A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Cliff was a natural at socializing.

Throughout the dinner, Elissa barely had to say a word; her only job was to enjoy the meal. Whenever Cliff noticed a dish she liked, he’d quietly serve her a portion–always paying

attention.

Take the stuffed vegetables, for instance.

Frank never touched anything made from soy, so that dish never appeared on the Atwater family table. But Elissa enjoyed it.

She glanced at Cliff, her eyes curving in a silent smile. She didn’t say a word, but Cliff read her gratitude all the same. He gave her hair a gentle ruffle. “Eat while it’s hot,” he said. “Father Benedict specifically asked me to take good care of you.”

At that moment, the door of the private dining room across the hall swung open.

The first to step out was a man in his late forties, flanked by several sharply dressed associates–he radiated the air of a successful executive, the kind you’d expect to see at the helm of a Fortune 500 company.

He moved aside with a broad, beaming smile, his German rolling off his tongue. “Mr. Murphy, it’s settled then. I’ll deliver the contract to your hotel personally tomorrow.”

A younger man responded with a curt nod, his manner cool and reserved. Dressed in a custom–tailored black shirt and slacks, jacket draped carelessly over his arm, he exuded an effortless authority. His chiseled features carried the unmistakable mark of someone used to being in charge.

His assistant leaned in at just the right moment. “Sir, the CEO of ApexBio Labs is waiting

for us at the hotel.”

The older executive caught on immediately. “Allow me to show you out,” he offered.

Just then, on Elissa’s side, a waiter pushed open the door to their room to serve the next course. The young man passing by cast an absentminded glance inside.

He saw a girl in a dusky rose sweater and jeans that hugged her slender figure, smiling up at the man by her side as he playfully tapped her head. She didn’t mind in the least–her whole demeanor was sweet and docile.

The assistant noticed the man’s pause and followed his gaze, eyes lighting up. “Sir, isn’t that Miss Elissa? What’s she doing here in Germany?”

Then, looking at Cliff in confusion, the assistant added, “And who’s that guy? Has Miss Elissa already divorced Frank and found someone new?”

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Chapter 24

The waiter exited, closing the door behind him and cutting off their view.

The man shot his assistant a sidelong look and loosened his tie with elegant, impatient fingers. “Am I supposed to be psychic now?”

Elissa could never sleep well in a strange bed–jet lag was never an issue. She woke up on her own, well before the alarm.

The woman before him wasn’t just anyone. She had a rare gift for traditional medicine, and Cliff’s Center owed much of its reputation not just to Aaron, but to her as well.

Elissa gave her usual polite smile. “Thank you, I’ll think about it.”

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She excused herself and turned to go, but the smile on her lips froze instantly.

Her mind went blank.

For three years, she’d wondered if she’d ever run into Rowan again.

At Murphy Manor, at Frank’s parties, even in some high–rise in Vista peak City–she’d imagined it so many times.

But he’d never appeared. Not once.

And now, here he was, materializing out of nowhere, in the last place she ever expected, at

this exact moment.