Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 302

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**

**Chapter 302: The Secret**

As the air thickened with anticipation and their lips hovered tantalizingly close, Emma felt a sudden rush of uncertainty. Just as Lucien leaned in, she instinctively tilted her head, causing his fervent kiss to graze her cheek instead.

Lucien froze in place, his heart racing, the haze of desire still clouding his eyes but now tangled with confusion and concern. What had just happened?

The fire she had ignited within him roared fiercely, an unquenchable flame that burned through his chest, making each breath feel like an effort. He steadied her shoulders, his voice rough and uncertain, as if he were walking on fragile ground. “Emma, what’s wrong?”

She had turned him away not once, but twice since they had entered this intimate space.

Had he crossed a line? Had he done something to upset her?

Lucien’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. The heat that had once filled his gaze dissipated, replaced by a gnawing sense of worry and unease that settled in the pit of his stomach.

Emma remained silent, stepping back just a half pace, lifting her chin to meet his gaze with quiet intensity.

Her eyes shimmered, a faint sheen of tears glistening like fragile glass, ready to shatter at the slightest provocation.

Drawing in a shaky breath, her voice trembled as she spoke, “Lucien… do you really love me?”

The question struck him like a bucket of icy water, dousing his fervor and leaving him feeling utterly exposed.

Why would she even question his love for her?

“Emma!”

Without a second thought, Lucien dropped to one knee, the thud echoing in the charged atmosphere, as he grasped her hands with an urgency that spoke volumes. His eyes shone with raw sincerity, desperation etched across his features.

“How could I not love you? I swear to the Beast God, if I, Lucien Veynar, don’t love you, Tibarn, then may the Beast God—”

“Then why did you lie to me?”

Her words sliced through the air, cutting cleanly through his impassioned vow.

Emma

She stared at him, summoning every ounce of bitterness she had swallowed since stepping into this interstellar realm. Her eyes reddened, betraying the tumult of emotions swirling within her.

Tears began to well in her eyes, trembling on her lashes, and just the sight of them twisted Lucien’s heart into knots.

“Lie to you?”

He racked his brain, searching frantically for a moment when he might have misled her, but nothing came to mind.

“When did I ever deceive you? Emma, please tell me. Did I do something wrong without realizing it? Just say the word, and I’ll fix it right now.”

“I swear, I’ve never lied to you. Please, you must believe me.”

Seeing the confusion and desperation etched on his face, Emma knew the moment had arrived.

A single tear finally slipped down her cheek, shimmering with accusation, heartbreak, and a pain that felt all too heavy.

“Oh, so you want to ‘explain’?”

Emma’s tone cracked with heartbreak, her eyes glistening as she threw herself fully into the moment, each word a dagger.

“So that’s what I am to you? A nuisance you have to explain things to? You never meant to tell me the truth, did you?”

The pain in her voice shattered him, and she stumbled back a step, as if her heart had splintered beyond repair.

“No! There’s an explanation! Emma, please, it’s not what you think!”

Lucien felt the walls closing in around him. He wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from the pain he had caused. He shuffled forward on his knees, reaching for her sleeve but hesitating, terrified she would push him away. His handsome face was taut with panic and remorse.

“I was wrong, Emma. I truly was. I shouldn’t have kept this from you. But I swear, the money wasn’t for myself!”

Emma’s eyes remained red, yet she hadn’t turned away completely.

Seeing that flicker of hope, Lucien poured out his heart, words tumbling over each other in his haste.

“Most of that money goes to supporting the squad I built! And part of it funds a few forces under my command. They follow me; I can’t just leave them unprotected.”

His speech quickened, each word spilling forth in a rush, terrified that one slow breath would seal his fate.

“I didn’t tell you because… I was scared. Scared that I’d end up coming to you for every little thing. Once or twice might be fine, but if it happened too often… I was afraid you’d get tired of me.”

By the time he finished, Lucien’s voice had quieted, almost hoarse, heavy with the weight of his guilt and the hope that she might understand.