New World with Four Husbands

Chapter 431: Truth after truth

Coco flinched at the nonchalant tone Alhai used to respond to his friends, as if he was speaking with facts presented in a powerpoint.

"You hated her!" Zaque retorted back and brought Alhai closed to his face. "Don’t you dare lie."

"I’m not lying." Alhai countered, sounding a little annoyed and fed up, but he didn’t dare fight back against Zaque because he’s taller and has more strength than him.

"Then what’s the point of being against Coco all these times? What’s the point of swearing at her and mocking her?" Zaque continued before he let go of Alhai aggressively and pushed him back down on his chair.

Alhai landed on his seat with a thump accompanied by a groan, but he still didn’t bother fighting back.

"You called her good-for-nothing, but you’re the one who’s acting like it with all the words that you had dropped on her!" The red haired mediator hissed, letting out his frustration from those days.

Alhai flinched because he knows that Zaque is right.

Coco, on the other hand, could only watch and listen as both Zaque and Quizen kept glaring down on the silver haired mediator like there’s no tomorrow.

She was still shocked at the confession she received, but she’s more concerned about what Zaque had felt all those times— his voice and hands were shaking with the pent up emotions after all.

"I can’t believe that you like her after treating her like she’s nothing, but trash!" Zaque exclaimed, his chest heaving up and down.

"I tried to understand that you’re mad her for having the body of someone who used to hurt us! I tried so hard, Alhai!" Zaque cried out, his eyes getting blurry with how confused he is with Alhai’s words and actions.

"Then you’re going to tell me that you like her..? You like her so you’re treating her like this?" Zaque asked no one in particular.

"No!" Alhai denied loudly and stood up from his chair, causing for the seat to fall back to Quizen and hit him where it hurts. "I acted that way to her because I didn’t understand at the time! But I do now! I’m going to make it up with Coco!"

Alhai felt like he was being interrogated with his life on the line because his heart felt like it’s about to burst, but he stood his ground.

"You don’t know about what I feel towards Coco so don’t talk like that." Alhai growled, pushing an accusing finger on Zaque’s chest, his eyes narrowed into a nasty glare as he protected himself.

"That’s not how you act around someone you like." Zaque snarled back, but he felt a little proud to see Alhai standing up for himself.

Though, it’s not the right time to feel proud of him.

"I don’t know how I should because I’ve never liked someone before except for Coco!" Alhai exclaimed, taking a step to the right to round Zaque so he can go to Coco.

Heiren and Coco flinched when the silver haired mediator suddenly snatched Coco from Heiren’s grasp and brought her head to his chest, his eyebrows furrowing in both protectiveness and frustration.

"If I don’t like her, I won’t be able to do this." Alhai pointed out, wrapping his arms around Coco and securing her between his arms.

"I bet you don’t have the courage to do this anyway— isn’t that why you haven’t said anything? Because you’re a coward?" Alhai prodded, a small smirk emerging in his lips as he tightened his arms around Coco.

"I’m not a coward—" Zaque tried to defend himself, but he stopped because he knows that Alhai was right.

He is a coward.

He’s too scared to confess to Coco because he’s frightened at the thought of her rejecting him and proceeding on filing a divorce against four of them.

However, it’s very clear to him that Alhai doesn’t think the same as him.

"Sure, let’s say you’re not." Alhai mused, pulling Coco closer to him which made the woman’s knees turn into jello. "But you’re a loser for not saying anything."

Truth after truth, each truth hitting not only Zaque, but the other mediators, too.

"Because it’s not the right time to say them yet." Heiren stated bluntly, his hands curling into fists at the sight of Coco in Alhai’s arms like she belongs there.

Alhai scoffed, not believing a word he said.

"But you have the courage to act like it’s the right time? As if." Alhai sassed, mocking Heiren’s act of love towards Coco because honestly, they wouldn’t have this reaction if they don’t think the same.

"That’s.. That’s not even— I mean! It’s not like—" Heiren stammered out, looking like a deer caught in red lights.

Alhai rolled his eyes and pulled Coco a little away from his body, the corner of his lips quirking up into a soft smile as his eyes landed on her flushed face.

"Hey, you called all of us here for a reason, right?" Alhai asked, his hand squeezing her shoulder lightly.

Coco blinked and nodded her head reluctantly, her mind struggling to recover from the unexpected event that had happened tonight.

"Yeah.. Yeah, that’s right.." Coco mumbled, looking down which caused her eyes to land on Alhai’s chest.

Zaque stepped forward and frowned. "She sounds like she’s not in the right headspace to do that tonight so don’t force her, Alhai."

As usual, putting Coco on the top of his concerns went first and immediately tried to tend to his wife, but the silver haired mediator shot him a menacing glare that was a clear warning for him to not step forward further.

Zaque froze and heed Alhai’s silent warning, staying still in his spot.

Alhai, upon seeing the cooperation that his friend showed him, smirked in triumph before he looked down to the person he had confessed to.

"Don’t force yourself." Alhai hummed softly and brought a hand to Coco’s face.

"Whatever it is you wanted to talk about.. Do it tomorrow."