Chapter 156: Public Opinion Ferments

Chapter 156: Public Opinion Ferments

Only then did the guests notice her.

When they got a clear look at what she was wearing, they couldn't help glancing back at Claire on stage.

After looking between the two a few times, knowing expressions appeared on their faces.

A low voice murmured through the crowd, "No matter what, she's still the Montague family's adopted daughter. How can she dress so shabbily? The difference between her and Claire is just... huge."

"Well, Claire is their biological daughter, and she was lost for so many years. Isn't it normal to favor her a little more?"

"But does it have to be this obvious? It's not like the Montague family can't afford one dress."

"Maybe we shouldn't gossip about other people's family business."

Listening to the whispers, Daphne curved her lips slightly, turning to greet the people beside her with a docile expression, looking particularly considerate.

Claire had spotted Daphne the moment she walked in.

Her makeup was delicate and understated, but her dress was plain, and her accessories couldn't be simpler—even more low-key than Daphne's usual style.

This was completely unlike Daphne.

Her intentions were all too clear.

Claire caught Cordelia's eye from across the room. Cordelia understood instantly.

She approached Daphne, feigning surprise. "Daphne, don't tell me you put on the cheapest, plainest dress from your closet?"

Knowing Cordelia was Claire's friend, Daphne's gaze darkened, though she maintained an elegant smile on her face.

But her words were sharp. "Why? Do you think my dress is inappropriate?"

Cordelia smiled sweetly. "Of course not. You didn't want to steal Claire's thunder, so you deliberately dressed down. I can't help but admire that."

Daphne knew Cordelia's words had hidden meanings, but she could only maintain her smile and go along with it. "Well, Claire is today's star."

Hearing Cordelia's words, the guests seemed to understand. So that was the reason.

Of course—Sarah's kindness was well-known. How could she possibly neglect her adopted daughter just because she'd found her biological one?

Cordelia kept smiling. "Your heart's in the right place, but dressing like this makes it too easy for people to think the Montague family treats you differently. Don't you think?"

Daphne wanted nothing more than to claw that smile off Cordelia's face. She used every ounce of strength to maintain her expression. "I suppose I didn't think it through."

"If you really didn't think it through, that's fine. I'm just worried you thought it through a little too much." Cordelia's words dripped with meaning. Without pressing further, she retreated to the side.

"Everyone, please enjoy the meal." Sarah spoke up at just the right moment.

The guests dispersed.

Daphne stood frozen in place. Even though the guests had scattered, she felt like everyone's eyes were still on her face, her cheeks burning.

"Let's go." Sarah came to Daphne's side.

She wasn't pleased about Daphne's dress choice either, but she still didn't want to neglect her, so she took her hand.

"Mom, I really only dressed like this because I didn't want to steal Claire's spotlight. I'm sorry." Daphne took the opportunity to apologize softly, her voice carrying a hint of being wrongly accused.

"I know. Let's go." Sarah couldn't bring herself to scold her, but she still felt uncomfortable.

Even if she wanted to dress down, she shouldn't have worn something like this.

She could have just bought something less extravagant.

But what she was wearing was last year's ready-to-wear style.

---

The livestream.

The viewer count kept climbing.

The comments were flying by too fast to read.

Anouk's enthusiasm for interviewing Brooke only grew.

"Mrs. Blackwell, when that video of your daughter being doused with cold water was filmed, were you there?"

Brooke's face hardened. "It breaks my heart to talk about this. That day, our family went to the hospital to visit my son. We ran into her there, and Rowan went up to say hello. She said she had something to tell Rowan, and my husband and I didn't think much of it."

"We had no idea that what she meant by 'something to say' was dragging Rowan to the bathroom and turning the cold water on her. And then, Rowan covered for her, saying she'd accidentally bumped into the shower head and gotten herself wet."

"I believed it at the time. It wasn't until I saw the video a few days ago that I realized Rowan had been bullied by her." Brooke's voice began to choke up toward the end.

The comment section immediately exploded with insults—the uglier, the better.

Mixed in were some compliments for Rowan.

Praising her kindness.

Feeling sorry that even though she was a wealthy heiress, she'd lived a hard life for over a decade, and now that she was home, Claire was still bullying her.

Anouk continued her questioning. "These past couple days, there's been a lot of buzz about Claire finding herself an older sugar daddy. What's your take on that? Do you think it's true?"

Brooke paused briefly. "I hope it's not true."

Then she added, "When the police came to the Blackwell family to take her away, they said her home was in a remote rural village. I've seen her twice since then, and she was wearing designer brands both times. I really don't know what she's been up to."

---

As soon as those words left her mouth, the comment section filled with insults directed at Claire.

Rowan sat outside, watching both the comments and her follower count.

In less than an hour, she'd gained over ten thousand followers.

And this was just the beginning.

Once tomorrow's livestream spread, she'd definitely gain another huge wave of followers.

Vincent fired her for no reason? Fine. When the time came, she'd have her fans help her get justice.

When the interview ended, Brooke drove them home, both mother and daughter in high spirits.

"Rowan, did I do okay?"

Rowan beamed. "You did amazing. I've already gained over twenty thousand followers."

"That's great. I was a little nervous at first, but it felt natural toward the end." Brooke was quite pleased with herself. "Once your movie comes out and you blow up, you'll probably get interview requests all the time. I should get used to it."

At the mention of the movie, Rowan's good mood felt like it had been doused with cold water.

Although she'd made up her mind to rally her fans to fight for justice, until the final outcome was decided, her heart would remain suspended.

If she really got kicked off the production, aside from the Jenkins family endorsement, the other two companies would definitely demand penalty fees.

She'd read the contracts. The penalty was ten times the endorsement fee. If she really had to pay, she'd owe each company thirty million dollars.

That meant sixty million dollars total.

She didn't dare think about that number.

Brooke kept chattering away, but Rowan had completely lost interest. "Mom, I'm a little tired. I'm going to close my eyes for a bit."

Rowan had just leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes when her assistant called.

"Rowan, this is bad."

Hearing "this is bad," Rowan instinctively assumed it was an announcement about being kicked off the production.

"Wh-what happened?" Rowan's voice trembled.

"Just look for yourself."

Rowan frantically opened her phone, her fingers shaking.

When she saw the top trending topic, her eyes locked onto it, as if they'd stopped moving altogether.