Chapter 224

Aria Bennett listened to Lewis Grant's report, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Don't rush to clarify things just yet," she said, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. "This controversy is perfect for promoting our new drama."

Director Gideon Marsh's xianxia drama was being filmed and released simultaneously, meaning it would soon reach audiences.

When the time came, viewers would judge the acting for themselves. Trying to clear her name now would only seem desperate.

"The more they criticize me now, the more curious people will be to watch when it airs."

A glint of cunning flashed in her eyes. "Let's give Serena Blake a little push."

"Buy more troll accounts to praise her acting skills relentlessly. Make 'Serena Blake Outshines Aria Bennett' trend everywhere."

Lewis immediately caught on, chuckling. "Brilliant. She wants to climb over you? We'll send her straight to the stratosphere."

Everyone knew the principle of overkill. A little hype could be convincing, but when the entire internet was flooded with identical praise...

"It's just a shame you'll have to endure the backlash for a while," Lewis said sympathetically.

Aria waved it off. "Bad publicity is still publicity. Besides..."

She opened her phone's gallery, where several video clips lay untouched.

"When the time is right, these will come in handy."

Lewis glimpsed a corner of the footage and nodded in understanding. "So you were prepared all along."

"But it's not time yet." Aria put her phone away. "Let her enjoy her moment a little longer."

She'd noticed Serena's luck was rapidly draining lately. Once it hit a certain threshold...

"Oh, we should still address the diva rumors," Lewis reminded her.

Aria agreed. "I'll visit the set the day after tomorrow and ask Director Gideon to help clarify."

After hanging up, Aria scrolled through social media. The hashtag #AriaBennettIsADiva had already climbed to the top three trending topics.

The most ridiculous part? Someone had even blamed her for Malcolm Rhodes's divorce.

But before she could respond, Malcolm himself posted a clarification—along with another round of evidence about being cheated on.

More surprisingly, the drama's third female lead suddenly voiced support:

[@MayaLinden: Working with Aria is amazing! She treats the whole crew to bubble tea all the time—how is that being a diva?]

Soon, Dylan Park, Director Gideon, and other crew members reposted it. Even a production assistant shared photos of snacks Aria had given them.

Aria's fans immediately rallied, launching a massive counterattack.

[We always knew our Aria was kindhearted!]

[How’s that slap taste, haters?]

Warmth spread through Aria as she read the messages. Kindness paid off when it mattered most.

Lewis moved quickly. That night, countless articles flooded every platform:

[Serena Blake’s Acting Dwarfs So-Called Stars]

[This Is What Real Talent Looks Like]

Trending lists, live comments, forums—the entire internet seemed to praise Serena. Even food videos had comments like "Way better than Aria Bennett."

By the time Owen Archer's team noticed something was wrong, public opinion had spiraled out of control.

"We can't suppress it now," the PR director said nervously. "The engagement is too high. Forcing it would backfire."

Owen smashed a glass. "Idiots! We’ve been played!"

Meanwhile, Aria leisurely sipped floral tea as Lewis's message lit up her phone:

[Trending’s exploded. Now the whole internet’s asking who Serena Blake even is.]

She took another sip, her smile deepening.

The real show was just beginning.