The entire living room fell pin-drop silent.
The Wilkinsons saw in each other's eyes the overwhelming relief and joy of finally recovering what was lost.
And, heartache.
Even though they suspected Elissa was highly likely to be Vera, they had still feared that one-in-ten-thousand chance.
What if they were wrong again?
Thank God they weren't.
All their hopes over the years had finally been realized at this moment.
Their Vera wasn't just alive; she was so well-behaved, generous, independent, and outstanding.
But the heartache was just as intense as their joy.
Suzanne couldn't help but cry.
Rex, on the other hand, sprang up. "I'm going to find Elissa right now!"
How could he possibly sit still?
"Sit your ass down." Laurel took a deep breath, suppressing the frantic joy in her chest. "Tonight, we clean up the two messes in this house first, and then we properly welcome her home."
Two messes—
Everyone knew she meant Marcia and Maya.
Jesse agreed with Laurel and looked at Rex. "Instead of rushing over to find her, you'd be better off trying to figure out how to get your hands on the antidote."
"Only when the poisoning of Jacqueline is handled will Elissa have the energy to deal with anything else."
"Otherwise, rushing over there now will just waste her time."
That made sense.
Rex couldn't find a single word of rebuttal.
Elissa really didn't have the extra time or energy to care about anything else.
Yes, they were her family.
But Aaron and Jacqueline were the ones who had actually accompanied and cared for her all these years.
They couldn't just inexplicably charge to her door to claim her based on blood ties and force her to be happy when she was at her most distraught.
Rex glanced upstairs and asked a nearby staff member, "Has Maya made any moves?"
"No." The staff member shook their head.
Jesse understood perfectly. "What moves could she make? She's just waiting..."

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The readers' comments on the novel: A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator
OMG OMG OMG an update! Thank you so much! 🥹...
Update please 🙏...
May this be updated soon 🙏...
Waiting for update. I miss Elissa and Rowan already. 🥺...
Update please...
Update please...