A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 635

Rowan turned his gaze to Elissa, finding her expression perfectly composed, without a trace of guilt.

He let out a low chuckle. "So my grandmother knows, but I didn't?"

Elissa dipped her dumpling in sauce, answering without missing a beat. "I told you."

"When exactly did you tell me?"

Rowan paused, thinking it over. "Was I asleep?"

"..."

Elissa stayed quiet.

She couldn't exactly say that she *had* told him while they were in bed, just not while he was sleeping.

That night, she had laid everything out clearly. But it had been far too long since they had been together, and the man was so entirely consumed by his own desire that he hadn't processed a single word she said. He had just blindly assumed she was asking him to raise the child as his own.

"Why so quiet?"

Seeing that she wasn't going to answer, Rowan was about to press her further when he caught the faint, rosy flush spreading across her ears. The memory suddenly clicked into place.

Before he could say another word, Janice dropped a dumpling onto his plate.

"Eat your food and stop talking."

Janice motioned for the staff to place more pastries in front of Elissa while she continued scolding Rowan. "She finally has a moment of peace to sit down and enjoy a meal, and you won't let her eat in silence."

To Janice, Elissa looked noticeably thinner, and she was determined to make sure the girl ate and slept properly from now on.

Rowan, on the other hand, was acting completely out of character.

Normally, the boy was as silent as a stone. But around Elissa, he suddenly turned into a chatterbox.

Years ago, she used to worry he was too brooding to ever win a woman's heart. Now, she just wished he would shut up.

Watching the usually commanding CEO of the Murphy family sit there taking a scolding like a little boy made Elissa bite her lip to hold back a laugh. "She's absolutely right."

Rowan shot her a dry look and surrendered. "Fine. You're the favorite grandkid now, and I'm just the tag-along husband."

Janice didn't skip a beat. "You couldn't even pull that off."

Rowan blinked. "?"

"You talk too much," Janice replied in total seriousness.

Elissa, who was mid-sip of her soup, nearly choked as she nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Grandma is always right."

"..."

Seeing the brilliant curve of her eyes, a fierce, undeniable warmth bloomed in Rowan's chest. The look in his eyes softened entirely. He grabbed a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her mouth, completely stripped of his usual edge. "Traitor."

-

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