Chapter 47
Daphne opened the bedroom door to find Sebastian still there. She yawned helplessly. "Go ahead and sleep in the guest room if you're not going home," she said. "I'm exhausted and going to sleep now."
He felt she seemed fine, so he got up. "I'll go home, then. Call me if anything comes up. I'm always here for you."
She watched him leave before quickly turning off the lights and crawling into bed. She slept soundly through the night.
It was nearly noon when she opened her eyes. She disliked drawing the curtains when she slept. Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, falling directly onto her bed.
Her apartment had an excellent location, with a stunning view of the city's riverfront. It was a perfect mix of vibrant city life and serene tranquility.
She stretched before getting out of bed and retrieving her phone from where she'd tossed it the night before. Multiple missed calls were displayed on the screen: several from Sebastian last night and three from Ava this morning.
She called Ava back. "Ava, what's the matter?"
"Oh, my little troublemaker, did you just wake up? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I was in a bad mood last night. I had some wine and slept longer than usual. It's nothing major. Is there something urgent?"
"You better check this out. Hugo, that bastard, revoked your studio and personal account access. He's been using your account to post all sorts of things, including an announcement saying you're quitting the entertainment industry!"
"He even wrote it in your voice, claiming you hate Yvonne and have been sabotaging her. It's caused an uproar online. It's absolute chaos!"
Daphne immediately opened her account and saw the trending topic: "Daphne Quits the Industry." It was tagged with a bold "Hot!" The second highest trend was "Scheming Daphne vs. Innocent Yvonne."
Nearly every post in the trending discussions was filled with criticism and insults directed at her. Netizens loved gossip and rarely questioned its veracity. Who in their right mind would use their own verified account to expose themselves? It was absurd!
Her official verified account had been used to post a series of fabricated self-confessions, accusing her of diva behavior on set (relying on green screen effects, overusing body doubles, juggling multiple projects, rolling her eyes at staff, and even forcing them to kneel while she put on her shoes). There were all sorts of negative rumors.
The post also claimed she was jealous of Yvonne's success with the Farrell Group and envious of her perceived innocence. It alleged she'd paid marketing accounts to smear Yvonne as a homewrecker and falsely accuse Wilson of having an affair, completely twisting the truth.
Daphne, still groggy from sleep, was instantly wide awake with anger. Hugo, that bastard! He had burned every bridge to curry favor with Wilson, leaving no room for reconciliation!
She forced herself to remain calm and instructed Ava, "Ava, I still have a private account, the one I used to interact with fans. Please arrange for someone to prepare a statement and post it from that account, clarifying that my official account has been taken by the company and is being used to spread false information. Also, coordinate with the fan club to reassure fans and ask them to help boost the statement's visibility."
After hanging up, she immediately called Sebastian to explain the situation and ask for his help amplifying the clarification statement on social media.
Anger still simmered. She called Hugo, intending to confront him.
She launched into a tirade as soon as the call connected. "Hugo, you bastard! Do you know how much money I've made for Starstruck Entertainment all these years? You probably know better than I do! What gives you the right to take away my personal account? Besides, when did I ever say I was quitting the industry?"
Hugo replied shamelessly. "You're the company's artist. That account was registered and verified by the company. It's company property. Now that you're terminating your contract, of course, we're taking it back. I can post whatever I want; it's the company's account. What does it have to do with you?"