A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 343

Elissa had expected this, but hearing the words spoken aloud still left her reeling.

It wasn’t just her; even Tanya Foster was momentarily stunned.

The truth cut too deep.

Frank spoke gently. “You must have noticed—Paige never had any goodwill toward you.”

That was putting it mildly.

“Hostile” didn’t even begin to cover it.

Elissa turned to him, searching his face. “Frank, are you messing with me?”

This time, she almost wished he were lying.

Frank knew how close she was to Rowan. He understood why this was hard to accept. “Do you remember? Right before your parents’ accident, they’d just closed a case.”

Before Elissa could respond, Frank handed her another file.

“I used some less-than-legal methods,” he admitted, sliding the folder across to her. “Turns out, someone involved in that case might have…a connection to Rowan’s grandmother.”

Elissa could only laugh, bitter and disbelieving. Each revelation seemed more ridiculous than the last.

She tore open the envelope with unsteady hands, her fingers trembling so slightly it was barely noticeable. When she saw the documents inside and understood what they meant, she almost laughed out loud.

No wonder.

No wonder Matriarch Paige Murphy had tormented her ever since bringing her into the Murphy family.

In hindsight, it was nothing but a vendetta.

Paige Murphy’s connection to that person was obvious—so close that even after Elissa had changed her name and tried to disappear, Paige had still managed to track her down.

That person had spent twenty years behind bars, and the old woman had spent the next two decades, from when Elissa was barely five until she turned twenty-five, making her life hell.

If Rowan hadn’t taken care of her for those nine years in the middle, she probably wouldn’t have survived.

She used to be so grateful for those nine years.

But now…

Now she just felt blindsided.

Elissa sat in the living room for what felt like hours, the file clutched in her hands, not even noticing when Frank quietly slipped away.

Tanya Foster stayed close, silent, not sure how to comfort her.

She wanted to ask him outright: If it came down to me or your grandmother, and only one of us could live, who would you choose?

But the words stuck in her throat.

No matter how strained things were between Rowan and Matriarch Paige Murphy, they were still family.

It was the classic impossible choice—like asking a man who he’d save if his wife and mother were both drowning.

Whoever asked such a question only ended up hurting themselves.

When the elevator doors slid open, Elissa didn’t hesitate. She walked straight in without looking back.

At the Wilkinsons’, she went upstairs as usual to give Mrs. Wilkinson her acupuncture treatment.

They’d grown much closer over time, so Suzanne no longer called her “Dr. Drummond” so formally.

Elissa never brought her personal life to work. She moved deftly with the needles, offering a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Elissa finished the acupuncture, then sat down on the chair nearby. “Suzanne, actually…I think I might really need your help with something.”