Chapter 296: Chapter 296: The Tides of Public Opinion

Even though they had been making love for several hours, and there was still a slight trace of the drug’s active ingredients in his body, Ethan Caldwell was completely awake. Unlike Julian Sterling the previous time, in the later stages, Julian had almost lost his rationality. Even though the drug had dissipated significantly, Julian remained in a daze, completely unaware of his surroundings. Perhaps this was the difference between the two types of aphrodisiacs.

The group of people who orchestrated the scheme this time aimed to trap Ethan Caldwell, unlike Aaron Sterling, whose intention was to harm Julian to death.

Thinking about this matter, Ethan Caldwell’s expression grew even more unpleasant. That time, Julian Sterling’s condition had truly terrified Ethan. Thus, the man tightened the arm that was holding the person in his embrace, pulling Julian closer to his body. Perhaps because the grip was a bit tight, Julian Sterling squirmed slightly, eventually burying his face into Ethan Caldwell’s chest, still sleeping soundly.

Ethan Caldwell gently stroked Julian’s bare shoulder, leaning down to plant a kiss on Julian’s forehead before he finally replied to the messages on his phone.

The sender of the message was Louis York.

[Done playing around?]

Ethan Caldwell: [Is there a problem?]

Louis York: [Hey, don’t be so cold to me. I just finished handling the media crisis for you.]

Ethan Caldwell: [Oh, thanks then.]

Just as the message was sent, a call came through on the phone; naturally, it was Louis York. Ethan Caldwell pressed the answer button but kept his voice very low: “Hello.”

Louis York’s tone was full of teasing banter,:”Why are you whispering like that? Don’t tell me you’re sneaking around with someone?”

“Jules is sleeping.”

“Tsk.” Louis York clicked his tongue: “But I have to admit, this partner of yours is truly capable. I originally thought you two would have to come find me to handle the media ever since the news about him blew up. Yet, he managed to handle both battles all by himself.”

“Of course, he is just that brilliant.” Ethan Caldwell replied while gazing at the soundly sleeping face in his arms, unable to hold back a smile.

“You sound incredibly proud, Ethan Caldwell.” Louis York scoffed: “In the end, I was the one who resolved it anyway.”

“That was because it was inconvenient for Jules at that time…”

“I know, at that time he was busy playing in bed with you. Let’s put that aside, have you seen the reactions on the internet yet?”

“Yeah, I glanced through it a moment ago.”

Everything unfolded as previously predicted. Naturally, it would not completely stop at merely posting ordinary attack articles. As soon as Helena Thornton’s livestream was pushed up, the issue regarding yesterday afternoon’s article about Ethan Caldwell having an affair was also dug up again.

Louis York had his people control the situation, resolving Julian Sterling’s matter first, while Ethan Caldwell’s situation was allowed to ferment once more. After directional posts were published, pointing out that Julian Sterling was falsely accused, the netizens completely reversed their stance, expressing their sympathy for Julian.

As someone who had just suffered from cyberbullying, having been attacked by numerous people using filthy and degrading language for several consecutive days, Julian Sterling was now seemingly betrayed by his own husband. Furthermore, some individuals pointed out that Caldwell Empire’s method of handling the media was highly inadequate.

When the incident with Julian Sterling occurred, the public relations department waited for more than a day before starting to issue corrections, handle the situation, and voice warnings. Meanwhile, the moment Ethan Caldwell’s photos were leaked, someone immediately managed the media response.

Naturally, there were also people who defended them, arguing that in Julian Sterling’s scandal, the reason Caldwell Empire was slow to post was that they had to gather evidence to file a lawsuit. Suing someone was not just empty talk, it also required time. Moreover, regarding Ethan Caldwell’s matter, it was blatantly clear that Caldwell Empire’s posts appeared before those of the other newspapers.

However, these words of defense could not be maintained for long; they were quickly crushed by a barrage of cursing comments that steered public opinion in a negative direction. Anyone in the industry could tell with just a glance that someone was standing behind the scenes, manipulating everything.

And before the fire could be completely extinguished, Colin Grant appeared, verifying the suspicion that the person in the room caught in Helena Thornton’s jealousy raid was indeed Ethan Caldwell. Right at this moment, a brand new post was pushed up, and it was even continuously spammed by several people watching the livestream.

The post featured the previous scene of Julian Sterling holding his cheek, crying as he ran out of the elevator and into Helen Lloyd’s office. There was also footage of Julian catching a taxi to leave Caldwell Empire, while Ethan Caldwell went out drinking with a group of friends all night long.

The original poster claimed to be an employee of Caldwell Empire, stating that Julian Sterling usually suffered a lot at Caldwell Empire. On that particular day, Ethan Caldwell had a meeting with the project management board; ultimately, the results were not good, and after the whole group was scolded, Ethan Caldwell walked away. Perhaps because he was too furious, he took his unreasonable anger out on Julian Sterling, even slapping Julian. That evening, Ethan even went drinking with his bros, indulging in alcohol and calling for escorts instead of going home to apologize to his partner.

The article was written with a very authentic tone, accompanied by images and videos, thus drawing in a considerable amount of belief. Right at this juncture, Ethan Caldwell appeared on the livestream looking exactly like someone who had just finished having sex. Everything instantly boiled over.

Everyone knew that Ethan Caldwell was away on a business trip in Kensington city, while Julian Sterling was back in St. Lawrence. This appearance of Ethan Caldwell was no different from outright telling everyone that he was having an affair.

As a result, he was scolded even more severely. Even his words like “doing nothing wrong” were fiercely mocked by the netizens.

Even though Gemma Thornton and Thea Lockwood subsequently appeared in their room, it was only enough to prove that Thea Lockwood did not cheat and had nothing to do with Ethan Caldwell. However, the matter of Ethan Caldwell having an affair was still right there.

That was, until they heard a fully affectionate and coquettish “hubby.”

Then, the screen captured the image of the coquettish young man leaning tenderly into Ethan Caldwell’s embrace.

Helena Thornton probably did not know who Julian Sterling was, but for the netizens who had been eagerly following the drama these past few days, how could they be unfamiliar with Julian’s face? And so, the comment section exploded once again.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep