A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 325

Elissa was stunned.

She had never imagined the Wilkinson family harbored a tragedy like this.

The daughter who should have grown up surrounded by love and luxury had vanished—no one even knew where she was now.

With all the influence the Wilkinsons held in Cresthaven, even a decade or two ago, how could they have lost track of their own child?

“My little sister wasn’t lost in Cresthaven.”

Jesse caught the surprise on Elissa’s face, then continued, “We’ve been searching for her all these years. We just don’t know if she’s even alive and well somewhere out there…”

Back then, Tristan went to establish a branch office in Crestwave City. Suzanne, devoted as she was to her husband, naturally followed him there.

It was in Crestwave City that their youngest daughter was born.

When she was just over two, she was kidnapped by an old enemy. The Wilkinsons called the police right away, mobilizing every connection they had, but the trail went cold at the Southeast Asian border.

All these years, they’d scoured Crestwave City and Southeast Asia, leaving no stone unturned.

Still, there was never any word.

Elissa, after all, was an outsider. It was already a show of great trust for Jesse to share such a private family story with her, a doctor. She knew better than to pry any further, so she simply offered, “I’m sure Miss Wilkinson is blessed with good fortune. She’ll be safe.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

The Wilkinsons had heard similar words countless times over the years, but for some reason, hearing them from Elissa brought Jesse a measure of comfort.

It was as if, somehow, their little sister really was still out there—safe, waiting to be found.

And when that day came, the whole Wilkinson family would do everything they could to make it up to her.

“What are you chatting about over there?”

Suzanne was already in the dining room, waving Elissa over with a smile. “Dr. Drummond, come have something to eat. The chicken soup turned out wonderfully today.”

In these old-money families, the Wilkinsons were known for their kindness.

But that didn’t mean they’d let themselves be made fools of.

If they welcomed you, you were treated like royalty. Cross them, and everything would change in an instant.

Paige took a deep breath, trying to steady her temper. “Right now, teaching Elissa a lesson isn’t the priority. What matters is how we explain things to the Crest family.”

They’d already stood them up once.

Do it again, and the Crests would never give her the time of day—maybe even start to resent her.

But if she wanted to slowly chip away at Rowan’s influence, she needed the Crest family as an ally.

Butler Murphy paused for a moment, then a sly smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “With the Wilkinsons backing Elissa, we might be out of options there. But if you want to give the Crests an explanation, there may still be a way…”

Paige frowned. “What way?”