A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 278

“It’s fine.”

Elissa smiled. “People’s hearts are hard to read. Until something actually happens, you never really know.”

She paused for a moment, then asked for confirmation. “Did they say who put them up to it?”

She suspected Marcia was involved, but the logic didn’t quite add up.

After all, Marcia had been biding her time, just waiting to reap the benefits. Why would she send someone to sabotage the data?

“No one,” Zachary Jones replied. Worried he hadn’t been clear, he added, “No one gave them orders.”

Saying it out loud, Zachary felt even more embarrassed. “Those two idiots just couldn’t stand that you’re younger than them. At first, Raymond wasn’t planning to go along with James, but after trying to cozy up to you and realizing he still wasn’t getting anywhere, he just—”

Of course, what they said was even nastier than that.

They couldn’t get over the fact that a woman like Elissa was in charge of them.

Noticing the slight furrow in Elissa’s brow, Zachary remembered something and gave a quick grin. “By the way, we don’t have to worry about Marcia swooping in to take credit anymore.”

“Oh? How’s that?”

Wasn’t this supposed to be a government-backed joint research project?

Zachary pointed upward. “Our Mr. Murphy wasn’t happy about it. He personally made sure the joint project got canned, said we’d handle the research ourselves. Told everyone plainly that our team could get it done on our own.”

Zachary was more than pleased at the news.

That Marcia woman was all scheming and no substance, just waiting to swoop in and profit off others’ work.

For people actually doing the research, nothing was worse than having to deal with someone like her.

Lab work was exhausting enough—having to waste energy watching your back for petty politics made it feel like the sky was falling.

As evening fell and Elissa was preparing to work late and push the project forward, her phone rang. It was Paige Murphy, the matriarch herself.

Elissa set aside her work, walked over to the window, and pulled the blackout curtain shut. “Grandma.”

“There’ll be guests at the house tonight. You’ll be home for dinner.”

It wasn’t a request; it was a command.

The old woman’s style, as always.

Elissa gazed through the floor-to-ceiling window at the rush hour traffic below. Her tone was flat. “I don’t have time tonight.”

The matriarch’s voice pressed through the phone, cold and forceful. “Do you think that just because Frank’s protecting you, I can’t do anything about it?”

Elissa silently drew a slow breath. “I really am busy.”