The moment their lips were about to meet—just a breath apart— Emma suddenly tilted her head. His searing kiss brushed her cheek instead. Lucien froze, the haze of desire still clouding his eyes, now laced with confusion. The fire she'd sparked in him had nowhere to go, burning through his chest, making every breath feel fevered. He steadied her shoulders, his voice rough and uncertain. "Emma, what's wrong?" She'd already turned him away twice since entering the room. Did I do something wrong? Did I somehow upset her? Lucien's heart clenched tight. The heat drained from his gaze, replaced by worry and unease. Emma said nothing. She stepped half a pace back, lifting her chin to look at him quietly and steadily. A faint sheen of tears glazed her eyes, fragile and wronged, like glass ready to crack. She drew in a shaky breath, her voice soft and trembling. "Lucien… do you really love me?"The question hit like a basin of glacial water, dousing him from head to toe. All that heat, all that hunger, extinguished in an instant, leaving only panic and pain. Why would she even ask that? "Emma!" Without thinking, Lucien dropped to one knee with a thud, clutching her hands tightly. His eyes shone with raw sincerity and desperation. "How could I not love you? I swear to the Beast God, if I, Lucien Veynar, don't love you, Emma Tibarn, then may the Beast God—" "Then why did you lie to me?" Her words sliced clean through his vow. She stared at him, summoning every drop of the bitterness she'd swallowed since arriving in this interstellar world. Her eyes reddened instantly. Tears welled, trembling on her lashes. Just seeing them made Lucien's chest twist. "Lie to you?" He racked his brain, searching frantically. But he couldn't think of a thing he had lied to her about. "When did I ever deceive you? Emma, tell me. Did I do something wrong without realizing it? Just tell me, I'll fix it right now. "I swear, I've never lied to you. Please. you must believe me." Seeing him so lost, so desperate to bare his heart open for her, Emma knew the moment had come. That single tear finally slipped down her cheek, shimmering with accusation and heartbreak. "Then why," she asked, voice shaking, "did you hide a secret stash of money from me?" Lucien's lips sealed shut. Secret stash? The words struck Lucien like lightning. He went rigid, his mouth parted. But no sound came out. His head buzzed. In an instant, his thoughts flipped from this must be a misunderstanding to how the hell did she find out? Guilt flooded him like a rising tide. He couldn't even meet her teary eyes.Yes, he had hidden a little… but that wasn't… he just wanted… Emma studied his frozen expression, then raised a hand to cover her face. Her voice broke with a sob. "And you say you haven't lied to me?" Her crying pushed Lucien over the edge. His heart clenched so hard it hurt to breathe. "No, Emma—listen to my explanation—" The word slipped out before he could stop it, and he instantly wanted to slap himself. D*mn it! Why did his stupid mouth slip now, of all times? "Oh, so you want to 'explain'?" Emma's tone cracked with heartbreak as she threw herself fully into the scene, eyes glistening and voice trembling. "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?" She looked shattered by his word, stumbling 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 wanted to crawl into a hole. He shuffled forward on his knees, reaching for her sleeve but stopping short, afraid she'd push him away. His handsome face was tight with panic and remorse. "I was wrong, Emma. I really was. I shouldn't have kept it from you. But I swear, the money wasn't for myself!" Emma's eyes were still red, but she hadn't turned away yet. Seeing that sliver of hope, Lucien spilled everything, 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, terrified that one slow breath would seal his doom. "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 gone quiet, almost hoarse, heavy with guilt.