StarNovel
Chapter 719 Shifting Topics and Diverting Attention
The Crossley Group released an official statement at 10.00AM.
The previous rumors about the group mortgaging its assets were all false, and the company was not
facing bankruptcy.
There were two reasons the company contacted major banks—first, to prepare the financing materials
for the Complex Group's collaboration with the Crossley Group, and second, to make adequate
preparations for the cooperation with the Southwest Group.
After the statement was released, the storm surrounding the Crossley Group died down completely.
As for the Southwest Group, they never responded to the ongoing online disputes.
However, public opinion did not stop there. On the contrary, it escalated even further, and the Pearson
Group was dragged into the discussion. It even surpassed the Crossley Group and became the center
of the topic.
Justin and Aidan were frequently made into people's targets of comparison.
Some said that Aidan should have left the Pearson Group long ago and even without him, the company
would still thrive. It was only someone like Justin, the rightful heir of the Pearson Family, who had the
qualifications to become the president of the Pearson Group.
Others argued that if it weren't for Aidan, the Pearson Group would never have reached its current
heights. The company's success was all thanks to Aidan's contributions, and even the company's
current operations were still following his strategic planning.
As for the future of the Pearson Group, it would take a few more years before anyone could see the
results.
While the online discussions were in full swing, there was a gossip blogger who posted a video that
lasted only a few seconds.
In the video, Theodore's face was clearly visible. Even though only a silhouette and a profile of the
woman next to him could be seen, it was evident that it was Daphne. Theodore could be seen to be
holding Daphne's hand as they walked toward the car.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe topic 'Daphne Shirley and Theodore Frost Suspected of Rekindling Their Romance' quickly
skyrocketed to the top of the trending list. It was the hottest topic at the moment.
Daphne was highly popular and influential. As soon as the video was released, all the netizens swiftly
shifted their attention to this incident, eager to witness the spectacle.
It was widely known that Daphne had kept a low profile for a long time after the rumors of her
involvement in Theodore's family emerged several years ago. Even recently, this matter resurfaced and
attracted public scrutiny. However, things took a turn for the better when both Theodore and his ex-wife
spoke up, confirming that Daphne was deceived by Theodore. She didn't deliberately get in the way of
the married couple's relationship.
Just when everyone thought this matter was about to come to an end, the news that Daphne and
Theodore were getting back together suddenly broke.
After the news came out, many marketing accounts and internet trolls started manipulating public
opinion.
'I can't believe it! I used to really like Daphne. I even helped her chew out that sc*mbag! Does this
mean that we were bashing ourselves instead? She's now back with that sc*mbag!'
'The apology from Theodore a while ago caused such a commotion. Everyone has joined in on
criticizing him. The most heartbroken ones must be the fans. They criticized him so passionately, only
to find out that they were criticizing their idol's future husband.'
'Goodness! If I were a fan, I would be devastated. What have these fans even been stanning… Instead
of wasting money on idol worship, they might as well spend it on their parents.'
'I'm shocked even though I'm not a fan. There are so many hot guys in the entertainment industry. Why
must she bend over backward for… that?'
Daphne's fans were dumbfounded when they read these comments.
Many of them immediately decided to unfollow her and leave negative comments, while others chose
to continue believing in and supporting Daphne while they waited for her response.
It was already 5.00PM when Daphne finished shooting the advertisement. As soon as she stepped out
of the studio, she noticed the staff outside whispering and discussing something. However, they fell
silent and broke up the moment they saw her.
She looked around and found her assistant. Taking a bottle of water from her hand, she asked while
drinking, "What's going on?"
However, Fish looked somewhat evasive instead of responding immediately.
Sensing something amiss, Daphne remained silent for a couple of seconds before demanding, "Give
me my phone."
Fish reluctantly handed it over. "Daphne, the company called this afternoon and said…"
Daphne opened her Twitter account and saw the news about her and Theodore.
Her eyebrows were immediately pulled together as she enlarged the video and finally saw that it was
taken at the entrance of her residential complex.
It must have been the time when Theodore was waiting there when he attempted to take her away
forcefully.
However, because the video was only a few seconds long and the camera was focused on Theodore,
her fighting against his hold was not captured at all. It actually looked as if Theodore was guiding her to
the car.
After watching for a while, Daphne suddenly burst into laughter. How shameless can a person be?
Without hesitation, she switched to a new page on Twitter to clarify the situation.
However, the screen showed that she had to log in again, and when she entered her password, it
showed that she had typed in the wrong password.
The assistant's voice continued to ring out beside her. "The company called this afternoon… They said
they will take back control of your Twitter account and handle the postings themselves."
Daphne's head shot up and she looked at Fish with an incredulous gaze. "What?"
Fish squeaked, "I asked them about it, but they said it's a rule from the higher-ups. It applies to all
artists under the Pearson Group. There are no exceptions."
"Higher-ups? Who exactly are you talking about?"
The assistant pointed upward and muttered, "They said that it's an order from the president's personal
assistant's office."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIn other words, the president had given his permission to carry out the order.
Daphne gripped her phone tightly. She pursed her lips as she looked at her assistant and asked, "Has
the PR department mentioned how they plan to handle this?"
"They haven't contacted me yet. It seems like they want to take a more passive approach."
Daphne didn't even have time to change her clothes. She swiftly grabbed her coat and headed out. "I'm
going to the Pearson Group."
"Wait, Daphne!" Fish hurriedly packed up and chased after her.
Once they were in the car, Fish stole a glance at Daphne's expression and hesitated before speaking.
"Daphne, I don't think the company will do anything about this…"
Daphne only frowned without saying a word.
Seeing this, Fish continued, "I saw a post analyzing that this incident between you and Theodore might
have been intentionally released by the Pearson Group to shift the topic and divert the attention."
Daphne had been so busy with work these past few days that she hadn't paid much attention to what
happened online. "Topic? What topic?"
The assistant couldn't explain it clearly right now. As such, she gave a summary. "It's mainly about the
troubles and disputes between President Pearson… uh… that is, Aidan Pearson, and the current
president of the Pearson Group. I don't really understand it either."
When Daphne heard this, she took a deep breath and regained some composure.
Aidan had occasionally used her and other artists under the company to create topics and generate
buzz, but it had always been something beneficial to both parties.
Something like this—relying on a video that was only a few seconds long and had been taken out of
context, and even confiscating her account to prevent her from clarifying immediately—had never
happened before.
Daphne had met Justin a few times, and she didn't think he was someone who would issue such an
order either.
Eventually, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. "Let's go to the Pearson Group and see
what's going on."
Fish fell silent after giving a nod in agreement. She then took out her phone to observe the trends in
online public opinion.
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