Chapter 65 Suppress Public Opinion

Chapter 65 Suppress Public Opinion

Amelia stared at Lily, her voice icy. "If I were you, I wouldn't be worrying about love right now. I'd be figuring out my next move. The Phillips Group already sent the termination letter, and the penalty is at least ten million bucks. The brands you pissed off are issuing joint statements to hold you accountable. The public backlash against you is growing, and no company will touch you if this keeps up. All of this is way more important than love."

She turned to Elijah, her tone serious and direct. "You're her agent. Do you know what you need to do next?"

Elijah shook her head, still in shock and unable to think straight.

Amelia calmly laid out the plan. "First, delete all the inappropriate tweets right away and post a sincere apology. Say her account was mismanaged and a staff member posted those comments, mixing personal emotions with work. Try to get the public's forgiveness. Second, contact the Phillips Group's legal department, lower your stance, and see if you can negotiate a reduction in the penalty. Say Lily is willing to forgo the remaining endorsement fees and participate in a few charity events for the Phillips Group. Third, review her past work and see if she can transition to being a serious actress. She can't cling to her old image; she can't go back to how things were."

Elijah quickly pulled out her phone, jotting down Amelia's instructions, afraid to miss anything. "Got it, Ms. Martinez. I'll make sure she does all of this first thing tomorrow."

Before leaving, Amelia looked at Lily again, her tone softening a bit. "The entertainment industry is cutthroat. One wrong step can lead to many more. As her agent, you need to guide her properly and not let her be swayed by emotions. She has talent in acting. If she hones it well, she might be able to make a comeback."

With that, she turned and walked towards the parking lot.

Elijah hurried to catch up, apologizing again. "Ms. Martinez, I'm really sorry. I didn't know you and Mr. Phillips were married. If I had known, I would've stopped Lily from causing such a mess. I promise I'll keep a close eye on her from now on and won't let her cause any more trouble for you and Mr. Phillips."

Amelia waved her hand dismissively, pausing as she opened the car door. "It's fine. No need to dwell on the past. Just take good care of her from now on." She got into the car, started the engine, and drove away.

When Elijah returned to Lily's house, she found Lily lying on the couch, sobbing with her shoulders shaking, her voice full of grievance and resentment. "Why... why is he so good to her? He was never that gentle with me, never... When I called him, he either didn't answer or hung up after a few words. But with Amelia, he even remembers little things like cooking noodles... What does she have that I don't? I've liked him since I was a kid. I've waited for him for so many years. I thought I at least had a place in his heart..."

Elijah sighed helplessly, covering Lily with a blanket and patiently advising. "Lily, stop obsessing over this. Mr. Phillips and Ms. Martinez are married. That's a fact. The most important thing now is to deal with the immediate problems and reduce the penalty. We can't afford to pay it. Ms. Martinez has given us a clear path. This is our last chance, and we need to take it."

Lily didn't say anything, just nodded under the blanket.

The clock in the living room ticked away, and the sky outside grew darker, with only a small lamp illuminating the messy room.

When Amelia returned to the Phillips Group, it was just getting dark. She went straight to her office, not even stopping for a drink of water, and picked up the phone to call Dahlia's extension. "Come to my office. I need to discuss something."

Dahlia quickly knocked and entered, carrying a stack of documents. She saw Amelia typing rapidly on her keyboard, the screen showing Lily's Twitter account.

"Ms. Martinez, you called for me?"

"Yes." Amelia stopped typing and looked up, her tone clear and organized. "Lily has agreed to compromise. She'll post a tweet saying her account was hacked by a staff member, along with a handwritten apology from the staff. Keep an eye on it, and once it's posted, have the Phillips Group's media account retweet it with a simple message confirming it was a staff error and that the person has been dealt with."

Dahlia's eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. "Got it! I'll keep an eye on it. Ms. Martinez, you're amazing. I thought Lily would cause another scene."

"She had no other choice," Amelia said calmly, adding, "Also, have a few company artists retweet the clarification. They don't need to write long posts; just a comment like 'I support the official statement' will do. We don't want to draw more attention."

"Understood!" Dahlia was about to leave, but turned back, "Ms. Martinez, should you also clarify the rumors about you and Mr. Phillips? People are still asking in private messages."

Amelia looked up, her fingers tapping lightly on the mouse. "Do you think they'll believe it if I clarify? Last time, despite having proof of sponsorship, people still claimed I was using the Phillips family to get ahead. Clarifying without evidence is a waste of time and might even backfire. It's not necessary."

Dahlia thought for a moment and agreed, then quickly left to carry out her tasks.

Amelia refreshed Lily's Twitter page.

As expected, a new post had just been published, with a neatly written apology letter, complete with a fingerprint, sincerely admitting that a staff member had logged into the account and posted inappropriate comments. Lily herself stated that the person had been dealt with seriously and apologized to Amelia and the public.

Within minutes, the Phillips Group's media account retweeted it, and Ralph, Aurelia, and others left comments.

The public's attention quickly shifted, and the hashtag #LilyAccountHacked# shot to the top of the trending list.

Seeing the situation stabilize, Amelia finally breathed a sigh of relief, shut down her computer, and prepared to leave.

Just as she picked up her coat, someone grabbed her wrist, and the computer was closed with a snap.

She looked up to see Henry leaning against the desk, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a luxury watch, his eyes playful. "Finished?"

"What are you doing here?" Amelia pulled her hand away, her tone wary. "The rumors about us just died down. If someone sees you here..."

"What's wrong with me being in my assistant's office?" Henry raised an eyebrow, leaning closer, his breath brushing her ear. "Or should I say, a husband picking up his wife from work?"

Amelia's ears turned slightly red, and she looked away. "Picking me up from work, is there something you need?"