Chapter 397: Cyberbullying
She found a replacement that quickly?
Could Emily and Daniel have some kind of secret arrangement?
But Evelyn quickly regained her haughty expression. "A musician? What commercial value could he possibly have? Does he have more fans than me? More traffic?"
She clicked on Obscura Fashion's teaser post, scanning the comments already accumulating beneath it.
[This silhouette looks so elegant! Who is it?]
[Doesn't look like someone from the entertainment industry, but the vibe is incredibly sophisticated]
[Is Obscura Fashion taking an artistic direction this season? Can't wait!]
The more Evelyn read, the more irritated she became. She'd assumed that by breaking her contract at the last minute, Obscura Fashion would panic and eventually offer her more money to come back.
Then she could not only command a higher endorsement fee but also lord it over Emily—You're Charles's wife? A high-and-mighty CEO? And yet here you are, begging for my help.
But now Obscura Fashion had found a replacement so quickly—and not just anyone, but Daniel, someone with genuine prestige and international influence.
It made her feel dismissed. Irrelevant.
"Evelyn, what should we do now? About Mr. Windsor... shouldn't we apologize? After all, we did bail on Obscura Fashion, and Mr. Windsor and Emily are still married..."
Evelyn let out a cold laugh. "Haven't you been reading the news? Charles is divorcing Emily. And that night at dinner, Mr. Windsor's attitude toward me... you saw it yourself."
She recalled the dinner with Charles.
Though he'd been aloof throughout, barely speaking, he hadn't refused when she leaned close, hadn't immediately pulled away when she "accidentally" brushed his hand.
To Evelyn, that was tacit permission.
Add to that the flood of tabloid coverage, and she was even more convinced—Charles no longer cared about Emily. And she would be the next Mrs. Windsor.
"But..." her assistant tried again.
Evelyn cut her off. "If Charles really cared about Emily, would he let those rumors run wild? Would he reward me with better opportunities after I broke the contract instead of getting angry?"
She grew more confident with every word. "He's paving the way for me. Once I become Mrs. Windsor, what is Obscura Fashion? The entire Windsor Group will be mine."
Her assistant didn't dare argue further, simply nodding.
Evelyn paused, calculation gleaming in her eyes. "Go find a few media outlets. Plant a story."
"What story?"
A vicious smile curved Evelyn's lips. "Say that Obscura Fashion, trying to save money, hired a nobody as their spokesperson. The shoot went terribly, and now they're scrambling to fix it. And hint that Obscura Fashion couldn't afford my endorsement fee, so they had no choice but to settle for some cheap amateur."
"Won't that be... too obvious?" her assistant hesitated.
Evelyn waved dismissively. "So what? I have Charles backing me. What's there to worry about? Besides, fans eat this stuff up. They'll definitely defend me and attack Obscura Fashion."
Her assistant complied reluctantly.
Soon, several entertainment gossip accounts posted similar messages simultaneously.
[EXCLUSIVE: Obscura Fashion's new spokesperson is a NOBODY? Rumor has it they couldn't afford Evelyn's fee and had to make a last-minute substitution!]
[Inside source reveals: Chaos on Obscura Fashion's set—new spokesperson has NO camera sense, production seriously behind schedule!]
[Evelyn's agent responds: We regret that we couldn't work with Obscura Fashion, but we respect the brand's choices. We hope Obscura Fashion finds a suitable spokesperson.]
The moment these posts went live, Evelyn's fans erupted.
[WHAT? They replaced Evelyn? On what grounds?]
[Obscura Fashion is shameless! If you can't afford Evelyn, just SAY SO instead of hiring some rando!]
[Email Obscura Fashion to complain! We can't let them disrespect Evelyn like this!]
[YES! Boycott Obscura Fashion! Support Evelyn!]
Within an hour, the comments section under Obscura Fashion's latest teaser post was overrun by Evelyn's fans.
[Trash brand—if you can't afford a proper spokesperson, don't bother!]
[Disgusting! Emily's abusing her power!]
[BOYCOTT Obscura Fashion! Support Evelyn!]
[Obscura Fashion owes us an explanation! Why did you replace Evelyn?]
The comment count quickly surpassed ten thousand, nearly all negative.
At Obscura Fashion headquarters, the marketing director paced frantically. "Ms. Johnson, what do we do? Evelyn's fans are going insane!"
Emily sat in her office, eyes on the computer screen filled with vitriolic comments, her expression calm.
"Ignore them," she said.
"Ignore them? But—"
"Evelyn thinks she can use this tactic to force our hand or sabotage this season's campaign. But she's miscalculated."
Emily stood and walked to the window. "True luxury brands never need celebrity traffic to prove their worth. What we need is sophistication, taste, substance. And those things? Evelyn doesn't have them. But Daniel does."
"But public opinion is turning against us..." the marketing director worried.
Emily turned around. "Public opinion can be guided. Take the behind-the-scenes footage from today's shoot, cut it into a thirty-second teaser, and release it tonight at eight o'clock sharp."
"Behind-the-scenes footage? Ms. Johnson, you mean..."
A confident smile played at Emily's lips. "Let everyone see what real sophistication looks like. Evelyn thinks she can destroy us with fan warfare? She's more naive than I thought."
At eight o'clock that evening, Obscura Fashion's official account released a thirty-second teaser video.
No caption accompanied it—only a soaring violin concerto as the soundtrack.
In the footage, Daniel wore Obscura Fashion's latest black suit design, standing before an enormous floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the city's nightscape glittered brilliantly. He tilted his head slightly, fingers brushing violin strings, his gaze deep and distant.
Backlit, the light sculpted his perfect profile and tall, elegant silhouette.
The next moment, the scene shifted. He sat at a vintage piano, fingers dancing across the keys, a faint smile gracing his lips.
Another cut. He stood center stage in the studio, violin in hand, eyes gently closed, as if immersed in a world of music.
Every frame radiated artistry and refinement, each shot composed like a carefully curated painting.
After the video posted, the comments section fell silent for a few seconds.
Then new comments began flooding in.
[Oh my God... who IS this? The presence is INCREDIBLE!]
[Is that music from a violin concerto? It's beautiful!]
[This man's aura... absolutely breathtaking! Like genuine aristocracy!]
[THIS is what a luxury brand spokesperson should be! So much more sophisticated than those traffic celebrities!]