“Carson!” Jonathan called out in a measured tone, “What's up?” “It's bad, real
bad!” Carson relayed the nasty smear campaign that was unfolding back home
against Estelle. “It's blown up. The Macclains have taken it upon themselves to
tarnish Estelle’s reputation. She's being dragged through the mud online, and
both Snowy Studios and GK are feeling the heat.” Jonathan's voice cut through
the chilly silence. “They're digging their own graves.” “When are you guys
heading back? What can I do for Estelle right now?” Carson asked. “With Charlie
out of town and Ms. Sampson and Morrison on their honeymoon, the Crawleys
have picked the perfect moment.” The Crawleys seemed certain that Estelle
wouldn't show her face, which explained their recklessness. Now, Estelle was
crucified in the court of public opinion, and every accusation looked like a nail in
her coffin. Even if she resurfaced later to clear the air, it was doubtful the online
crowd would give her another chance. The Crawleys had played their cards right.
Jonathan paused, then replied coldly, “Leave it for now. I'll handle it when I get
back.” “Alright, I'll keep an eye on the Crawleys and stay in touch,” Carson
responded. “Good.” The online feud over whether Estelle was the Macclains’
adopted daughter or their biological child added fuel to the fire. When Stanley
chose to stop responding, everyone assumed the Bennetts had won, tilting public
sympathy in their favor. Even Carmella’s Twitter history got dragged up. Her past
plagiarism had been proven, and yet there were those who questioned whether
KING had manipulated the narrative with their wealth, twisting the truth. Some
speculated that the original incident had been staged to pave the way for KING's
emergence. It was as if Carmella had been a mere pawn. Perhaps out of
sympathy, Carmella managed to trend once again. Plagiarism, typically
unforgivable, seemed to be conveniently overlooked. Since Snowy Studios’ PR
department was constantly
defending KING, the design studio was under relentless online attack. Their
address was leaked, and furious netizens showed up to vandalize the place. The
studio had no choice but to shut down temporarily, with designers and staff too
scared to show up for work. Carmella, seizing the moment, tweeted about GK’s
recent overseas-exclusive releases, praising them and suggesting that one
design was made specifically to appease foreign clientele. It wasn't uncommon
for brands to tailor their designs to the tastes and cultures of their local markets —
a standard marketing strategy employed by luxury brands worldwide. But under
Carmella’s insidious spin, KING and GK were depicted as pandering to foreign
tastes. An hour later, Sabina retweeted Carmella’s post. Stirred up once again,
the mob redirected their fury from Snowy Studios to GK’s stores. Within half a
day, GK's stock had plummeted, forcing all their brick-and-mortar locations to
close. The online mob against KING had spilled into the streets, reaching a fever
pitch! (Image) (Image) His eyes were frosted over, as cold as the night's chill.
The transition of power was at hand, and Cliff was ready. Jonathan had just
called Jason, instructing him to stay out of it for now. The bigger picture mattered
more. The Macclains and the Crawleys, those underhanded players, he'd deal
with them personally. Coltent belolgs to Dramgnovels.com (Image) It seemed the
matters in Zion required swift resolution. But everything would have to wait until
after tomorrow. Because tomorrow was the 29th.