A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 307

Elissa paused for a beat, surprised. She’d never expected someone as carefree and aloof as Rowan to actually stop and consider someone else’s needs.

Before she could fully collect herself, Rowan glanced down at his watch, then tilted his head toward the house. “You should head inside.”

“Alright.”

Elissa didn’t wait for him to leave first—she turned and stepped through the door ahead of him.

Before coming here, she’d texted Aaron Blaine. Jacqueline had gone all out, buying plenty of groceries just to make a special lunch for her.

“Hurry up and come in!”

Aaron waved her over, grinning from ear to ear at his protégé’s success. “After all these years… finally…”

He’d started out happy, but as he spoke, Aaron’s voice caught in his throat.

He’d seen with his own eyes what Elissa had gone through living with the Murphy family.

But she’d made it through. The little girl who used to trail after him, unable to tell one medicinal herb from another, was finally beginning to shine in her own right.

Jacqueline saw Aaron tearing up and felt a deep, genuine joy for Elissa. She pulled her down to sit on the couch.

“Your mentor here—he heard your team’s new drug is about to enter clinical trials. He was so excited last night, he barely slept. And now look at him: laughing and crying at the same time.”

Jacqueline paused, giving Elissa’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You two catch up. I’ll go make a few of your favorite dishes. I don’t care how the Murphy Group celebrates your success—here at home, we’re having our own celebration.”

“Thank you, Jacqueline,” Elissa replied.

She watched Jacqueline hurry off to the kitchen, then turned to Aaron, her eyes stinging. The moment she tried to speak, her tears fell. “Thank you, sir.”

There was so much she wanted to say, but in the end, only those simple words came out.

Whether it was teaching her medicine from scratch, or the years of care and support from both him and Jacqueline, she could never thank them enough.

They weren’t family by blood, but in her heart, they were so much more.

The Murphys?

Marcia caught on fast. “The old lady from the Murphy family came herself?”

“Shut up!” Carmela snapped, practically wishing she could tape her daughter’s mouth shut. “If you want to get yourself killed, fine—but don’t even think about dragging us down with you!”

“Why would I die?” Marcia sneered, a smug little smile tugging at her lips.

But the moment they reached the sitting room, she didn’t even get a word out before Matriarch Paige Murphy’s slap landed squarely across her cheek.

Stunned, Marcia barely had time to react before a second blow cracked across the other side of her face.

Paige Murphy glared down at her, furious, her chest heaving with rage. At her signal, Butler Murphy kicked Marcia’s legs out from under her, forcing her to kneel.

“And you told me you had it all under control, didn’t you?!”