The Billionaire's Mistake

MISTAKE 166

Chapter 166: Martin's Only son

The man's only response was to offer Carr an insolent smirk or turning away as he was marched out of the room. The detective scowled clearly he w crack.

going to be a tough nut to

But as the adrenaline began to wear off, Carr felt his mouth curve into a vindicated smile. Sure, it might take some work to get their would-be assassin talking. But they'd done the hard part apprehending him before he could inflict any actual harm.

With the pillow brandished as grisly evidence in hand, Carr strode from the hospital room with a sense of victory thrumming through his veins. One way or another, they'd get to the bottom of who had put this hit out on Martin Jones...and they would bring both perpetrators to justice for their sickening transgressions.

Gina paced a restless track across the dingy living room of her small apartment, her agitation seeming to thrum through the very air around her. Every few moments, she would pause to shoot a furtive glance towards the front door, as if expecting it to burst open at any second.

"Will you quit that racket?" her son Ben grumbled from where he sat slumped on the beat-up sofa. "You're making me dizzy just watching you wear a trench into the floor."

The boy kept his sullen gaze fixed on the flickering television screen, steadfastly ignoring his mother's manic behaviors. In truth, he'd been tuning her out more often than not these days ever since that terrible night when she'd exploded on him for daring to ask about the aftermath of his father's injuries.

A part of Ben still couldn't quite accept that his once put-together, sophisticated mother had devolved into this high-strung, perpetually anxious shadow of herself. Something had fundamentally snapped inside Gina's psyche after she and Ben had been forced from the lavish family home by Ben's cold-hearted older sister Emma. His mother seemed to vacillate between bitter rage towards his sister one moment, and overwhelming fear about something else entirely the next.

compassion from your own son wouldn't kill you," Gina snapped, shooting him a withering glare as she prowled another

understanding her mindset. As far as he could tell, the entire situation she was so bent out of shape over stemmed from her own misdeeds - her infidelity, her attempts to wrestle away assets and property that didn't belong to her. He'd overheard enough blistering arguments between his parents before the terrible accident to know how toxic their marriage had

the apartment's doorbell punctured the tense

back against the couch, the

to freeze in place. momentarily before

called out in a tight volce, peering through the

eyes.

in resignation before his eyes. With shaking hands, she slid the deadbolt and pulled the door inward, leveling the guests on the other side with a mutinous glare. "Just what is the meaning of this?" she demanded, though Ben could hear the undercurrent

two uniformed police officers barged into the apartment's

of Martin Jones," the female officer intoned grimly. Her partner stepped forward and grabbed Gina's wrists, wrenching them behind her back with practiced efficiency despite her howls of outrage. "No! You don't understand, it wasn't

rooted to the spot in numb shock. Attempted murder? Of his own father? The words seemed to float. through his mind

he was aware of someone shouting, and it took him several long moments to realize the raised voice

and crossing the apartment in three long strides to confront the officers. "My mom didn't try to kill my dad!

- the taller, stockier male

intent," the man explained, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She's being charged in connection with the attack that left your father in a c until recently."

she simply looked... defeated. Resigned, even, to the fate that seemed to be unfolding around them. "Your...your father regained consciousness a few days ago," the male cop continued in a