emma pulled her hand free, her expression resolute. “Then why are you here?”

Remembering his true purpose, he straightened up, his demeanor shifting. “Earlier in the kitchen, you mentioned going to hunt beasts. I was worried my level was too low to protect you properly. I wanted to ask—when will the other matched partners arrive? Can we go together?”

Getting me to actually pull my weight? Impossible.

“I don’t know,” Emma replied, her tone matter-of-fact. “Besides you and Drake, two dissolved the match. I haven’t heard from the rest.” Better he understands my situation sooner rather than later—maybe then he’ll finally show his true colors.

“What? They still haven’t contacted you?”

Damian’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had assumed they were simply delayed, not that they hadn’t reached out at all.

Emma nodded, her expression unyielding. “That’s right. They haven’t contacted me.”

“What about the two who dissolved the match?”