Chapter 327

Sebastian threw him a lazy glance but didn’t reply, simply striding away.
Sean was certain he saw a change in his boss. It was as if Sebastian’s world no longer revolved around Joanna. He was starting to care about Natalie, so much so that he would postpone an international meeting just to check on her. Joanna must have sensed his waning affection, which was why she had shown up early in the morning to win him back.
In Yaro, Sebastian was the undisputed crown prince. If Joanna lost him, she would lose her cash cow. Everyone knew how much Sebastian doted on her. With the latest scandal exposing Natalie as Joanna’s stepping stone, it was unlikely the story would gain much more traction. Natalie’s power was still too limited. The capitalists wouldn’t let her tarnish Joanna, their valuable asset. After all, everyone in their circle knew Joanna had been exceptional since childhood.
Sean followed Sebastian back to the office to reschedule the video conference.
That afternoon, the Wilson Group’s PR firm issued a statement. It declared that the conflict between Jared and Natalie was a personal matter and had nothing to do with Joanna, the film’s lead actress.
Shortly after, Jared released a video. In it, he claimed that he and Natalie had a minor disagreement and that he had said those things in a fit of anger to embarrass her. He bowed three times to the camera. “I apologize for taking up public resources over a moment of anger. I am sincerely sorry. This was all staged by Natalie. I’m sorry!”
He shifted all the blame onto Natalie, painting himself and Joanna as innocent victims.
While many netizens didn’t buy it and continued to attack Jared, Joanna was largely forgotten in the new wave of outrage. This was Mr. Wilson’s strategy: go back to the source of the problem. Jared’s ‘clarification’ diverted all the attention to himself. As for Joanna, any publicity was good publicity. She had gained over a million new followers.
Just like that, her reputation was saved.
She smiled, relieved. It was a good thing she had gone to Mr. Wilson
The power of capital was a le
the Wilson Groups PR team back easily suppressed the online mob.
Natalie’s live stream ended up being nothing more than a minor blip.
Seeing the public opinion turn against him, Jared sat beside Joanna, looking heartbroken.
“Joanna, your reputation is safe, but my company is finished.” He had founded this company himself, and it had been on the verge of success.
But Monica had left because his mother disapproved of their relationship, and in the year he spent chasing after her, the company had stagnated.
Joanna smiled reassuringly. “You still have me. This movie is going to be a
blockbuster. When it is, I’ll help you start a new company.”
Even without his company, Jared had property and stocks. He wouldn’t starve.
But something about the whole situation felt wrong.
Dejected, Jared watched Joanna leave happily. He didn’t realize it, but this time, he had defeated himself without her having to lift a finger. He still tried to salvage his crumbling company desperately seeking partnerships for his artists, trying to ignore the storm of criticism online.
He told himself that as long as he won for Natalie, the insults didn’t matter. But he wasn’t as happy as he thought he would be He couldn’ shake the image of Natalie’s desperate, angry eyes. He had only wanted peace in the family, but Natalie’s appearance had thrown everything into chaos.