Too Late, Mr. Cooper: Your Bride Ran with Your Baby novel Chapter 71

Linton wasn't deliberately avoiding Liliana’s gaze.

He didn't dare to look at her.

The girl had just had a massive fight with him in the early hours of the morning.

Linton knew he had crossed a line this time, and a sliver of guilt gnawed at him.

He hadn't figured out how to face an angry Liliana and coax her back, so he kept his eyes averted and his mouth shut.

Liliana, in turn, ignored him completely, refusing to even glance in his direction.

The two of them stood there stiffly, a chasm as wide as a galaxy separating them. It was a bottomless gorge that cleaved them apart, turning them into the most familiar of strangers.

The atmosphere was heavy with unspoken tension.

Fortunately, the news that old Mr. Cooper's surgery was a success broke the silence. He was wheeled out shortly after.

Everyone rushed to surround the gurney.

The doctor reassured the family, "You brought him in just in time. Any later, and we might not have been able to save him."

"The surgery was successful. He'll need to be hospitalized for observation for a while. As long as you follow our instructions and take good care of him, there shouldn't be any major issues."

"When will he wake up?" Mrs. Hart's face was etched with worry, her eyes welling with tears.

"It's hard to say for certain, but it shouldn't be too long. A month at the most," the doctor replied before adding a final, pointed warning. "He's getting on in years, and his heart is weak. From now on, you must avoid any emotional distress. Make sure he doesn't worry or get angry."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, doctor," Mrs. Hart said, her expression troubled.

Everyone knew the unspoken truth.

Old Mr. Cooper's sudden collapse was almost certainly triggered by the shock of hearing that Liliana wanted to break off the engagement. The stimulus had been too much for him to bear.

A sharp pain lanced through her side. The thought that her own son would publicly humiliate her, time and again, for another woman—that he would always side with an outsider—sent her into a rage. Her glare, when it landed on Liliana, was filled with an even deeper loathing.

Isabella's soft, gentle voice chimed in at just the right moment, smoothing things over. "Brother, Mom, please don't be angry. We're all family. There's nothing we can't talk about calmly."

"Besides, Liliana didn't do it on purpose. She's just been upset lately…"

With one simple sentence, she deftly shifted all the blame onto Liliana, painting her as the sole villain.

Mrs. Hart was flabbergasted. She wasn't about to stand for it.

They say motherhood makes you strong, and Mrs. Hart was fiercely protective of her daughter. She wasn't going to let anyone subtly tear her down.

She turned directly to Liliana and said, "Liliana, you're right to break off this engagement. With a mother-in-law and a sister-in-law like this, always stirring up trouble, your marriage would never be peaceful. I can't imagine the fights you'd have."

Liliana nodded. "Mom, I'm so glad you understand."