Chapter 258
Chapter 258
Ever since Maxine told her about Hamlin’s situation, she’d become even more obsessed than those directly involved, constantly scrolling through news and updates about Eastland Entertainment online,
After the scandals broke out, many top–tier artists who could stand on their own left Eastland Entertainment. Those whose contracts were up refused to renew, and some were even willing to pay a fortune in termination fees just to get out.
After all, Eastland Entertainment looked like a ticking time bomb right now. With the CEO caught up in kidnapping allegations, if things really went south and the company collapsed, let alone those massive termination fees, the artists could face a complete industry ban before the company even went
under.
Not only would they be saddled with massive debts, but they’d also be blacklisted from the industry for years, left with no choice but to be Eastland Entertainment’s cash cows.
Hamlin’s hair had visibly grayed from the stress. These past few days had been pure hell for him.
At Monday’s shareholders‘ meeting, several overbearing shareholders immediately confronted him, demanding a full explanation about the online rumors regarding the kidnapping case.
No matter how he explained, the fact was that Hamlin did “invite” the Mason family’s son and Maxine up to that mountain villa. The police had already confirmed as much, though their statements were vague at best. Everyone could read between the lines and see what really happened.
As if one crisis wasn’t enough, Hamlin’s mountain villa was soon exposed. Environmental groups questioned why, while all the other properties failed inspection, only the Jenson family’s villa was allowed to be built.
An environmental activist posted a lengthy, professional analysis on an online forum, examining the construction costs and pollution impact of the villa on Southview. Screenshots of the post were turned into a video, which quickly went viral and even trended on Twitter.
Hamlin sat in his office chair, scrolling through the webpage on his computer. Public opinion was overwhelmingly negative. The comments under Eastland Entertainment’s official account were a complete disaster zone. While the PR department could shut down the comments section, they couldn’t stop the posts from spreading like wildfire.
There was never a shortage of rubberneckers in this world.
The latest post on Eastland Entertainment’s official account had its comments section disabled, but the staggering 60.9k retweets still felt like a dagger to Hamlin’s heart.
A knock came at the office door. “Come in,” Hamlin called out, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
The secretary entered cautiously, first casting a timid glance at Hamlin sitting there before speaking in a hushed voice. “Mr. Jenson, Mr. Woolridge called again. He insists you get back to him as soon as possible. And the PR department… they were wondering how you’d like to handle this matter.”
They couldn’t just keep the comments turned off forever.
Eastland Entertainment must keep operating as usual, and their artists needed to continue working.
The secretary hesitated, then said awkwardly, “Celeste Shorts attended an event this morning, but…” She paused, stealing a nervous glance at Hamlin’s increasingly grim expression, then forced herself to continue, “But she was confronted at the entrance by haters under the guise of environmental activists.”
They had no choice but to bite the bullet and swallow their pride. Since the current political climate was all about environmental protection, they couldn’t very well say those views are wrong.
Hamlin took a deep breath. “Is that it?”
The secretary hesitated, clearly troubled by the recent spate of incidents. After a thoughtful pause, she added, “A promotional event in Bolkazan had to be canceled due to protester blockades. And our new show… well, it’s stuck in review because of… all this.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
