Chapter 38: The Unveiling of Alisa's True Image

Chapter 38: The Unveiling of Alisa's True Image

The forum post exposing Alisa as a "fake rich girl" had little substance beyond a blurry "sugar daddy" photo, making it seem like a spiteful rant from someone consumed by jealousy. However, the news pushed by major platforms was far more detailed, painting a vivid and glamorous picture of Alisa's life as a top-tier heiress.

The first image accompanying the news was a photo of Alisa at the age of eighteen, attending the prestigious Crillon Debutante Ball in Paris. The Crillon Ball is one of the most extravagant and exclusive events in the Western world, with very strict selection criteria. The young women invited are not only from noble families but also must possess outstanding academic backgrounds, social standing, and beauty.

In the photo published in the article, twenty young women were dressed in luxurious gowns, standing like princesses in an opulent, historic hotel. Alisa was the only Asian face among them, her elite status unmistakable.

With just this one image, the rumors claiming she was the daughter of a nouveau riche who attended a "diploma mill" university were easily dispelled.

The article also revealed photos of Alisa's wardrobe. Her closet was practically a showroom for luxury brands, with shelves lined with thousands of designer bags, walls of shoe racks, dazzling jewelry displays, and countless haute couture gowns. And these were just her spring and summer collections; her winter clothes were stored elsewhere.

The comments section exploded with reactions:

"WTF! Walking into that closet must be better than shopping at any store—there's no way even the brand stores have such a concentrated collection!"

"Holy crap, an entire wall of Hermès! Poverty truly limits my imagination. [Lemon emoji]"

"Alisa, are you some kind of centipede with all those shoes? Yes, I'm sour! [Lemon emoji]"

"I always wondered how she managed to wear haute couture to every event. At the time, I was puzzled as to why a photographer could borrow dresses that even celebrities couldn't get their hands on… Turns out, she wasn't borrowing them; she was buying them herself. [Smile emoji]"

"Alisa's great-grandfather founded the V jewelry brand! Yes, the incredibly expensive V brand! It might not be that well-known in China, but in Europe, it's a highly regarded luxury brand. She's a bona fide upper-class debutante—those local influencers pretending to be 'socialites' don't even come close!"

"How could someone with such a background still get smeared like this? Turns out those rumors about her being a gold-digger were baseless. Serves the people who spread them right if they get sued! Word is Alisa's husband is also super powerful. Those gossiping media outlets are probably done for."

With the exposure of Emily's background, details of her personal life began to surface. However, the information that came to light, while intriguing, didn't reveal much substance.

For instance, the article titled "Is Alisa Already Married? Husband's Powerful Background Revealed, A Perfect Match!" only briefly mentioned that "Alisa married shortly after graduating, and her husband's family is very prominent but keeps a low profile, rumored to be from a prestigious lineage in China."

Curious netizens were eager to learn the identity of the heiress-photographer's husband, but despite their digging, they couldn't uncover any specific details. All they managed to find was a supposed photograph of the couple.

The photo was taken on a private yacht. In it, Alisa was seen from the side, while the man beside her was captured only from behind. Although his face was not visible, his tall, broad-shouldered frame, narrow waist, and long legs left no doubt that he was extremely attractive.

Alisa, dressed in a red gown, was holding onto the man's arm, leaning against his shoulder while he held her sun hat in his other hand. The two stood on the deck, gazing out at the sea, presenting a picture of a deeply affectionate couple.

Below the photo was a short caption:

**"Alisa's mysterious husband, identity unknown. Rumored to be a young tycoon who has appeared on the wealthiest lists. A graduate of an overseas prestigious university, he is highly educated and handsome—a perfect match for Alisa."**

After seeing this photo, the comments from those who had been ready to "draw their swords" against their rival took a different turn:

"All roads lead to Rome, but some people were born in Rome... Sigh, why are some people born with wealth and beauty, and on top of that, marry a husband who's both handsome and rich? [Lemon emoji][Lemon emoji]"

"So handsome, so handsome, so handsome! And so tall! If you didn't tell me, I'd think this back view belonged to a model or actor, but it's actually Alisa's husband! I'm off to search the rich lists now—gotta find a way to beat Alisa to him. [Dog emoji]"

"I envy Alisa [Cry emoji] for having an entire room of Hermès and such a handsome, wealthy husband. But I also envy her husband because I want to have the beautiful Alisa too! [Cry emoji]"

As Emily scrolled through the news and comments, she felt a wave of exasperation.

She knew exactly where these press releases and exposés had come from—who else could it be, given they even had photos of her closet?

They had been married for two years and divorced without anyone knowing, which showed how effective Ethan could be at keeping things under wraps when he wanted to.

But what was this now? Why was he doing this?

Exposing her background to clear the false rumors was one thing, but why did he have to insert himself into the narrative?

Why did he insist on stamping her with a "married" label?

And making himself out to be all mysterious with descriptions like "young tycoon, prestigious graduate, attractive, talented"—was this self-praise?

Shameless!

And what was with the line about being "a perfect match for Alisa"?

They were divorced! Why was he still trying to ride on her coattails?

Ethan, you schemer!

The more Emily thought about it, the more she believed that Ethan was up to something, using her to boost his own image.

But no matter how annoyed she was, he had just helped her through the biggest crisis of her career. So, for now, she couldn't really tear him down, could she?

And so, the plagiarism scandal that had threatened Emily's career ended with a public frenzy over her personal life. That evening, Creston Media and Emily's studio issued a joint statement on social media, putting the final stamp on the matter.

**Creston Media MediaV:**

"In light of recent events, we have discovered that @Lucaskk's team collaborated with certain media outlets and marketing accounts to disseminate false and targeted information, including but not limited to 'Alisa plagiarized and blamed Lucas,' and 'Photographer plagiarized, Lucas unfairly implicated,' in an attempt to manipulate public opinion and tarnish Alisa's reputation. Such behavior violates the spirit of our cooperation and seriously breaches the terms of our contract.

As such, we demand that Ms. Lucas provide compensation as per the contract and publicly apologize to Alisa immediately.

This is the final public statement we will make on this matter.

Thank you to everyone for your support and supervision of Alisa!

**Creston Media Media & Alisa Visual Art Studio**"

The next morning, Lucas's studio issued a brief apology, tagging both Emily and her studio.

The statement was terse and lacked sincerity, coming across as a reluctant capitulation to a powerful adversary.

But it seemed that the "adversary" wasn't in the mood to show any mercy.

That afternoon, news broke from the set of the movie *Spring and Autumn*: Lucas, who had already completed her costume fitting and was about to join the cast, had suddenly been replaced.

**

Jason glanced at his boss, then furtively glanced again a few seconds later.

His boss was acting strangely today—distracted, restless, and constantly checking his phone.

The more he checked it, the more irritated he seemed to get, his mood growing darker by the minute.

Jason opened his mouth several times but didn't dare speak.

Ethan was oblivious to his assistant's hesitation. He was indeed in a foul mood.

Since last night, Emily hadn't posted anything on social media, but she had been online.

She had liked the statement Creston Media and the studio had issued, liked Olivia's supportive tweet, and replied to Jessica's "It's all nonsense; the original photo's here, this is our mentor" with a "Thanks, love [Heart emoji]."

This morning, she had even gone to Ryan's Twitter and liked his post, "What you see with your own eyes isn't always the truth."

She had liked posts from everyone who had stood by her—

But what about him?

He had tracked down the information, flown overseas to gather evidence, and hired the best legal team—didn't he deserve a like, or even a heart emoji?

Ethan was not happy; Ethan was feeling a little put out.

He glanced at his phone again, but there was still no message from Emily, either on WhatsApp or via text.

Ethan propped his chin on his hand, lost in thought: Perhaps it was time for him to set up a personal social media account…

"Chairman Harrison," Jason finally spoke up, cautiously, "The *Spring and Autumn* movie set is having a press conference today. Would you like to check it out?"

*Spring and Autumn* was one of Creston Media's major projects this year, and Ethan, as both producer and company head, had been closely following its production.

He frowned, looking

annoyed, "No."

Jason looked at him, lowering his voice, "Alisa is at the set today, shooting posters for the movie…"

Ethan froze for a moment, then abruptly stood up, his determined stride leaving no room for hesitation.

Jason hurried to keep up, "Where are you going?"

"The press conference."

**

*Spring and Autumn,* produced by Creston Media, was a high-budget film, and the set was as opulent as its parent company. With millions spent on building the sets and custom-designing the costumes and props for the actors, no expense had been spared.

The film was helmed by a legendary director and featured a star-studded cast from Creston Media's roster of talented actors. Since the project was announced, it had generated significant buzz, and today, the set was abuzz with excitement as the media descended for the press event.

When Emily and her team arrived, most of the reporters had already left. The photos she was there to take were not just for the film's promotional posters but also for a magazine cover shoot, so Emily was meticulous about every detail and insisted on being on set.

The moment she stepped onto the set, Emily knew she had made the right decision. The grand, authentic set, complete with newly transplanted plum blossoms and the actors in their elaborate costumes, made every scene look like a painting.

As she gazed at the set, inspiration struck, and her mind began to buzz with ideas for the shoot.

"Did you hear? Chairman Harrison is here for the press conference!"

Emily's arm, busy adjusting a tripod, paused mid-movement. She turned her head, noticing a group of crew members chattering nearby.

"Which Chairman Harrison?"

"Are you dumb? The Chairman Harrison of Creston Media, the billionaire, the big boss!"

"What? The big boss is here! Why would he show up?"

Emily shifted uncomfortably, her neck stiffening.

She pulled out her phone and checked it—no messages.

He shouldn't know she was here, right?

"You didn't hear? It's Sophia—yeah, the one playing the role of Lady Li Ji. Word is she and Chairman Harrison…"

"What?! No way!"

"Why not? How else do you think Sophia got the role? All the actors are from Creston Media's talent pool, so if she didn't have connections, how could she land the role of Lady Li Ji? And I just saw her follow Chairman Harrison as soon as he left…"

"What's wrong, ma'am?" Emily's assistant noticed her suddenly packing up the tripod and asked in confusion, "Isn't this a good spot?"

Emily didn't answer, her expression tense as she packed up. "We're moving."

"Where to?"

Emily's lips tightened, "To shoot Lady Li Ji."

**

Ethan glanced at Jason, who immediately caught on.

He leaned in and discreetly reminded him, "Zhao."

Ethan turned his head, his expression stony, "Ms. Zhao, I had no involvement in the casting process."

His irritation was evident as he struggled to maintain his composure, "There's no need to thank me."

Sophia, still in costume, lowered her eyes and smiled demurely, her gaze seductive, embodying the character of Lady Li Ji.

"Regardless, I must thank Creston Media for giving me this opportunity, and especially you, Chairman Harrison…" Sophia extended her hand, revealing a card-like slip with handwritten digits and a faint red lipstick mark beside the numbers.

She offered it to Ethan with a knowing smile.

Ethan's expression grew colder. His dark eyes, half-shielded by heavy lids, bore down on her with an intense, oppressive gaze.

"Are you still in character?"

Sophia hesitated, "Huh?"

Ethan had already lost all patience. He furrowed his brows and tapped the wedding band on his ring finger, a silent but pointed reminder.

Sophia's face stiffened, though she quickly recovered her composure.

"I just wanted to express my gratitude…" she began, her words both direct and suggestive. "I'm sure your wife wouldn't—"

Ethan shook his head, cutting her off, "I suggest you meet my wife; it might help you break character."

Sophia was stunned, "Huh… What?"

"After meeting her, you'll realize you're not nearly as beautiful as you think."

Sophia's lips moved wordlessly, her face rapidly flushing from her neck upwards.

"And one more thing—" Ethan glanced dismissively at the card in her hand, "I'm starting to question your professional abilities."

"I may not have been involved in the casting, but I can still decide to recast this role."