Chapter 75

Both parties were engaged in a fierce online argument. Daphne went to the balcony, stretching and enjoying the night sea breeze. Meanwhile, Ava sat beside her with a laptop, monitoring the argument.

“Ava, we need to accelerate the new company launch. Without paid media, we'll struggle to manage conflicts like this.”

“Right. If you hadn't prepared, Yvonne would have crushed us. Once we're back, we should prioritize site selection and team building.”

“Let's call it a night. You should rest, Ava.”

Daphne slept soundly, recovering from the day's exhaustion.

The next morning, Wendy joined them for breakfast, chatting as they ate.

“Daph, I checked the platform. Yvonne hasn't responded, but her fans are relentless. Luckily, your fans are fighting back and preventing a complete loss.”

“That woman should thank her lucky stars I'm remaining calm.”

Actors usually make major announcements at 10:00 a.m. This avoids disrupting media workflows and maximizes news spread. Daphne anticipated Yvonne would follow suit. At precisely 10:00 a.m., a trending news item appeared: "Yvonne Smith's Statement!" The video showed Yvonne tearfully attempting to clarify the situation. Daphne was unsurprised by her pitiful performance.

Daphne watched disdainfully as Yvonne feigned distress.

“I don’t know where the gown Ms. Daphne mentioned is. Although it seems I borrowed it, I’ve never seen it. Consider this: why would I wear a knockoff when I could wear the haute couture gown?

“I'm unsure what Ms. Daphne is trying to achieve by repeatedly framing me, but she never gave me the gown. Perhaps she thinks I'm insignificant or unworthy of wearing it.”

Yvonne's video swayed some fans, particularly her existing supporters. Her apparent distress further fueled their defense. They were eager to rally to her side.

Meanwhile, Daphne and Zoey faced intense criticism—the biggest threat to Daphne's career yet. Observing the increasingly unreasonable online attacks, Daphne smirked. Yvonne's actions were backfiring as her supporters became more fervent. Daphne nodded. “Great. I was waiting for you to deny the truth yourself, Yvonne. I underestimated you. You're still as foolish as ever.”

Online attacks flooded Daphne and Zoey’s accounts, demanding an apology to Yvonne. Daphne's fans were overwhelmed. She called Sebastian.

“Hey, Sebastian, have you finished editing the video? Zoey will publish the truth at 2:00 p.m. using her studio's account. I'll upload the video simultaneously.”

“It’s done. I’ll send it to you shortly. Once you post, I’ll ensure it trends.”

“Alright. Thanks.”

Lacking her own team, Daphne relied on Sebastian's help. While aware this was unsustainable, she planned to reciprocate later.