Chapter 170

The online feud escalated rapidly.

Just as netizens were collectively condemning Derek Langley, a flood of orchestrated posts suddenly emerged.

"Scarlett Ashcroft must have a sugar daddy backing her to terminate her contract so smoothly!"

"She rejected Derek Langley—probably because he wasn't powerful enough for her tastes."

"An obscure D-list actress lands the lead role in 'Empress' out of nowhere? Who would believe there's no shady deal?"

The comments came like a tidal wave, clearly the work of paid trolls. Many netizens were stunned by the blatant manipulation.

"Wow, this is the most pathetic attempt at whitewashing I've ever seen."

"Victim-blaming now? How much did Derek Langley pay for this?"

"Lowell Entertainment never changes—still playing dirty."

Derek Langley smirked as he watched the public opinion shift. He doubled down on deploying trolls, determined to pin all the blame on Scarlett Ashcroft.

"I can't let this fire burn me," he schemed silently. "If my niece gets dragged into this, it's over."

On the set of "River Banquet," Julian Lombardi scrolled through his phone, his face alight with schadenfreude.

"Fools are never in short supply," he sneered. "Let's see how long Scarlett can keep up her holier-than-thou act once her sugar daddy gets exposed."

The online storm continued to brew. When Sophia Laurent stepped into the fray, the controversy reached new heights.

"'Empress' is bankrolled by Pearl Group, and Sophia Laurent is shielding her. Connect the dots, people."

"Pretty sure Sophia climbed the ladder the same way—on her back."

The speculation snowballed, sparking thousands of heated discussions. Some even stormed Pearl Group's official account to demand answers.

Sophia Laurent coldly read the comments before posting her response:

"I poached Scarlett Ashcroft from Lowell Entertainment. Got a problem with that?"

The internet exploded.

"Wait... does that mean...?" Netizens exchanged bewildered glances.