Chapter 1622

Seven years after his failed confession, Jenson had learned to keep his feelings buried deep within. All this time, he hadn't revealed a hint of his affection, quietly attending to Germaine's every need without crossing the boundaries of friendship. He had been so careful to hold back, so why was she still choosing to walk away? Jenson clenched his fists, pain etched across his brow. He leaned back in his seat, eyes squeezed shut. He lingered there until the first light of dawn began to appear before finally driving away. … On this autumn day, a world-renowned symphony orchestra arrived in Glendale to launch its inaugural domestic tour concert. A grand event like this was not something Chandler would pass up. His fiancée, Maddie, walked closely beside him, her demeanor sweet and gentle. Her two children strolled ahead, accompanied by a nanny At the ticket checkpoint, they encountered Helen and her children, who were just about to enter as well. Noticing they didn't have tickets, Maddie linked her arm with Chandler's and approached them. "Ms. Terzian, what a coincidence! Did you forget your tickets?" "We don't need tickets," Sienna chimed in before Helen could respond. Maddie smiled politely. "I'm afraid you can't get in without tickets, dear. Would you like me to check if I can get some for you? Just a heads-up—the seats might be a bit further back." "No thanks, Ms. Maddie. My sister and I prefer to sit up front," Lincoln interjected. "We're here to get popcorn for the front row." "Sit up front?" Maddie repeated, dragging out the words with a hint of amusement. It appeared Kaylee's two children were trying to cover for her, but unfortunately, their story had too many gaps. The VVIP seats had already been allocated to Chandler and Maddie's children by the organizers—there was no way to suddenly create seats for Kaylee and her kids. It seemed likely they hadn't attended a concert before; perhaps they were just there to make an appearance and mingle with the elite. "In that case, you must really love the piano! Who's your favorite composer?" Maddie asked, signaling to her children to join in. Her two kids quickly caught on and chimed in enthusiastically. "I like Mr. Yorgson!" "I like Ulysses Byrd!" Lincoln looked up at Helen and added, "I actually prefer my mommy. Mr. Yorkson is too lazy, and Mr. Byrd has been too focused on his love life these past few years—his music has lost a lot of its soul." While abroad, Daniel and Ulysses had visited Helen nearly every week to exchange musical ideas. Growing up in a musical environment, Lincoln and Sienna naturally developed their own unique insights. Nonetheless, hearing Lincoln's words only reinforced Maddie's belief that Kaylee and her family had little true appreciation for the fine arts. Keeping her composure in front of Chandler, she said, "Well, this little one certainly has quite an insightful perspective! I'm sure your mommy must play the piano beautifully. Isn't that right, Ms. Terzian?" "Oh, not at all," Helen replied with a modest smile. "I just play for fun." "That's wonderful! I dabble a bit myself. How about we have a practice session sometime when you're free?" Maddie suggested, intentionally probing for a reaction. "Sure!" Helen responded eagerly, but just as she finished speaking, a staff member waved her over. With a quick nod, she ushered the children away. "Excuse me, I have to go." Maddie was taken aback by Helen's quick agreement. After a moment, she regained her composure and pretended to be indifferent. "Being a single mother must be tough; it seems she's even overlooked teaching her kids basic respect for great composers." Chandler, who had been silent until then, finally chimed in. "Let's not forget that we aren't legally married. So technically, you're a single mother too."