<b>Chapter </b>264
“If you ask me, it’s Liam who’s out of her league.”
“Nobody would care about this designer if it weren’t for Liam endorsing her.”
Thements scrolled past faster and faster. A few people tried to change the subject or calm things down, but their voices were quickly drowned out in the flood of opinions.
Alessia frowned and raised her hand. A waiter in the corner <i>noticed </i>and hurried
over. She leaned in and whispered a few words to him. He nodded in understanding and slipped away into the crowd. Soon after, a wave of positive <iments </i>started appearing online, gradually restoring order to the chaos–at least <i>for </i><i>now</i>. But at the same time, the event was inching its way toward the top of the trending topics.
And when both ambassadors were invited onto the stage, the live broadcast <i>added </i>a giant, shing “HOT” tag beside their names.
#Queenie&Liam HOT
#Most Stunning Jewelry Designer: Queenie
#Liam–Nina’s New Co–Ambassador
#Queenie’s New Collection Launch
The hype exploded, and what followed was a three–way brawl between random onlookers and the two fan bases–no, make that three.
“Who even is this Liam guy? He’s trending every other day!”
“Everyone, mind <i>your </i>own business! Stop shipping random people together–let’s all just enjoy our own favorites in peace!”
“Leave Queenie out of this. She doesn’t deserve the drama.”
“Big celebrity versus designer? I’m here for it! Someone hand me a pen, I could write a whole novel about these two!”
“Pass the pen, I want to read it!”
“Did you see the way they looked at each other? Sparks flying! Love at first sight, I’m telling you–I’m all in!”
“Am I the only one who thinks Nina’s expressions are worth analyzing too?”
“Please check out Liam’s new single!”
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“Don’t forget to support our gorgeous Nina in hertest TV drama, now airing!”
<i>“</i>Queenie isn’t an industry insider, just a designer. Please focus <i>on </i>her work!”
Thements ran the gamut–good, bad, and utterly unhinged. Any rational voices were quickly swallowed up, leaving only the most obsessive fans arguing and spiraling into chaos.
Lillian was keeping an eye on the online frenzy as well. Seeing things spiral out of control, she stood up, half–crouched as she slipped away from her seat. When she nced up, she caught sight of Alessia in the corner.
She shot Alessia a look and gestured to her phone before making her exit.
Alessia understood–Lillian was off to handle the situation. With that in mind, Alessia turned her attention back to the stage. The event was drawing to a close.
“We’re so grateful for our two ambassadors, Liam and Nina. Both of them embody the spirit of my designs. When we first partnered with A&P, their director and I agreed–they were the perfect choice for thisunch.”
Vera, dressed in an elegant gown and sporting a chic short haircut, took the microphone and continued seamlessly from where Queenie left off. She looked poised and self–assured.
Next, Liam and Nina took turns sharing their thoughts on theunch. After the obligatory pleasantries, the ceremony wrapped up and the livestream ended.
Alessia checked the trending topics interest in the Queenie–Liam pairing was already starting to cool.
The inte is a double–edged sword; used well, it can ignite a brand, but mishandled, it can overshadow an entireunch and harm everyone involved.
The end of theunch event wasn’t truly the end, either.
Some guests would approach the designer for a private chat, others would arrange to reserve pieces they had their eye on. If a celebrity they admired was present, it wasn’t unusual to raise a ss, talk business, or discuss potential coborations.
That’s the nature of this world–a marketce of ambition and reputation.
Alessia rose, nning to head backstage to wait for Queenie. Vera would handle the rest.
“Tch, I thought this would be something special. What a waste of time–turns out it was nothing after all.”
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