Too Late, Mr. Cooper: Your Bride Ran with Your Baby novel Chapter 296

Linton forced himself to still his trembling hands, the smile on his lips growing colder, more sinister. "I know who hired you," he ground out. "Tell me where they are. How did they contact you?"

Dennis Carter's lips quivered, his eyes darting around as he tried to think of a way to lie his way out of this.

Linton saw right through him and let out a dry, humorless laugh. "If my wife and child were gone," he said, his voice dangerously low, "I wouldn't hesitate to make your entire family join them in the grave. Don't try to play the victim and preach about not involving families. I'm not interested in your morals. Anyone who threatens my wife and child... dies." The rage was palpable now.

Linton's eyes were dark with it, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

The car was filled with a murderous aura.

Lucas jumped, fumbling in his briefcase. With trembling fingers, he pulled out a small bottle of pills. "Mr. Cooper," he pleaded, "I... I think you're having an episode. Please, take your medication."

Linton shot him a cold glare but didn't speak. He fought for control.

Finally, he gave in. "I'm giving you one last chance," he snarled. "Tell me everything you know."

Dennis Carter fell silent, then closed his eyes in despair. He was defeated. "I... I'll tell you," he conceded. "But you have to promise to let me go. Don't call the police. I... I have to pick up my daughter tomorrow for her parent-teacher conference... I haven't seen her in so long..."

He took the pill and swallowed it dry, wincing as it went down his throat. It was a self-punishing act, though whether he was punishing himself or someone else was unclear.

Dennis had no response to his scorn. He hung his head in despair, his voice hoarse with tears. "I... I had no choice! I owed money to loan sharks. They offered me ten million to kill someone and promised to get me out of the country so I could be with my daughter again. I... I didn't know it was a pregnant woman at first, I swear, if I had known..."

"Enough," Linton cut him off. The medication was starting to work, his breathing evening out. His expression became a cold, blank slate. "Tell me what you need to tell me. When you're done, I'm taking you to the police station. There are no second chances in life."

He let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh, as if speaking to himself. "A mistake is a mistake," he murmured, his voice raspy. "Regret doesn't change that. If saying sorry could fix the damage we've done... then what would be the point of the police?"