Chapter 177

The entertainment world exploded in an instant.

#JulianLombardiScarlettAshcroftRomance trended with a "breaking" tag.

Comments flooded in like a tidal wave.

"Julian Lombardi and Scarlett Ashcroft? This pairing is surreal!"

"Fake news! Wasn't Julian dating Vanessa Kalmien?"

"My favorite ship just sank."

Julian's fanbase went into meltdown.

Someone leaked intimate photos.

The images showed Julian embracing Scarlett in a hotel corridor.

The timestamp indicated last month.

Vanessa's fans immediately cried foul.

"Photoshopped! This has to be photoshopped!"

"Julian belongs with Vanessa!"

More evidence surfaced.

Matching couple bracelets.

Dining receipts from the same restaurant.

Even vacation photos taken abroad by fans.

The scandal snowballed.

Lowell Entertainment's official account got bombarded.

"Release a statement already!"

"Is your PR team asleep?"

Julian was filming on set when his assistant rushed over.

"Boss, we've got a crisis!"

He checked his phone and turned pale.

"How did this happen..."

He immediately called Vanessa.

"Vanessa, have you seen the news?"

Sobs echoed through the receiver.

"Didn't Mr. Langley promise to suppress this?"

Cold sweat dripped down Julian's forehead.

"I'll contact Tiffany right now."

His hands shook as he dialed Tiffany Merouin.

Tiffany had just finished showering.

Seeing the caller ID, she sighed.

"Julian..."

"Tiffany, can the company handle PR for this?"

Silence stretched for several seconds.

"This time... it's complicated."

Julian's heart plummeted.

Inside Lowell Entertainment's executive office, Derek Langley monitored the chaos.

A smirk played on his lips.

"Perfect distraction."

He swiftly deleted incriminating posts about himself.

Fingers drummed against the desk.

"Sophia Laurent..."

Darkness flickered in his eyes.

How had someone uncovered his buried secrets?

He made a call.

"Find out who's behind this."

After hanging up, Derek studied Julian's trending scandal.

A satisfied smile spread.

"Excellent scapegoat."