A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 426

The next morning, after getting ready, Elissa was about to head out to handle her discharge paperwork when she opened the door to her hospital room and found Jesse Wilkinson standing right there.

He was dressed casually, likely taking a day off work, and he greeted her with a polite, gentle smile. "I just got back to Cresthaven last night. My mother asked me to come and pick you up."

He added, "You don't need to worry about the paperwork; it's all been taken care of. If you don't have much luggage, we can leave now."

Originally, Laurel had planned to come, but she had been called away for an urgent meeting in a neighboring city and wouldn't be back until the next day.

Elissa was a bit surprised but smiled. "Okay, let's go."

To make her discharge easier, Suzanne Jensen had already arranged for the clothes Elissa had brought to Cresthaven to be taken to Wilkinson Manor the day before.

On the way to the manor, Jesse brought up the car accident. "I called this morning for an update. They said the driver is close to talking. You don't need to worry too much."

Elissa hadn't expected the Wilkinsons to be so deeply involved and concerned about her affairs. Their warmth was a welcome balm, soothing some of the darkness that lingered in her heart.

A small smile touched her lips. "Okay, thank you, Mr. Jesse."

Jesse glanced over at the young woman, who was eight or nine years his junior. A warmth softened his usually distant eyes. "What do you usually call that troublemaker Rex?"

Unsure of his intention, Elissa answered truthfully, "Rex?"

All of Rowan's friends were older than her. When she'd first met them, she was still young, so out of politeness, she had addressed them all by their first names, including Frank.

"Then you should call me that from now on, too," Jesse said with a friendly smile. "When other people call me Mr. Jesse, I don't think much of it. But every time you say it, something just sounds… odd."

Elissa felt a little overwhelmed by their kindness. "I'm used to waking up early. My internal clock just goes off."

Elissa quickly agreed.

After breakfast, feeling well-rested and comfortable, Elissa gave Suzanne her acupuncture treatment.

Suzanne's legs were at a critical stage of recovery. While missing a session wouldn't cause a major setback, it would delay the overall healing process.