A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 298

Elissa understood immediately.

She’d heard Cliff mention it a couple of years ago—his sister and brother-in-law’s marriage had been on the rocks for some time.

Most likely, they’d only waited this long to divorce for the sake of their child.

After dinner, they dropped Bentley off at home first, then Cliff and Elissa headed to the research institute together.

No sooner had they stepped into the lab than Zachary Jones greeted them, face beaming. “We did it! Ms. Drummond, Mr. Cliff, your latest experimental data is flawless!”

As he spoke, he handed the printouts to Elissa.

Beside him, Xavier could barely contain his excitement. “Ms. Drummond, you two are amazing!”

Elissa took the papers, scanned the results, and felt an immense weight lift from her mind.

This put her one major step closer to the outcome she’d been working toward.

The thought that, in the near future, she might truly develop this drug—might actually see her dream become reality—filled her with a joy she’d never felt before.

When she dove back into her research, she did so with newfound energy.

She needed to move faster.

Even faster.

Cliff noticed her urgency and tried to reassure her. “Don’t rush, Elissa. One step at a time. We’ll get there, I promise.”

“Alright!”

Elissa nodded emphatically.

For days on end, Elissa spent nearly all her time in the lab, only leaving for her clinic shifts and the occasional nap at home.

There had been a time when she’d worried this drug might be nothing more than an impossible dream.

But now, the data in her hands told her otherwise.

She was close to a breakthrough.

She was close to fulfilling the wish her parents had once cherished: to help people, to save as many lives as possible.

When she was little, she used to envy other kids whose parents were always around. Her own parents were constantly busy, hardly ever home.

She’d even thrown tantrums about it, not understanding why they couldn’t stay with her.

It was her mother who would scoop her up, soothing her with gentle pats on the back. “Little Nine, do you know how many people your dad and I can save every time we succeed at our work?”

“How many?”

“Sleep deprivation increases your risk of cancer. You’re a doctor—you should know that.”

Elissa was momentarily speechless.

Men can be so blunt.

She quickly wrapped up what she was doing and reached for her coat and bag, only to find Rowan already holding them.

A random word popped into her mind—*husband material*.

As she walked over, Rowan took her hand just like he used to when they were kids and he’d pick her up from Mr. Blaine’s house. “Come on, let’s get you home and into bed.”

“Rowan,”

Elissa let him lead her into the elevator, then suddenly remembered something. “You brought your wallet, right?”

Rowan raised an eyebrow. “Why? Planning to mug me?”

“I need to borrow it.”

Elissa looked up at him with clear, earnest eyes, hand outstretched.

He smiled, the barest hint of amusement in his expression, and pulled his wallet from his pocket, dropping it into her palm. “Take what you want. It’s all yours.”