A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 676

Hearing that, the lingering tension in Elissa's chest evaporated.

Maybe it was because, throughout all the terrifying and uncertain moments in her past, Tanya had always been the one standing right beside her.

After dinner, they drank tea with Janice for a while before heading upstairs to Elissa's room.

They took turns showering, changed into comfortable clothes, and collapsed onto the massive sofa to binge a reality show.

For a fleeting moment, Elissa felt like they were back in their old apartment at Vistapeak Gardens.

A maid had brought up a platter of fresh fruit. Elissa popped a strawberry into Tanya's mouth and finally asked, "How's Silas? Ian mentioned his injuries were pretty bad?"

"He's perfectly fine."

Tanya bit into the strawberry. "He can jump out of bed and scream his lungs out. What could possibly be wrong with him?"

Elissa frowned slightly. "So he's still trying to extort you?"

"Yeah."

Tanya nodded, leaning forward to grab another strawberry, clearly trying to deflect. "These are amazing. Way sweeter than the ones from the grocery store."

"They are. They were just picked from the farm this morning..."

Elissa instinctively replied before catching herself. She shot Tanya a glare. "Stop changing the subject. You can't just let this drag out forever. You need to handle them permanently."

"What's a permanent solution? Throw a massive pile of money at them and force them to sign a severance agreement?"

Tanya leaned back into the plush sofa, instantly rejecting the idea. "You don't understand them. Especially Silas and Toby. They have absolutely no moral bottom line."

"People like them—if they smell even a drop of blood, if they know they can still squeeze cash out of me, they'll latch on like leeches and drain me dry until the day I die."

The monthly allowance she had been sending Sheila was specifically designed to strip them of any legal or moral high ground to complain.

As for giving them a single cent more? It would happen over her dead body.

To her surprise, Elissa shook her head. "That's not what I was suggesting."

Tanya raised an eyebrow. "Then what?"

Elissa's voice was dead serious. "Find someone to throw Toby in a van, tie him up, and beat him until he learns his place."

She had crossed paths with the Foster family a few times, and every single encounter had left her disgusted.

People like them were exactly like Slate Murphy.

Showing weakness was pointless. Trying to negotiate was a waste of breath. The only language they understood was absolute, terrifying force.

Otherwise, they would never stop pushing boundaries.

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