A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 266

“Closeness, distance—”

Rowan made no effort to hide his indifference. “No matter how you look at it, you’re hardly the right person to apologize on her behalf.”

Frank’s expression faltered at that.

He couldn’t deny Rowan’s point.

If you measured closeness, Rowan and Elissa weren’t related by blood, but they’d grown up together as siblings.

If you measured time spent, Rowan and Elissa had shared almost a decade under the same roof—far more than Frank ever had, given how absent he’d been as a husband.

In truth, Rowan had always been much closer to Elissa than Frank could ever claim to be.

Elissa couldn’t quite figure out Rowan’s angle. Her lashes lowered as she asked quietly, “What do you want, Rowan?”

He shot her a sidelong look, then—right in front of Frank—said bluntly, “Is it really that hard to keep your promise?”

A strange anxiety twisted in Frank’s gut.

He was suddenly worried Elissa might have agreed to something with Rowan—maybe even a deal that would keep her away from him.

After all, Rowan had never been thrilled about Frank marrying Elissa in the first place.

Frank turned to Elissa, searching her face. “What promise?”

Elissa sneaked a glance at Rowan, then seized the moment to fabricate an answer. “I promised to live across the hall from him and walk his dog. If he doesn’t agree, there’s nothing I can do—I can’t move back to Greenwood Manor.”

She sounded entirely sincere, with just a trace of put-upon helplessness, as if Rowan’s demands left her no choice.

With Rowan’s complicated relationship with Lorraine, Elissa knew she should keep her distance from him and not ask for any more favors.

Right now, she needed Frank’s help to investigate her parents’ deaths, but she had no desire to return to Greenwood Manor.

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