Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 250

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**Chapter 250: Marcus’ Shock**

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Corvin declared, his voice laced with irritation.

With a heavy sigh, Corvin brushed past Marcus, his mind preoccupied as he carried the food into the kitchen. He had no patience for whatever was brewing in the air between them.

Marcus, enveloped in a thick silence, remained seated, grappling with the unspoken tension that hung like a cloud.

Edric strolled in, casting a fleeting glance at Marcus before stepping outside. He was on a mission to retrieve the pearls for Emma, a task that had initially been assigned to Corvin. However, with Corvin’s newfound determination to tidy up the kitchen, Edric had stepped in without hesitation.

Marcus couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider. Why were both Edric and Corvin acting so strangely this early in the morning? It was unsettling.

Finally, Kieran joined the scene, descending the stairs with a casual air. His gaze flicked from Edric’s retreating figure to Marcus, who was still perched on the couch, seemingly lost in thought. “You really are impressive,” Kieran remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

With that cryptic compliment, Kieran grabbed his luggage and exited the house, leaving Marcus in a state of bewilderment. What did that even mean? What was going on with these three?

He hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. Impressive? The word echoed in his mind, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it referred to.

Feeling utterly adrift, Marcus stood up, his heart racing, and made his way upstairs to seek out Emma. The three of them had emerged from her room acting strangely, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something significant had transpired while he was absent.

As he entered Emma’s room, he found her seated on the bed, her fingers delicately cradling a handful of pink pearls, each one resembling a pigeon egg in size. She seemed lost in thought, contemplating their fate.

Kieran had been so emotional over these pearls, his tears flowing freely as he beheld their perfect roundness and uniformity.

When the door creaked open, Emma glanced up momentarily. Upon realizing it was Marcus, her expression shifted to one of indifference as she returned her focus to the pearls, leaving him feeling a pang of rejection.

Marcus closed the door softly behind him and approached her. The fact that she was so engrossed in the pearls and barely acknowledged his presence stung. He felt an overwhelming sense of injustice, as if he had been wronged. Sliding beside her, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, hoping to bridge the gap.

“Did I do something to upset you? You didn’t even glance my way when I walked in,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Normally, Emma’s face would light up with a smile whenever he entered her sanctuary, regardless of her preoccupations. Yet today, she had only given him a fleeting look before turning away, which solidified Marcus’s suspicion that something significant had transpired in his absence—and that it revolved around him.

Finally, Emma set the pearls aside, turning to face him with a smile that felt both warm and foreign. “I’m not mad at all. In fact, I should be congratulating you.”

“Congratulating me?” Marcus’s expression tightened at her words. “For what?”

His heart sank. What could possibly warrant congratulations? An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, as if he were standing on the edge of a precipice.

Emma took his hand, placing it gently on her belly. “Well, I’m congratulating you because you’re going to be a dad.”

Time seemed to freeze. “What did you just say?”

Emma retrieved the small object Kieran had brought. “This,” she said, holding it up for him to see. “Kieran explained that if we place my hair and my partner’s hair on it, whichever strand tangles with mine will reveal the father.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Marcus impulsively yanked a strand of his hair and placed it on the mirror, his heart racing. He looked at Emma, anxiety etched on his face.

Seeing his hasty action, Emma’s lips twitched, caught between amusement and disbelief.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice teasing yet serious.

At that moment, the only ones officially connected to her were Marcus, Corvin, and Edric. Since the other two had been ruled out, it left Marcus as the sole possibility.

Was he implying he didn’t believe her?

Realizing his misunderstanding, Marcus quickly clarified, “I don’t doubt you. I just can’t wrap my head around this contraption Kieran brought.”

To emphasize his sincerity, he swore fervently. “I swear to the Beast God, if I’m doubting you, let the Beast God punish me.”

“I know you’re not doubting me,” Emma replied, her voice steady. “You just don’t want the baby, so you refuse to accept it.”

With determination, she plucked a strand of her own hair and placed it on the mirror beside his. “Since you’re hesitant to believe it, let’s test it. If it proves the baby is yours, what will you do?”