Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 1625

Chandler turned to see Sienna's delighted smile. His lips curved slightly, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with warmth.

Lincoln, on the other hand, had a sullen expression. The instant their eyes met, Chandler's smile vanished.

Chandler knew he owed him—more than one way.

Just then, Helen approached with the children in tow. "Good day, Mr. Chandler and Ms. Maddie."

"Fancy seeing you again so soon, Ms. Terzian," Maddie said, subtly moving closer to Chandler and adopting a protective stance. "Chandler drives me every day to drop the kids off at school. It's surprising we haven't crossed paths until now."

"Ms. Terzian just returned from abroad. Considering her kids were raised overseas, it makes sense we haven't met her before," Chandler added.

Maddie's expression shifted subtly at his words. Nonetheless, she quickly regained her composure and nodded in agreement. "The private school does offer a wonderful environment. If financial circumstances permit, sending your kids here can provide them with valuable learning opportunities."

"From the way you put it, Ms. Maddie, it seems I made the right choice," Helen replied with a gentle smile.

At that moment, Chandler's phone rang. He glanced at it before excusing himself to take the call. "Pardon me for a moment."

Once he was out of earshot, Maddie leaned in. "Ms. Terzian, could we have a moment to talk?"

Helen thought it over for a moment before agreeing. "Lincoln, why don't you take Sienna and Ivy to play over there?"

With the children occupied, the two women found a stone bench and sat side by side.

After a brief silence, Maddie began to ramble. "A year ago, I was a single mother. Between caring for two kids, I was always on edge, fearing that my abusive ex-husband would return to harass us.

Seeing the resentment in Maddie's eyes, Helen suddenly understood why Chandler had delayed their marriage.

Maddie's intense possessiveness was far more intricate than any of the decoy women Chandler had dated before. She seemed to have forgotten that her relationship with Chandler was merely a contractual arrangement.

The two women stood in tense silence, their eyes locked in a standoff, neither willing to back down.

Just then, the head of the school admissions office approached, cutting through the tension.

"Ladies, I apologize for the interruption, but I have some unfortunate news. There are only two spots remaining in the elite class you both applied for.

"Since each of you has two children, that simply isn't enough. Regrettably, one of your children will need to be placed in the regular class."