Chapter 61 Turning the Tide

Chapter 61 Turning the Tide

None of the artists under the Phillips Group dared to speak up. Even the small-time celebrities who usually hung out with Lily quietly disabled comments on their Twitter accounts, afraid of getting caught up in the storm.

Amelia kept scrolling through her phone, her expression calm and unbothered. Dahlia, on the other hand, was pacing frantically beside her, nearly breaking her phone with how hard she was pressing the screen. "Amelia! You gotta say something! We just dealt with the Cecilia and Aurelia mess, and now this? Lily's trying to drag you down, saying you seduced Mr. Phillips to push her out! The reporters are already camped outside the villa, asking for our response!"

"Don't panic." Amelia closed Twitter and turned to Dahlia, her tone steady. "Lily's crazier than I thought, but she's still playing her old tricks. Every time she causes trouble, she tries to gain sympathy on Twitter. Unfortunately for her, her image is already ruined."

She walked over to the window, pulling back the curtain slightly to see seven or eight reporters outside, cameras ready. Her fingers lightly traced the cold glass as she continued, "When she first joined the Phillips Group, she was well-behaved. But then she started causing trouble. She used her childhood friendship with Henry to gain attention, pressured him to go public with their relationship through the media, and caused countless problems for the company. Last time, she almost made the investors pull out by staging a strike on set. Henry didn't terminate her contract on the spot, which was already a favor."

Dahlia paused, loosening her grip on her phone. "Are you saying Mr. Phillips has been wanting to terminate her contract for a while? And this time, he's just using the Cecilia incident as an excuse?"

"Exactly." Amelia nodded, pulling a document from a drawer and handing it to Dahlia. "This is proof of the Phillips family's early sponsorship of me. Give this to the reporters and just state the facts."

Dahlia's eyes lit up as she looked at the donation records and internship certificate. "I get it! You want people to think you're the Phillips family's foster daughter. This way, it dispels the rumors about you seducing Mr. Phillips and clarifies that your relationship with him is purely familial. Lily's claims won't hold up."

"No need to deliberately create the foster daughter impression," Amelia added. "Just say I'm a beneficiary of the Phillips family's support. Let the netizens draw their own conclusions. Don't confirm or deny Lily's claims. Without evidence, the more we deny, the guiltier we look."

Dahlia quickly ran out with the document, but the tension in the living room remained. Ralph sat on the couch, strumming his guitar strings, his eyes occasionally drifting towards Amelia.

Emma held a cup of water, her lips moving as if she wanted to ask something but didn't dare to.

Only Aurelia was still missing, reportedly called in by the police to give a statement.

Amelia ignored the group's unease, went to the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of warm water. Just as she took a sip, her phone buzzed with a message from the PR department, saying the online sentiment was shifting. More and more netizens were commenting, "Lily's at it again," and "Don't make baseless accusations without evidence." Some even dug up her past false accusations against other artists, and the hashtag #Lily'sImageCollapse was quietly climbing the trending list.

Amelia chuckled softly, putting her phone back in her pocket. Today's netizens were no longer blindly following trends. Lily's baseless accusations had lost their impact.

She walked to the center of the living room, addressing the anxious group with a calm tone, "There's no need to be nervous. Continue with your schedules as usual. Lily's Twitter rant won't cause much of a stir. Once the PR department releases the clarification statement tomorrow, this will blow over."

Ralph looked up, concern in his eyes. "Amelia, are you sure? There are still reporters outside..."

"Let them be." Amelia pulled up a chair and sat down, picking up an apple to peel. "They're here for news. Once Dahlia provides the sponsorship proof and the scandal is resolved, they'll leave. But you all need to stay focused. Aurelia still needs our help to clear her name."

Emma nodded in agreement. "Amelia's right! Last time, Lily claimed Mr. Phillips proposed to her, and that turned out to be a lie! Can we really trust anything she says?"

The atmosphere in the living room eased a bit. Ralph picked up his guitar again, playing a soothing tune that flowed through the air, calming the previous tension. As Amelia peeled the apple, she thought to herself that using the rumors about her and Henry to overshadow the Cecilia and Aurelia situation was actually a smart move. She and Henry didn't rely on public opinion for their careers, so the netizens' gossip wouldn't affect them. But Aurelia was different. She was just gaining popularity, and if this incident hurt her, it would be hard for her to recover.

By evening, Aurelia finally returned. Her hair was a mess, her coat dusty, and her eyes red like a rabbit's. She rushed into the living room and hugged Amelia tightly, her shoulders shaking. "Amelia... I'm done for... I've been to the police station. Is my career over?"

Amelia patted her back, her voice gentle yet firm. "Don't worry too much." She guided Aurelia to the couch and handed her a glass of warm water. "The police have your statement, and Cecilia's testimony is inconsistent, so it doesn't hold up as evidence. Tomorrow, the PR department will release a clarification statement with a recording of Cecilia admitting to making false accusations. As long as you cooperate with the interviews and speak carefully, this will blow over."

Aurelia held the cup, tears still falling, but she seemed a bit calmer. "Will it really work? I'm afraid the netizens won't believe me..."

"Whether they believe it or not, we have to try." Amelia sat beside her, gently patting her hand. "You didn't do anything wrong. There's no need to punish yourself for someone else's mistakes."

Aurelia looked into Amelia's determined eyes, slowly nodding and wiping away her tears. "Amelia, thank you... Without you, I wouldn't know what to do."

Amelia smiled but said nothing. She glanced out the window; the sky was already dark, and the warm glow of the streetlights filtered through the glass, casting a soft light in the living room. Henry hadn't returned yet, probably dealing with the aftermath of Lily's contract termination.

Henry always prioritized interests, even choosing the perfect moment to terminate a contract without leaving any room for sentiment.

The guitar music continued, Ralph's tune becoming more upbeat, and Emma hummed along softly. Amelia picked up the show schedule from the table, drawing a line through the "Aurelia's Clarification Interview" section.

Dinner time arrived punctually. Due to the unexpected turmoil, the dinner that was supposed to be prepared by the guests was replaced by takeout ordered by the production team. The table was piled high with takeout, but no one had much of an appetite.

Amelia noticed this, put down her utensils, and calmly broke the silence. "I've already communicated with the production team. They'll air the previously recorded highlights next. Our conversation now won't be recorded, so let's open up and chat to adjust our moods." She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone. "I'll start with some honest words. Even if we have to act, we need to finish this show. If we quit now and the show gets canceled, all our efforts will be wasted, and it won't do anyone's reputation any good."