Spoiled By My Nine Beast Husbands (Emma Tibarn) novel Chapter 410

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**Chapter 410: Restraint**

After finishing her words, Emma collected her belongings with a sense of urgency, her mind racing as she approached the door.

“Ms. Tibarn!” Calum’s voice broke through the air, and before she could step outside, she felt a firm grip around her wrist.

His hand was large and calloused, a testament to the countless hours spent in training, its roughness contrasting sharply with the delicate nature of her wrist, which seemed so fragile in his grasp.

Emma halted and turned back, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What is it?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of concern.

“I… I’m not tired. I want to go with you,” he replied, his voice dropping to a low murmur, almost a whisper. “I promise I won’t go near the fire again. I’ll just stay by your side. Quietly. I won’t cause trouble.”

He was acutely aware of his lack of culinary skills, knowing full well that his last attempt had been a disaster. The thought of trying again was daunting, and he wouldn’t dare risk it.

At least this time, he had only managed to burn himself, avoiding any harm to her.

As he finished speaking, he looked at her with a nervous intensity, his body tense and rigid. “Ms. Tibarn… please don’t leave me here alone,” he implored, vulnerability evident in his eyes.

Emma noticed the unease radiating from him, and her heart softened. He really does look afraid of being left here by himself, she thought, a frown knitting her brows together.

“Alright. Come with me then,” she finally said, taking his hand and gently pulling him up from the couch, her grip reassuring.

As they stepped out together, Emma felt the need to remind him of the boundaries, wary of any chaotic behavior that might arise again. “Just stay beside me. Don’t touch anything. Understood?”

“Got it,” he replied, the corners of his lips twitching upwards involuntarily, a smile breaking through his serious demeanor. “I’ll listen to whatever you say, Ms. Tibarn.”

He truly was easy to manage, she mused, a sense of relief washing over her.

Emma realized that her initial fear of him had begun to dissipate. The more she discovered about Calum, the more he seemed to diverge from the terrifying figure painted by his reputation.

She had once delved into his records on the database, her heart racing as she read the labels: powerful, cold-blooded, ruthless, violent-tempered, a man who could kill without a second thought.

People who had encountered him spoke of him as a bandit cloaked in a marshal’s uniform, instilling fear wherever he went. But the Calum standing beside her now was anything but that; he appeared pure, easily embarrassed, and surprisingly dependent, like a loyal, clingy puppy following its master.

They made their way back to the artificial lake, the serene setting contrasting sharply with the turmoil of their earlier conversation.

Emma found a chair for him and encouraged him to sit to the side while she joined Silas and the others at the grill, a warm smile on her face as she engaged in the camaraderie of the moment.

Calum remained seated, obediently watching her with an intensity that made her heart flutter. His gaze never wavered, as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered to him.

Just then, Marcus descended the stairs after a refreshing shower, and his eyes narrowed dangerously when he spotted Calum lounging comfortably in the chair.

“Oh? You don’t want to dissolve the match? Then get to work. Stop pretending you’re some great uncle sitting above everyone,” Marcus taunted, his silver-gray eyes sparkling with defiance.

Calum’s fists clenched tightly, cracking with the pressure of his restraint.

“What are you two doing?” Emma called out from the grill, sensing the charged atmosphere even from a distance.

“Nothing, Ms. Tibarn. I’m just having a little chat with Marshal Calum,” Marcus replied, flashing her a disingenuous smile before turning back to Calum, his provocation unabated.

Yes, he is doing this on purpose, Calum thought, his jaw tightening in frustration. Marcus was leveraging Emma’s affection to push all his buttons. “I’ll work. Just tell me what you want me to do,” he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

You d*mn bastard, he thought, a simmering rage brewing beneath the surface.

Tomorrow, I will break that smug face.

But for now, the task at hand was grilling.

Marcus didn’t hold back. “You’re grilling with me. You don’t have to cook; just assist me.”

Lucien wanted to test Calum and gauge just how far he would go for Emma, which was why Marcus felt this was the perfect opportunity to push him to his limits.