A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 194

You could see it in their faces—both Rowan and Matriarch Paige Murphy were distinctly uncomfortable, though each did their best to pretend otherwise.

But age brings cunning, and as long as the peace hadn't been shattered completely, Matriarch Paige Murphy could maintain her dignified composure. She waved Elissa over with a practiced calm. "Come here, Elissa. Why don't you tell everyone how well the Murphy family has treated you?"

She couldn't put Frank on the spot, and Rowan was even further out of reach. So naturally, Elissa became the sacrificial lamb.

Elissa hadn't moved yet, lips parting to speak, when Rowan's voice cut through the tension, sharp and mocking. "Enough already. You've been playing this game—hurting people, then not letting them complain—since she was five. Aren't you tired of it yet?"

He didn't bother to soften the blow. In a few words, he laid bare nearly two decades of Elissa's life: obedience without protest, no room for resistance, no space even to say it hurt. Only absolute compliance kept her from being punished ruthlessly.

A flicker of confusion crossed Lorraine's face. She hadn't realized how deep the rift ran between Rowan and his grandmother. "I'm sure Grandma meant well…"

Rowan clicked his tongue, obviously impatient. "Then why are you at the Murphy family's Christmas dinner?"

She fell silent, and Rowan's retort made his stance clear—he was picking fights indiscriminately, and in the process, drawing a line between himself and Lorraine.

Matriarch Paige Murphy looked thoroughly embarrassed, and just as the atmosphere threatened to explode, a little cousin from another branch of the family started wailing—loud and sudden.

Everyone seized the opportunity to change the subject and move past the awkwardness.

Even so, a few minutes later, several younger cousins gravitated toward Rowan. It was clear—his sharpness was reserved for Slate and the matriarch; with the others, he could still manage a smile.

Later, dinner was served. Three long tables filled with relatives, the dining room spacious enough that it didn't feel crowded despite the numbers.

After the earlier drama, Matriarch Paige Murphy kept her attention off Elissa, who stayed quiet, focused on her meal.

With glasses clinking and friendly chatter floating through the air, the gathering, for once, managed to appear harmonious.

By the time the meal ended and people began drifting away from the table in twos and threes, night had truly fallen.

Elissa froze, every muscle tense. She managed a muffled protest against his mouth. "There are so many people downstairs!"

Rowan didn't let up, his voice low and rough as his lips moved against hers. "What did you promise me?"

Her eyes shimmered as his kisses left her breathless. "What?"

He tightened his grip on her shoulder, clearly annoyed.

Then Elissa remembered. She whispered, "If I avoided him in front of everyone, it would have looked suspicious."

Rowan's arm circled her waist, spinning her so her back pressed firmly to the wall. Their bodies were so close, she could feel the heat radiating through their clothes.

"So," he whispered, breath hot against her ear, "this… is your punishment."