Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 1778

While the other reporters busily adjusted their equipment, Ricardo seized the moment to slip away, claiming he needed to use the bathroom. Skirting past the housekeepers, he made his way to Chandler's study.

Once inside, he locked the door behind him and approached the largest desk. He began rifling through the documents on top and opened every drawer, meticulously searching every corner.

Despite his careful movements, Ricardo was oblivious to the fact that every single action of his was being monitored by Chandler.

As he watched Ricardo's familiar face through the surveillance feed, Chandler's dark eyes narrowed. After a moment of deliberation, he rose from his seat and hurried back home.

Ricardo had been searching the study for over ten minutes, but nothing caught his eye. Standing by the window, he scanned the room again, wondering if he had missed something.

Suddenly, a girl's frantic cries pierced the air.

"Ah! No! Please, help! Mommy!"

Instinctively, Ricardo yanked open the curtains and was met with a startling sight—a young girl pinned to the ground by a large dog in the garden.

Without a second thought, he grabbed the edge of the window, one foot already on the sill, ready to leap from the second floor to rescue her.

But just as he was halfway out, he froze, pausing on the edge of the windowsill. His eyes darted back to the room behind him, torn by indecision.

This was a golden opportunity to gather intel on Chandler—could he really walk away from that?

Nonetheless, a life was at stake. If he turned his back now, how was he any better than Chandler and his shady associates?

After a brief internal struggle, Ricardo gritted his teeth and made up his mind. With a surge of determination, he leaped from the window.

He rolled upon landing, quickly springing to his feet and rushing toward the girl. Scooping her up in his arms, he hurried to comfort her while trying to fend off the dog.

"It's okay, you're safe now.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind—what if this girl was part of Chandler's scheme, deliberately positioned as a decoy to throw him off?

The notion fueled Ricardo's frustration. He set the girl down on the ground and stormed away, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

He quickly moved through the side door, intending to exit without a word. But as soon as he stepped into the living room, Helen's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Mr. Cook, the interview hasn't even started yet. Are you leaving already?"

She had heard Sienna's cries earlier and was about to check on them. Seeing Ricardo climb out of Chandler's study window only heightened her suspicions, and she wasn't about to let him slip away so easily.

Ricardo nodded, his face darkening. "My apologies, Ms. Terzian. Something urgent has come up at home, so I'll have to cut the interview short. I'll leave the rest to my colleagues."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the door.