A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 236

It was Rowan.

He’d clearly just showered, dressed now in deep blue loungewear—a far cry from his usual tailored suits. The edge in his demeanor remained, but there was a new, almost lazy ease about him.

Elissa let out a quiet breath of relief and opened the door. “Not staying at the manor tonight?”

Rowan shot her a sidelong look, his tone laced with obvious disdain for her halfhearted question. “When have I ever stayed at the manor?”

Right. That was a pointless question. He’d moved out eight years ago and hadn’t spent a single night back there since.

Knowing how particular he was, Elissa had set out a brand-new pair of men’s slippers by the entrance.

Rowan glanced down, his voice cool. “Whose are these?”

She headed for the kitchen, not bothering to look back. “Yours.”

The faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips as he stepped inside, moving with the casual confidence of someone who belonged there.

He spotted her holding a box of beef pie and seemed unsurprised. “Midnight snack?”

Elissa had never once felt satisfied after a meal at Murphy Manor—especially not after tonight’s disaster. She hadn’t had the appetite for it.

“Yeah,” she replied, flicking on the kitchen light as she nodded.

Rowan pulled out a chair and sat at the dining table, issuing his request as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Make one for me too.”

She set out the plates and cutlery in front of him. Just as she took her seat across the table, Rowan dragged his chair closer and brought his plate and utensils over beside her.

They ate in comfortable silence.

After a while, Rowan paused, a faint note of recognition in his voice. “Where’d you get the beef pie?”

Elissa replied, “A grandma down the street makes them.”

Rowan’s mind wandered—he thought of Janice, who’d tried to set him up with that doctor she knew. Janice had mentioned the woman was divorced now.

His tone grew more curious, following Elissa’s lead. “A grandma?”