A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 446

Tristan shook his head. "She's not feeling well right now. It's not a good time."

"Elissa, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me…" Marcia said, her eyes red as she feigned remorse and walked toward Elissa. When she was close enough, her expression shifted, and she whispered in a voice no one else could hear, "I wanted to kill you, Elissa. What are you going to do about it? Did you really think being Mrs. Wilkinson's private doctor would make them protect you? Dream on. From now on, the Wilkinsons will only protect me. Even if I ran you over and killed you, you'd just have to accept it!"

*Smack!* Elissa took a deep breath and swung, her palm connecting sharply with Marcia's right cheek. Before Marcia could even register the shock, Elissa's other hand snapped across her left.

"Is that so?" Elissa challenged. "Then go on. Let the Wilkinson family protect you!" She didn't know what had caused the family to shift their loyalties so drastically, but she wasn't about to let this stand.

Marcia's eyes widened in fury, but in front of the Wilkinsons, she didn't dare drop her facade. She clutched her stinging cheeks and turned to Tristan, whimpering, "I… I was just trying to apologize to her properly…"

Both Tristan and Maya were taken aback. Elissa was usually so mild-mannered and well-liked by everyone in the household.

Tristan frowned slightly, but as he was about to speak, he met Elissa's cold, defiant gaze and found the words dying on his lips. An unsettling feeling washed over him. He knew from Jesse and Suzanne about the girl's difficult past; she'd had a hard life. He also had a strange premonition that if he reprimanded her now, he would come to regret it. So, he swallowed his words.

Maya stared in disbelief. "Dad, you're not going to do anything about this?"

He had just finished an urgent conference call with his company's PR department in the courtyard when he realized Elissa hadn't come out yet. Worried, he'd come inside to check on her, only to walk in on Maya's tirade. The fact that she was carrying Frank's child was one thing, and her ability to get under his skin was another, but he couldn't stand by and watch someone else bully her.

Maya sensed the menace beneath his calm words and faltered. "I…" This was Cresthaven, but she knew the Wilkinsons—especially her grandfather and Laurel—would never antagonize Rowan Murphy for her sake. Besides, she still harbored hopes of a marriage alliance.

Rowan's lips twisted into a cold smirk as he dispensed with all pretense of chivalry. "If I recall correctly, Ms. Maya, you were adopted by the Wilkinsons, weren't you?" He then turned to Tristan, his tone one of mock curiosity. "Where did you adopt her from, Mr. Wilkinson? An orphanage? Or was she the child of a deceased friend?"