A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 253

Frank no longer wore the oppressive expression he’d had before his phone call. He was back to his usual calm civility, but the words he spoke left Elissa with no room to argue.

Elissa’s brows knit together. “We’re already divorced.”

He had no right to meddle in her life anymore.

And there was no reason for them to keep living under the same roof.

Frank seemed deaf to everything she said. “I didn’t even know about this. When did it become possible to get a divorce certificate without the other person present?”

His tone was mild. “In any case, I don’t accept the divorce.”

Elissa had imagined countless ways he might react.

But this—him flat-out refusing to acknowledge it—she hadn’t seen coming.

For a moment, her face froze, shock flickering in her eyes. “But you signed the divorce papers yourself. That’s not a mistake.”

Frank’s expression faltered.

Carmela had mentioned the divorce papers on the phone earlier. It was because of that signed document that Carmela had been able to process everything so smoothly.

Frank struggled to recall when he’d even signed it. It took him a while, but the memory finally surfaced.

It was the day his older brother’s funeral had ended. Elissa had handed him two sets of papers. Maybe he’d wanted to appease her, or maybe he’d been in a hurry because Marcia was waiting for him.

He hadn’t even bothered to read what he was signing—he’d just scribbled his name and handed them back.

So Elissa had wanted to leave him even back then.

And he, back then, had cared so little that he didn’t even pay attention to what she gave him.

No one knew better than he did just how much he’d failed her.

But even so, he couldn’t just let her go.

“Elissa,”

His gentle voice called after her.

She didn’t look back, determined to leave. But before she reached the foyer, his next words stopped her in her tracks.

“Do you know what really caused your parents’ deaths?”

“I do.” Elissa froze, her voice tight. “It was an accident.”

She tried to sound casual, but her fingers dug into the handle of her bag until her knuckles turned white.

Frank walked over, stopping right in front of her. He brushed his thumb softly along the corner of her reddening eyes. “You never suspected anything?” he asked quietly.

Elissa’s hands trembled, despite her best efforts to hide it.