Chapter 36 Damage Control

Chapter 36 Damage Control
Luna's POV

Damien insisted on an emergency meeting at Winters Film headquarters and I hated that he was right about needing it.

I wanted to handle my company's crisis on my own.

I wanted to prove I could manage the fallout without his resources, but the attacks on both our companies were too tangled together now.
Vivienne had made sure of that.

The conference room was full when we arrived, at least fifteen people around the long table.

Publicists and lawyers and crisis management specialists who probably charged more per hour than I used to make in a month.

I sat down feeling like an imposter, hating every second of needing this much help.

The head publicist, a sharp woman named Caroline, pulled up a presentation on the screen. "Let's start with the damage assessment."

Numbers and graphs filled the screen, each one worse than the last. My social media mentions had exploded overnight, ninety percent negative. Industry forums were calling me unstable. Three major entertainment blogs had published opinion pieces questioning my fitness as both a director and a mother.

"The narrative has solidified," Caroline said with clinical precision. "Troubled director sleeping with powerful Lycan while neglecting sick child. Marcus Morrison positioned as concerned father fighting for son's welfare."

She clicked to the next slide showing photos of Marcus and Sarah at a park with Theo from last month, all three of them smiling. Sarah looked maternal and stable, Marcus looked devoted, and Theo looked happy in ways I hadn't seen in years.

The contrast to my recent absence from public view was devastating.

"Sarah has been very strategic with her public presence," Caroline continued. "She's given two interviews to parenting magazines about blended families and supporting children through divorce. Both articles paint her as the stable influence in Theo's life."

My hands clenched under the table. "Those articles came out before Theo was hurt."

"Yes, which makes the timing interesting." Caroline made a note. "Vivienne has been planning this campaign for months, possibly longer."

Damien leaned forward. "What's our counter-move?"

"We need to reshape the narrative quickly." Caroline pulled up a new slide. "I propose a joint statement from Luna and Damien about their relationship. Frame it as serious and committed, not a casual affair. Position Luna as a working mother trying to balance career and family, not someone who abandoned her child."

"What does that look like practically?" I asked.

"An interview with a friendly journalist. Photos of you with Theo showing a strong mother-son bond. Behind the scenes footage from your production to demonstrate professional competence." She looked directly at me. "We need to humanize you while also showcasing your strength."

Another team member spoke up. "We should also address the custody situation directly. Frame it as you protecting Theo from an unsafe environment rather than fighting Marcus out of spite."

"Can we do that without revealing what Sarah did?" I didn't want Theo's trauma used as a publicity tool.

"We can be vague. Concerns about his safety and wellbeing without specific details." The lawyer adjusted his glasses. "Though having medical records that support your claims would strengthen the position significantly."

Everything they suggested made sense strategically but each solution felt like giving up more control.

I'd have to perform a version of myself for public consumption, let Damien's team reshape my image, allow myself to be managed and packaged like a product.

My independence was slipping away with every decision.

But I also recognized reality sitting there surrounded by people who understood crisis management better than I did. My pride wouldn't save my company or protect Theo from Marcus's manipulation.

Sometimes survival required accepting help even when it felt like surrender.

"Okay," I said quietly. "What do you need from me?"

Caroline looked relieved. "First, we schedule the interview for this week. I'll reach out to Jennifer Martinez at Celebrity Chronicles, she's done positive profiles on complicated women before. Second, we arrange a photo session with you and Theo that feels authentic, not staged. Third, we prepare a statement about your relationship with Damien that you both approve."

"How long will all this take?"

"If we move fast, we can have the interview done in three days and published within a week." She made more notes. "The photos can happen simultaneously. The statement can go out tonight."

My head spun trying to keep track of everything. "And this will actually help?"

"It won't fix everything overnight," Caroline admitted. "But it stops the bleeding and starts rebuilding your credibility. Right now you're letting Marcus and Vivienne control the narrative. This lets you fight back."

The meeting continued for another hour, everyone contributing ideas and strategies until we had something resembling a plan.

I sat there taking notes and agreeing to things that would have felt impossible a week ago. Letting photographers into Damien's penthouse. Giving an interview about my personal life. Making a public statement about a relationship I wasn't even sure I understood yet.

But it was this or watch everything burn.

As people started packing up their materials, Damien's head of security entered the room with an expression that made everyone go quiet.

"We have a situation," he said.

Damien stood immediately. "What situation?"
"Vivienne responded to your counter-proposal for the meeting." He handed Damien his phone. "She's moved the timeline up. She wants to meet tomorrow evening instead of three days from now."

The room went cold.

"Tomorrow?" I repeated. "That's not enough time to prepare."

"That's the point," Damien said grimly, reading the message. "She's forcing us to respond faster than we can coordinate proper security."
"Can we refuse?" Caroline asked.

"We can try." Damien set down the phone. "But she'll use the refusal as evidence that we're afraid, that we're not actually willing to engage."
I looked at him across the conference table. "She's backing us into a corner."

"She's been doing that since the beginning." His jaw ti
ghtened. "Every move we make, she's already three steps ahead planning our response."