A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 476

Elissa paused, caught slightly off guard.

She knew Frank was referring to the fact that she and Rowan were growing close again.

But the reason she had distanced herself from Rowan before was never because the Murphy family had killed her parents.

That was never what she cared about.

She understood clearly that the incident had nothing to do with anyone else, especially not Rowan, who had only been a young boy at the time.

Elissa pursed her lips slightly. "That had nothing to do with him in the first place. He shouldn't be held responsible for it."

To this day, she was probably the person who understood exactly what kind of man Rowan was better than anyone.

The only thing she remained uncertain of was how much weight his grandmother—the matriarch in name only—held in his heart.

Hearing her response, Frank was visibly stunned.

He had never imagined that such a deep, bloody feud could be brushed aside so easily by Elissa.

All the things he had been so absolutely certain of suddenly felt laughable in the face of that single sentence.

What he had done to her was unforgivable.

Yet the blood feud with the Murphy family was just swept under the rug.

He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't. His voice was laced with a bitter edge. "Just because it's Rowan Murphy?"

Elissa froze. She wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn't come out.

Perhaps, deep down, she had always felt this way. Rowan was Rowan, and everyone else was everyone else.

She had two completely different standards—one for Rowan, and one for the rest of the world.

Because it was Rowan, she could easily and rationally separate the man from the sins of his family.

Frank understood completely now. His eyes and brow were heavy with loneliness as he glanced down at her stomach. "About the baby... does he know yet?"

Over the past few weeks, his concern for her had been genuine, and Elissa had lowered her guard around him. She shook her head honestly. "He doesn't know yet."

"Sure."

Elissa agreed easily.

Ian was supposed to bring her lunch, but she had turned him down.

There were plenty of restaurants near the clinic, and her breakfasts and dinners were already nutritious enough. There was no need to make such a big fuss over lunch.

As they ate, Cliff brought up Sean Cross. "You haven't been in the clinic these past few days, and Mr. Cross couldn't get an appointment with you today. He asked my parents to ask you if you'd be willing to do a house call to treat him."

Elissa was fully aware of Sean Cross's condition.

His primary treatment was herbal medicine, supplemented by acupuncture. She had prescribed him a two-week supply of herbs last time, and judging by the timeline, he hadn't finished them yet.

But it was normal for patients to feel a little anxious about their condition.

Elissa thought for a moment. "Tell him to come to the clinic. I'm really short on time lately."