A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 433

Jesse returned quickly with the needle case and handed it to Elissa.

Once Jesse and Tristan had left the room, Elissa expertly inserted the needles into precise acupoints. Less than two minutes later, Suzanne Jensen's eyes fluttered open.

"Suzanne, don't move just yet," Elissa said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm still administering the treatment."

"Oh, alright," Suzanne agreed. The memories from before she fainted came rushing back. She looked at Elissa and sighed softly. "Don't take what Maya said to heart."

She was apologizing for Maya's attempt to kick Elissa out that morning.

Then she added, "And as for what she brought up at the dinner table, don't give it a second thought."

This was her way of making her position clear: the Wilkinson family would not be pushing for a match between Maya and Rowan.

It was a lie to say she didn't care, but Elissa knew she had no right to. She was the one who had chosen to walk away.

She lightly traced a line on her palm with her fingertip. "What she mentioned has nothing to do with me," she said softly. "Suzanne, you don't need to worry about me. Whatever happens between Ms. Maya and Mr. Murphy is none of my concern."

"Is it really?" Suzanne asked, her eyes full of understanding.

She knew about Elissa's history with the Murphy family, as the Wilkinsons had helped confirm some of the details. She knew what was weighing on Elissa's mind and felt a pang of regret for them. "If I were you," she said gently, "I would go and ask him directly what he plans to do about that whole situation."

"If he can give you a clear answer, your relationship could have a different future. And if he can't—if he blindly defends Matriarch Paige Murphy—then you can go your separate ways. You'll still have time. But right now, this limbo you're in isn't fair to him, to you, or to the baby."

Suzanne could understand why Elissa was so hesitant. She had spent her entire life walking on eggshells, conserving her strength just to survive. Without a family to fall back on, she felt her life had no margin for error. She was afraid to make a single wrong move, which made her lack the courage others took for granted.

Maya was the type to charge headfirst into a wall. Elissa was the opposite; she would see the wall from a distance and retreat into her safe zone.

Seeing this pained Suzanne. "Elissa," she said, trying to guide her, "things don't always have to turn out for the worst. Perhaps Rowan can find a compromise?"

Just then, Rex walked in with two glasses of water, catching the end of the conversation. "What compromise? Does this have to do with Rowan?"

This was a decision Elissa had to make for herself. Suzanne shot her younger son a look and changed the subject. "Were you arguing with your father again?"

Elissa paused by the staircase and glanced toward the courtyard. The familiar black Maybach was gone. She lowered her gaze and was about to head upstairs when Rex called her name.

"That conversation you were having with my mom... it was about you and Rowan, wasn't it?"

Rex didn't beat around the bush. "I can't figure out what's going on with you. Rowan even asked me to look into what Frank was doing in Cresthaven last time he was here. But... did Jesse help you cover your tracks or something?" He hadn't been able to find a single thing. Rex was baffled. He was Jesse's brother, for crying out loud, yet Jesse was helping this girl keep secrets from him.

Elissa was surprised. She hadn't realized Jesse would be so thorough as to erase any trace of Frank's visit.

Suzanne's words from earlier echoed in her mind, branded onto her heart. *"Right now, this limbo you're in isn't fair to him, to you, or to the baby."

Elissa unconsciously glanced down at her stomach, a tightness gripping her chest.

After a moment of silence, she looked up at Rex, her clear eyes filled with a hint of confusion. "Rex, if Tanya Foster had a deep-seated conflict with your family, and she made a choice that went against your wishes because of it... would you blame her?"

"Why would I blame her?" Rex answered instantly, his tone matter-of-fact. "I'd choose her."