Chapter 185 Crafting the Persona of a Filial Son

Chapter 185 Crafting the Persona of a Filial Son

Just as Evelyn finalized the contract termination with Aaron, Hannah received his call.

Hearing the news of Evelyn's cancellation, a smug smile crept across Hannah's face. Thanks to her machinations, without a top-tier director to shoot for those two kids, no one would steal Harry's spotlight.

"You did excellent work this time. Don't worry—if better opportunities come up in the future, I'll be in touch."

With that, Hannah hung up, triumph gleaming in her eyes.

Just then, Harry quietly approached from behind.

Hearing the movement, Hannah looked down to find Harry standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Hannah's eyes lit up as she looked at Harry, already imagining him basking in future glory.

"I have good news for you." Hannah, oblivious to the hesitation in Harry's eyes, continued talking to herself. "Julie and Leo's endorsement has been canceled. Now it's your turn to shoot. Promise me you'll seize this opportunity—you must crush those two underfoot."

Watching Hannah's near-manic expression, Harry didn't resist. He simply nodded obediently.

He knew Hannah liked him best when he was compliant. Any sign of defiance would earn him another stint locked in the dark room.

But thinking of Ryan still lying in the hospital, he timidly ventured in a small voice, "It's been a long time since we visited Dad at the hospital. Can I go see him?"

Hearing Harry suddenly mention Ryan, a flash of surprise crossed Hannah's face, followed by unmistakable disgust.

She quickly recovered her composure. "If you cooperate well with the shoot and perform excellently, of course I can take you to see your father."

Getting Hannah's permission, Harry's face immediately brightened with a smile. "Really? I'll definitely do my best with the shoot. I won't embarrass you, Mom."

With that, Harry ran off happily, while the viciousness in Hannah's eyes didn't diminish one bit.

She couldn't help feeling somewhat puzzled—Ryan had been comatose in the hospital for so long, yet he still hadn't died.

Could it be that her people had taken the money without doing the job?

For now, she couldn't dwell on that. Her mind was entirely focused on the upcoming shoot.

The next day.

Hannah drove Harry to the filming location. The moment they got out of the car, a crowd of reporters was already waiting.

Seeing them appear, the press swarmed forward. "How is Mr. Scott doing now?"

Facing the barrage of cameras and microphones, Hannah showed a trace of exhaustion but still forced a smile, patiently answering each question. "He's still unconscious in the hospital. If there's any new development, we'll notify you. It's just so hard on our Harry—so young, yet trying to make a living and keep Scott Corporation running. I owe this child far too much."

In public, Hannah always portrayed herself as a devoted mother. But once inside the building, her exhaustion and concern vanished completely.

Aaron and the production crew had been waiting for some time. Seeing them arrive, he immediately approached with a welcoming smile. "Everything's ready. We can start shooting now."

"Thank you, Aaron."

After a brief exchange, Harry was taken away for makeup and preparation.

Meanwhile, Lora, who had been waiting at the studio, immediately sidled up. "You're late," she said.

Standing beside Hannah with a smile plastered on her face, Lora's words carried clear dissatisfaction.

After receiving the message, Lora had rushed here with her camera first thing. According to their arrangement, she was supposed to shoot promotional photos of Harry.

She hadn't expected Hannah and Harry to arrive so late, making her wait over half an hour.

Hearing Lora's displeasure, Hannah remained unbothered. "Harry's a child star, after all. He can't just show up like an ordinary person. Besides, I'm not making you work for free. Do a good job, and you'll be well compensated."

Lora said nothing more and efficiently snapped several photos, posting them online.

The persona Hannah had carefully crafted was holding strong. Online opinion was overwhelmingly one-sided.

Netizens sympathized with Harry, feeling that at such a young age he had to work on endorsements while shouldering the burden of Scott Corporation. Everyone thought he had it incredibly tough.

For several consecutive days, he trended on social media. Seeing the fruits of her labor, Lora felt rather pleased with herself. "See? Are you still not satisfied?"

Hannah glanced at her phone coolly. Everything was developing exactly as she'd anticipated, all under her control and progressing smoothly.

"Well done. Don't worry—you'll get your reward."

Dropping that line, Hannah stopped paying her any attention and went to greet other staff members.

Watching Hannah's smug demeanor, Lora felt a surge of resentment.

She knew perfectly well that Hannah had never considered her a true friend—she was merely being used.

Her phone suddenly pinged with a notification. Lora looked down to see a payment confirmation.

Seeing the substantial figure, a satisfied smile crossed her face, and her earlier gloom evaporated instantly.

Meanwhile.

Evelyn updated Neo on the shooting situation. Neither of them had expected such a complication.

Neo remained relatively calm, knowing that Evelyn cared more about the children's wellbeing than any endorsement.

"Since Aaron won't cooperate, we can postpone the endorsement for now. The marketing department is ready—we can officially launch sales at any time."

Evelyn nodded, then after some hesitation, voiced her thoughts. "In that case, let's just launch sales officially. The endorsement can wait."

Neo had considered the same thing but felt something was lacking. "I've thought about launching early, but without a spokesperson or advance promotion, I'm afraid sales won't be impressive."

Evelyn smiled and shook her head. "You're overthinking this. Don't forget we're selling children's cold medicine. It's medication—it's not going to suddenly spike in sales. As for efficacy and reputation, those take time to establish."

"If everything develops well, by then the endorsement issue should be resolved. We can announce the spokesperson then, and it really won't have much negative impact."

Seeing Evelyn's reasoning, Neo stopped hesitating. "In that case, I'll notify the marketing department. We'll officially launch sales tomorrow."