Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 975

Helen's voice turned cold as she locked eyes with Otto. "Otto, there's something you need to understand. You're not the only one willing to sacrifice for me.

"If you did those things expecting something in return, you've misunderstood from the beginning. I never asked for any of it. I don't want or need any kind of mutual obligation between us."

Someone in the crowd couldn't help but tease, "Damn! It seems even handsome guys get rejected these days, huh? Hahaha!"

"Hey buddy, you're pretty good-looking. But at your age, maybe it's time to stop chasing after younger women."

"Men always seem to go for the younger ones. Cut it out with the cynical comments."

"In my opinion, publicly declaring your love like this comes off a bit manipulative."

"It all depends on whether your looks can pull it off."

The crowd's comments turned what was meant to be a heartfelt declaration of love into a comedic spectacle.

Initially, Otto kept his gaze fixed on Helen, hoping she might reconsider. But upon realizing she wasn't going to relent, his eyes grew cold. As he turned to the curious onlookers, their laughter abruptly fell silent.

The man at the forefront managed a strained smile. He stood frozen in place, resembling a timid tortoise retreating into its shell.

In this world, there were plenty of loudmouth champions always eager to stir up trouble. But when real chaos ensued, they often adopted a high-and-mighty attitude of indifference, pretending it was none of their concern.

As the laughter of the crowd faded into silence, Otto shot a cryptic glance back at Helen. He then tossed the imperial green emerald into Kendrick's hands before striding away.

Helen breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a glance with Kendrick. "Please escort Ms. Laura back and ensure she has the emerald with her."

Just as they were about to depart, Laura turned back and asked, "Excuse me, Ms. Spencer, have I offended you in any way?"

Despite her typically composed demeanor, Laura couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

"It is indeed peculiar, but that's beside the point. Ms. Spencer, you've misunderstood. My relationship with Mr. Sheridan is purely professional, and besides, he's not my type. So please, let's not complicate things any further."

She paused momentarily before shifting gears, adding, "When it comes to personal favors, it's not about what you have to offer, but about understanding what the other person wants."

As her words trailed off, Laura gave Helen a polite smile. With a nod, she turned on her heels and walked away.

Meanwhile, Helen couldn't help but dwell on Laura's words, sinking into deep thought. This was precisely her concern—as long as Otto remained silent, she would forever feel indebted to him.

Just moments ago, she had made it clear that she didn't want to owe him anything, but now she found herself caught in this predicament.

It seemed she couldn't easily escape his influence.