CHAPTER 310: MORNING SHOCK

A long bell rang inside the house, the sound echoing through the air, cutting through the tension in the room, causing everyone to pause in their actions.

Heiren and Zaque exchanged a look, a silent question passing between them.

Coco looked towards the source of the sound, the tension in her body evident as she tensed up. Quizen, too, looked up from Coco, his gaze darting towards the entryway.

Coco looked over at Zaque.

"That’s probably Alithe and Sinclair." She said, her voice soft and tinged with anticipation.

The sound of the doorbell had caused Zaque to freeze momentarily, but at Coco’s words, he nodded in agreement.

Zaque cleared his throat and spoke up, his tone firm and calm, his gaze still fixed on Coco before he turned and exited the kitchen. "I’ll get it."

The sound of his footsteps echoed out as he made his way to the front door.

Quizen huffed and turned back to Coco, his expression still tinged with worry and agitation, but his eyes remained roaming over her face, still looking like he was trying to memorize every inch of her.

His hand reached out and gently touched her cheek, his thumb tenderly stroking her skin, making Coco freeze once again.

He looked like he was torn between wanting to say something and not wanting to speak.

Coco looked at Quizen for a moment, puzzled and slightly annoyed, but she tore her gaze away from him, her eyes shifting towards Heiren instead, who was now serving breakfast on the table.

The smell of vegetables, meat, and eggs filled the air, the fragrance making her stomach growl in anticipation.

She took a step towards the table, pulling herself away from the fourth husband’s hand, and sat down, her gaze still flickering back to Quizen every now and then.

Coco turned her attention to Heiren, watching him place a heaping portion of steaming vegetables onto a dish.

The aroma wafted gently through the air, the scent of freshly cooked dishes filling the room, and making her stomach growl once more.

Coco watched him for a moment, her thoughts distracted from Quizen for a moment by the sight of the breakfast, then she remembered something as she heard the bell ring once more.

Coco cleared her throat, diverting her eyes from the food and turning to Heiren.

"I don’t remember the house having a doorbell." She said, her tone curious as she stared at Heiren. "When did you guys install it?"

Heiren placed the steaming pot on top of a cloth before he opened his mouth to speak, his movements smooth and efficient.

"Yesterday, when you left thebhouse." Heiren replied, his attention shifting to Coco. "The butlers installed it. Apparently, your new friend gave them everything they needed."

His words piqued her curiosity, her expression turning quizzical as she tried to make sense of the new information.

The response he uttered was short and concise so his focus was still on the task at hand despite the conversation, his hands continuing to work.

Coco nodded her head, intending to respond, but her attention was abruptly snatched away by the sound of another pair of footsteps from the front entryway— she turned towards the door, her gaze darting towards the source of the noise.

The footsteps grew louder as they approached, the sound of the heavy door being pushed open soon following the footsteps.

Alhai walked in, his wet silver hair glistening in the light from the nearby window.

His gaze moved around the room, taking everything in.

Then, his attention shifted and was quickly drawn to Coco, making him stop in the doorway, his eyes landing on her.

The moment hung in the air; a pause of acknowledgement.

After a good second, Alhai turned away from her, his expression shifting to a hard look of neutrality.

His resentment was there, still present, but there was less bite in it now and he doesn’t know what to do with it because he had grown comfortable with the presence of that hate.

He walked over to the table, tense and stuff, and took a seat directly across from her, his gaze flickering from her face to the food now spread before them.

It wasn’t just Alhai who was stealing glances.

Coco glanced at Alhai, taking in his presence, but again, the sound of footsteps caught her attention, her attention darting to the kitchen doorway.

She looked up just in time to see Zaque entering the room, his expression neutral.

He closed the door behind him and began making his way towards the table, his eyes briefly meeting Coco’s as he passed her.

Zaque spoke up, his voice calm. "I left both Sinclair and his husband in the living room."

"So it was them?" Coco blinked, smiling softly.

"Yes." Zaque affirmed and walked over to the other side of the table, "I asked them if they already had breakfast, and fortunately, they said that they had."

His words hung in the air, his gaze briefly flitting towards Coco before he took a seat at the table.

Coco nodded her head in understanding then she turned to Quizen, her attention briefly shifted away from the conversation.

"Can you give them something to drink?" She asked, her tone neutral, but not unkind. "Just for now, please? At least while we eat?"

Quizen looked momentarily reluctant, his gaze fixed on Coco, but the sweet tone of request in her voice was too pleasing for him to completely dismiss so he let out a sigh and said, "Alright."

Quizen stood up from his chair and walked over to the kitchen counter to begin preparing the drinks.

Alhai stood up from his seat while Heiren took a seat on the other side of Coco, and walked over to the fourth husband, going through the familiar motions of making the drinks with Quizen.

The sound of clinking glasses and the soft sound of liquid filling the cups echoed through the kitchen as they worked.

Coco blinked, watching the two mediators owlishly.