A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 290

290 /368

Rowan finally glanced his way and spoke, his tone almost lazy. “By the time Tanya Foster’s birthday comes around, you probably won’t even get to see her face.”

At least, for now, he still lived across the hall from Elissa.

Over at their table, the mood couldn’t have been more different from the gloomy tension elsewhere. As the last of the dishes arrived, Cliff poured fruit beer for the two women, and the three of them clinked their bottles in a spontaneous toast.

“Happy birthday!” Cliff and Tanya Foster said in unison.

“Thank you!” Elissa’s smile lit up the room as she tipped her head back and took a generous swig, the frustration from earlier outside the office melting away.

Cliff handed her a gift bag. “Birthday present. Hope you like it.”

He always put real thought into his gifts. Tanya Foster, half teasing and half genuinely curious, peeked over. “What did you go for this year? Don’t you dare outshine my gift.”

“Anya’s new song. The demo.” Cliff grinned, then turned to Elissa, his voice warm and smooth. “It won’t be officially released until next month. You’re the very first person who gets to hear it.”

Anya was the singer Elissa had adored for years—now a superstar whose concert tickets sold out in seconds.

Tanya Foster threw up her hands in mock defeat. “That’s not even fair! You really know how to pull out all the stops.”

She couldn’t even be mad about it. After all, Cliff was the heir to Riley Pharmaceuticals; it made sense he’d have connections in the entertainment world.

Elissa’s eyes sparkled. She accepted the gift with both hands and set it carefully on her lap like a treasure, her grin stretching ear to ear. “Thank you, Cliff. This isn’t just something I like—it’s something I absolutely love.”

The three of them were so happy that the meal lingered on far longer than planned.

Luckily, the fruit beer was mild; by the time they left the restaurant, Elissa felt only slightly lightheaded, nothing more.

Cliff, ever the gentleman, didn’t want the two women to go home alone after drinking. He called a driver for them and accompanied them back to Vistapeak Gardens, only leaving after seeing them safely into the elevator.