CHAPTER 328: A SURPRISING OFFER

Coco walked down the hallway, the padding of her shoes against the floor was light compared to the heavy emotions weighing on her heart.

Her steps were cautious, her shoulders slumped forward, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

The weight of her emotional state burdened her movements, each step taken and it didn’t help that the hallway seemed to stretch out, making her feel that she was alone and couldn’t have the comfort she longed for.

Coco immediately rounded a corner, only to collide with someone who quickly steadied her.

As her gaze met the cold teal eyes of the third husband, a mix of emotions washed over her— surprise, curiosity, and a slight pang of discomfort mingled together, creating a strange sense of unease.

Coco swallowed, her hand reaching up to wipe the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, hoping that Alhai had not noticed them.

She stepped to the side, freeing herself from Alhai’s grasp, and muttered an apology.

"Sorry.. I wasn’t looking where I was going." She muttered softly, her voice slightly shaky, the emotions she had been holding in now manifesting themselves through her faltering words.

Alhai watched Coco silently, his gaze focused and his expression stoic as he observed her face closely.

His eyes narrowed, taking note of the subtle details that slipped past through facade she was showing him and noticed the way her shoulders slumped under the weight of her unspoken burden, the glossy emerald color of her eyes, the traces of forced smile on her lips, and the creases of her eyebrows that spoke of suppressed pain.

There it is again, the scrutinizing gaze that Coco always feels whenever Alhai looks at her.

Sure, she may counter any sneer or rude remark that would come from him and even ignore him altogether, but she’s not in the right mental state right now to deal with him.

Coco could already feel the tears threatening to spill again.

So, she thought of the fastest way to get him off her ass as soon as possible— and raised a hand, curling it into a fist.

Coco cleared her throat, coughing on her first as her gaze evaded his while she forced out a laugh that sounded too hollow for her liking.

".. Anyway, I’m tired and I’m sleepy." She started, her voice trembling just a little, but she was quick to cover it with another cough before saying, with the most preppy tone she could muster. "The others are downstairs just in case you’re wondering."

The artificial cheerfulness in her words failed to conceal the sadness that weighed on her, the facade of being happy broke ever so slightly.

Coco’s feigned smile did nothing to ease Alhai’s unease and if anything, it only deepened his concern for her well-being.

Coco stepped forward with an apology, her tone weary, but genuinely apologetic. "Again, I’m so sorry for bumping into you, I’ll make it up with you tomorrow, okay?"

Coco nodded her head, once, and added, "Have a good night."

With a forced smile, she continued walking, leaving Alhai with his conflicted thoughts, only the sound of Coco’s hurried departure can be heard hanging in the air.

Alhai stood frozen in place, his mind momentarily blank as his thoughts came into a halt.

However, before he could fully comprehend what was happening with his surroundings, his feet had started propelling him forward, guided by an unexplainable impulse.

He soon found himself moving in the direction Coco had gone, drawn towards her against his liking.

Alhai quickened his steps, closing the distance between them quickly, his ears catching the sound of Coco’s soft, muffled sniffles.

With each step, the confusing worry intensified, forcing him to reach out to her as soon as possible, each sound of her muffled cry spurring him to move faster, making him close the gap that separated him from her sooner than he thought.

As Coco reached out to push open the door to her room, Alhai’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and bringing her to a halt.

The sudden action caught Coco off guard, making her eyes go wide and whirl around to face the person who stopped her.

Her wide eyes met Alhai’s gaze, her surprise evident in the way her body froze.

Then, Alhai stood motionless, his hand still grasping Coco’s wrist, as the realization of what he had just done washed over him, and he froze in place as well, his eyes locked with hers.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still as the weight of the situation registered in his mind.

The heat of her skin on his hand felt almost searing, the physical connection between them electric, but he didn’t pull away.

In fact, he had the urge to pull her closer— actually, now that he looked at her, he noticed the trails of tears streaming down her cheeks, leaving glistening tracks on her face.

The sight of her tears caught him off guard, his heart clenching involuntarily in response.

The usual cold indifference that Alhai usually portrayed towards Coco melted away, replaced by a genuine feeling of concern.

Alhai’s grip on Coco’s wrist softened slightly, his once firm hold now merely securing her in place.

His eyebrows furrowed, his gaze still fixed on her tear-streaked face, his eyes dragging across the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks.

".. I can listen." Alhai murmured, the usual monotonous tone of his voice was there. "And I do it very well.. And whatever it is, I can just sit— or stand, whatever you prefer, while you talk."

Coco blinked in surprise as she processed Alhai’s words.

It was shocking to hear such an offer from the mediator who had made it abundantly clear that he despised her very existence.

She couldn’t help, but wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her, making her hallucinate.

Could this be the same mediator who had always sneered at her every move, who had found delight in mocking her at every turn?