A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 414

The timing made Elissa pause. The members of that criminal organization had been imprisoned twenty years ago. Finn had left the country twenty years ago. He had been adopted and had only recently taken over DK Pharmaceuticals.

She tried to connect the dots. “So, it’s likely that someone else is the real boss of DK Pharmaceuticals?”

“Exactly,” Jesse said, a look of admiration on his face. He was impressed she had pieced it together from so little information. “By the way, my mother is preparing to return to Cresthaven for a couple of days, so you can put her treatments on hold.”

Elissa nodded. “How long will she be gone? The treatment is just starting to show results; it’s best not to interrupt it for too long.”

“About a week,” Jesse said, his voice gentle. “She’ll be back after my grandfather’s birthday celebration.”

“Okay,” Elissa agreed. A week wasn’t too long; it wouldn’t have a major impact.

Coincidentally, Elissa was also planning a trip to Cresthaven. Her parents’ death anniversary was in a few days.

That evening, when Tanya Foster learned of her plans, she slapped her forehead. “How could I have forgotten? Do you want me to come with you after I finish up my work?” A major case had just been dropped on her desk, and she was swamped.

Elissa smiled. “It’s okay, I can go by myself.” She just missed her parents and wanted to introduce them to the baby growing inside her.

On the day of the anniversary, Elissa left Vistapeak City at dawn and drove to Cresthaven. When she arrived at The Memorial Gardens, she found several bouquets of daisies and sunflowers already placed in front of her parents’ tombstone.

“It’s your parents’ anniversary. I happened to be in Cresthaven for business, so I thought I’d come pay my respects.” He placed a bouquet of flowers by the tombstone, his gaze dropping. “I was a terrible husband. I never once came back here with you.”

“It’s all in the past,” Elissa said, not wanting to dwell on it. In truth, she no longer felt those three years had been so bad.

Seeing her calm acceptance, Frank felt a pang of loss. He bowed three times to the tombstone and then said, “You should spend some more time with them. I’ll wait for you at the entrance.”

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