A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 169

Elissa denied it without a second thought.

She had no idea how long Rowan’s sudden interest in her would last. For all she knew, he could decide she was no longer needed in a few days. and send her packing. There was no reason to worry Tanya Foster with that, or drag her into unnecessary anxiety.

So Elissa changed the subject. “Is this whole mess going to affect your job?”

“It won’t.”

Tanya shook her head, a rare note of approval in her voice. “You know, for all that Rowan comes off as cold and aloof, he’s actually pretty thorough when it comes to handling business.”

“He already had the Murphy Group’s lawyers call my boss, made it clear this

was all his cousin’s doing and that I had nothing to do with it.”

In the world of business, everyone’s a sharp player. Rowan’s intervention. didn’t just clear her name–it also subtly implied that she had some kind of connection to the Murphy family.

Earlier, when Tanya finally got her phone back from the police, her business partners had bombarded her with concerned messages–some of them all but coming out and asking what exactly her relationship with

Rowan was.

When the two women got home and stepped out of the elevator, they unexpectedly ran into someone they knew.

Rex had just come from Rowan’s place. His gold–rimmed glasses softened the sharpness in his eyes, but his words alright?”

He clearly wasn’t talking to Elissa.

were blunt. “Are you

Elissa hesitated, a little surprised at how familiar he and Tanya seemed.

09:20

Chapter 169

Tanya’s expression was cool and distant. “I’m fine.”

With that, she took Elissa’s arm, ready to walk past him and head inside.

But as they brushed by, Rex suddenly raised his arm, pressing his palm to Tanya’s forehead, stopping her in her tracks. His hand, as always, was cold.

He frowned slightly, then looked at Elissa. “She’s burning up. Must be at

least a hundred and one.”

“Yeah,” Elissa replied. She’d already noticed Tanya was feverish on the way home–probably from spending the night freezing at the police. station. “I’ll get her some medicine as soon as we get inside.”

They always kept a few basic remedies at home–more than enough to

treat a mild cold.

But Rex didn’t seem inclined to let them leave. Or, more accurately, he wasn’t ready to let Tanya go.

It finally dawned on Elissa that there was something between these two she hadn’t been told about, just as the door behind them clicked open.

Rowan stood there, now dressed in a tailored suit, his jaw set in command. He jerked his chin at her, issuing the order with casual. authority. “Come here.”

Like he was calling a dog.

But Elissa knew better than to protest. If you wanted to play the part of the lover, you had to accept the rules.

She glanced between Tanya and Rex, sensing the strange tension in the air, and wisely slipped away. Before she left, she told Tanya, “Call me when you’re done.”

Once the door closed behind her, the hallway fell silent again. Only then did Tanya take a step back, the polished elevator doors reflecting just how exhausted and disheveled she looked.

The man standing next to her, on the other hand, always seemed

09:201

Chapter 160

untouched by any of life’s messiness.

Rex broke the silence first. “Did it scare you?”

He was talking about the night’s events.

Tanya gave a tired half–smile. “No.”

From start to finish, she’d never really been worried. She knew Elissa would find a way to get her out.

Rex had never met anyone else who could shut down a conversation so completely.

He studied her quietly, the crease in his brow deepening. “Are you always going to keep me at arm’s length?”

After a sleepless night and now running a fever, Tanya felt heavy and foggy, her mind barely keeping up. Staring at the man before her, she blurted out without thinking, “Could you marry me?”

The words hung in the air. When she caught the flicker of surprise on his face, she understood.

But the truth was, she’d known the answer three years ago.

Men like him could have their fun with a girl from the outskirts of town–al nobody like her–but marriage? That was impossible.

If he ever tried, his ancestors would probably turn over in their graves.

3/3