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Sebastian knew his friends well–what they were capable of, what they would never do. If Yates were the kind of man to break the la wouldn’t have remained Sebastian’s friend.
“Mr. Vanderbilt, we found narcotics in Yates‘ bag. We’ll also be searching his residence. We can’t draw any final conclusions until t investigation is complete. Sorry,” the officer said, recognizing Sebastian before quickly departing.
The premiere venue was in chaos. Fortunately, Caitlin was experienced in managing crises. She immediately contacted the director , producer, and PR team to take control of the scene and prevent attendees from leaking any details.
Thanks to Caitlin’s quick response, most fans and industry guests expressed sympathy for Yates and agreed to wait for an official investigation before spreading rumors.
As the crowd dispersed, Abel approached Caitlin.
“I believe in Yates. He’s not that kind of person. There must be some mistake.”
Caitlin nodded. “Once the truth comes out, he’ll be cleared.”
Sebastian returned just then, and Caitlin asked, “How did it go?”
“Yates has been taken into custody. The police found a bag of drugs in his belongings.”
“How could this happen?”
Caitlin knew the situation had escalated. “Come on, let’s head to PE.”
She and Sebastian left the theater. Abel followed last. As he exited, he glanced up at the screen:
Euphoria Voyage.
Yates’s journey of euphoria… might just turn into a journey of ruin. Heh.
Although premiere attendees promised not to leak the news, by the time Caitlin and Sebastian arrived at PE, headlines about Yates’s arrest were already flooding the internet.
A double–award–winning superstar getting busted on the night of his film’s premiere? It was an entertainment earthquake of magnitude 12 .
Comment sections were exploding:
[There’s no way our idol would do drugs!]
[Impossible! My king would never break the law!],
[This industry is a mess… I thought Yates was the last clean name in showbiz.]
The scandal shot to the top of trending searches.
At PE, Caitlin immediately convened the crisis PR team to initiate emergency damage control.
First, they issued a public statement, urging fans and the public to wait for the full investigation and
ng transparency.
Second, they dispatched their legal team to assist with the case, gather all facts, and prepare Yates’s legal defense.
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Once everything was in motion , Caitlin sat down with Sebastian.
“We’re looking at two possibilities here. One–Yates is guilty. Two–someone framed him.
“If it’s the first, drug testing will confirm it. If it’s the second, we need to find out who planted the evidence”
“I’ve already ordered our team to contact his agent and assistant. Whoever planted that in his bag had to be someone close .
Caitlin nodded. With PE stabilized for now, they left the building.
Sebastian dropped Caitlin off at the Vanderbilt estate, then personally went to the precinct to learn more.
Meanwhile, the scandal was gaining momentum.
At a luxury private residence the next morning, Zora woke in Abel’s arms. They were now more than co conspirators– they were lovers ,
Watching the news unfold, Zora asked, “Happy now?”
“Ecstatic. Watching the man I hate the most fall from grace? Nothing’s sweeter.”
“Then you’d better act fast. Sebastian will be tied up dealing with this, and Caitlin’s busy with her launch. This is your window.”
Zora got up–XEG had a press conference that day to address the piano competition scandal.
Their press event went ahead as scheduled, though the media in attendance were all second–rate. The major outlets were too busy covering Yates’s arrest.
Zora gave a vague, non–committal statement about the judging controversy, then shifted focus to promoting XEG’s upcoming product launch -conveniently scheduled for the same day as TIG’s event.
Meanwhile, public backlash against Yates continued to grow.
Fans were heartbroken. Brands cut ties. His movie release was in limbo. The scandal wasn’t just a PR nightmare–it threatened to end his entire career.
At the police station, Sebastian got an update from the legal team. Things looked bad.
Not only had drugs been found in Yates’s bag, but police had also discovered more at his home–double evidence, nearly irrefutable.
There was, however, one major factor in Yates’s favor: he had tested negative for drug use three times. That at least proved he wasn’t an addict.
His agent, a top manager at PE, confirmed he’d never seen Yates near drugs.
But the assistant? He’d turned on Yates, accusing him directly.
Yates likely never saw it coming–the assistant who’d worked for him for four years stabbing him in the back at the worst possible time.
Now the situation was dire.
Sebastian, along with Benjamin Nolan and the rest of the team, began investigating. They needed to trace the drugs back to their source and
uncover the truth.
Caitlin, meanwhile, was running between PE and TIG, making final preparations for the upcoming launch.
As she stepped out of her car, she heard someone call her name.
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“Caitlin!”
It was Abel.
He hurried over, looking anxious. “How’s Yates? I went to the station but couldn’t get in. I’m really worried, so I thought I’d ask you
Seeing his concerned expression, Caitlin responded honestly. “It’s not looking good. But we’re doing everything we can.”
“Please, if you see him, tell him I’m trying to help too. I’m reaching out to some people to see if I can do anything”
“Thanks. I’ll pass that along.“.
After a brief exchange, Caitlin went into the building. Abel had
Back upstairs in the executive suite, the design department head
“Caitlin! We’ve got a serious problem.”
“What is it? Speak.”
Anyone trying to play games with Caitlin was about to get burned.
what he wanted—another step closer, building rapport.
ame rushing over.
。