A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 413

The successful launch of the drug caused a surge in patients at Elissa’s clinic. When she arrived the next day, the parking lot was already full. She circled the building several times but couldn’t find a single spot, not even an illegal one.

Before she could find a place to park, Cliff called.

“What’s going on at the clinic today? I can’t even find a parking spot,” she said, a hint of urgency in her voice. Her patients were used to her starting early; some were probably getting anxious.

Cliff’s voice was weary. “They’re all here for you. The clinic was packed before dawn. The nurses are explaining to them that they need to book appointments online.” It was an oversight on his part. He should have anticipated that once the drug launched and Elissa’s reputation grew, the number of patients would skyrocket. They had been caught off guard. Nurses from other departments were already being temporarily reassigned to help manage the crowd at her office.

Having practiced medicine for years, Elissa understood the patients’ desperation. No one wanted to be sick a moment longer than they had to be. But she was also aware of her own condition. Being pregnant, she couldn’t overexert herself.

As she hesitated, Cliff said, “Just pull up to the entrance. I’ll have someone park your car for you. Take the staff elevator straight to your office. I’ll handle the rest.” He knew that if he had asked her to push herself and see more patients, she probably would have agreed. But he had noticed she’d gotten thinner lately, her face looking drawn. She seemed more tired than usual. Her health was more important than the clinic’s logistics.

Elissa felt a wave of relief. “Okay.” If she weren’t pregnant, she could have powered through, working day and night for a few days to clear the backlog. But now, she couldn’t risk the baby’s health. She would have to focus on providing the best care possible to the patients who already had appointments.

Even so, she was busy until well past two in the afternoon. Fortunately, she had brought a sandwich from home and managed to sneak a few bites, staving off the hunger.

She arrived at The Wilkinson Philanthropy Initiative just in time for a meeting. Likely due to the success of the previous day’s launch, the project team was exceptionally welcoming and had even assigned her a temporary assistant.

Jesse frowned slightly. “Him? There’s not much on him in this country. He comes from a single-parent family. His mother died in an accident over twenty years ago, and he was adopted and moved abroad. He only took over DK Pharmaceuticals a few years ago.” He paused. “But DK’s rise in Meridia wasn’t as straightforward as it seems. They have some powerful backing.”

There was so little to go on. Elissa pressed, “When did he move abroad?”

“About twenty years ago.” DK Pharmaceuticals had entered the domestic market so aggressively that Jesse had already had his team look into Finn, their public face.

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