A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 424

When the other driver didn't respond, she marched over to the luxury SUV. Just as she was about to bang on the window, the door was shoved open from the inside, sending her stumbling back, nearly falling to the ground.

Furious at the humiliation, Marcia raised her hand to point and curse, but stopped short when she saw the man who emerged. He had a sinister air about him.

Recognition dawned, and her eyes lit up. "You… you're from the Thornton family, from DK Pharmaceuticals, right?"

Finn Thornton ignored her question. He strode forward with a grim expression, grabbed her by the throat, and slammed her against the hard body of her car.

Marcia gasped in shock as he hissed through clenched teeth, "Are you an idiot? Who gave you the nerve to make a move on Elissa in Cresthaven?"

His foster father had been out of prison for a while now but had yet to move against Elissa, precisely because he didn't want to attract police attention again. It wasn't worth it for someone like her. Besides, Finn had hoped to use Elissa's skills to help DK Pharmaceuticals gain a solid foothold in the country.

But now, this moron's stunt had, for some reason, put both the Cresthaven and Vistapeak City police on high alert, with their attention fixed squarely on DK Pharmaceuticals. Now they would all have to lie low for the foreseeable future.

Marcia had regretted her actions the moment she heard her hired man was caught. She'd been blinded by rage, so desperate to get rid of Elissa that she'd acted rashly. In hindsight, it was incredibly impulsive. While she was outside Vistapeak City, beyond the reach of Rowan and Frank, she was still in Cresthaven. Elissa was treating the matriarch of the Wilkinson family; of course they would help her out. Thankfully, she had leverage on the driver, so he wouldn't rat her out easily.

But when had Elissa gotten involved with Finn? That witch was far too good at seducing men. One after another, they were all losing their heads over her.

Unaware of Finn's background and unafraid, Marcia decided to play dumb. "What move? Against Elissa? What does that have to do with me? I have no idea what you're talking about!" she said, struggling against his grip. "Do you know who I am? Let me go!"

"Idiot," Finn sneered. He couldn't fathom why Paige Jensen would use someone so stupid.

Rex couldn't stand to watch anymore. He snatched the glass from Rowan's hand, his brow furrowed. "Are you trying to drink yourself to death again?"

Rex had no idea what he was thinking.

Then he thought he saw something wet hit the floor, a dark spot that slowly bled into the carpet.