Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 1106

Mariah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she bowed her head in shame and stayed silent.

Suddenly, the reporter thrust the microphone under her chin, finally drawing out a response from her.

"… The team knew the truth and wanted to clear Hannah's name. But to protect the image I had carefully built, I staged a fake assault.

"I hired someone to attack me and framed Helen for it, making everyone believe she was retaliating against me for stealing her music.

"What they didn't realize was that I sacrificed my own reputation to make sure Helen lost the support and trust of those around her," Mariah said, her voice quavering through her sniffles.

She then lifted her head and stared directly into the camera, her expression shifting to one of defiance. "Hannah, I know you're watching. I've settled what I owe you.

"But history will always remember that you fell into my trap and couldn't defend yourself. Even if I lose everything today, you'll always be my defeated rival—"

Anticipating that the rest of the broadcast would only get worse, Chandler quickly turned off the TV with a press of a button.

In the bar, the atmosphere was thick with mixed reactions.

Helen was momentarily stunned, struggling to process the shocking revelation. The fact that Mariah was willing to sacrifice her body for fleeting fame left her completely bewildered.

She was at a loss for how to respond.

"I told you Helly is innocent," Taylor said firmly, stepping in to defend Helen. He shot a pointed glance at Benjamin, who was standing by the door.

Over the years, Taylor had deliberately stayed away from Benjamin because of Mariah. Now that the truth had come out, he felt justified in asserting that he had been right all along—Benjamin had been misled by Mariah.

Gordon and Paul exchanged uncertain looks, choosing to remain silent. Since they hadn't stood by Helen back then, they felt they had no right to voice their opinions now.

"It's okay to apologize when you've been wrong," Taylor said softly. "We're friends; there's no need to feel ashamed."

"Why are you pretending to be the good guy?" Benjamin suddenly snapped, his anger igniting.

His eyes were streaked with red veins, giving him a menacing look.

"What's your problem? Have you become so accustomed to flattery in the entertainment industry that you can't even recognize when someone's trying to help you?" Taylor's temper flared, causing his voice to rise involuntarily.

Benjamin stubbornly kept his mouth shut, refusing to engage.

"Look, we're all friends here. There's no need to get so worked up," Paul interjected, stepping out from behind the bar.

He gently tugged at Benjamin's arm and said earnestly, "Why don't you just apologize? I'm sure Helly won't hold it against you."