Chapter 297
Audrey looked back toward the living room.
Yann and Quentin were talking about something when she got up to take a phone call in the bathroom. It wasn’t that she was afraid of Vans findien ont She just didn’t want him being overprotective and forbidding her from working.
“Tell me clearly. What exactly is going on?” Audrey closed the bathroom door behind her.
“That female artist who shot the promotional video, Ruby–she posted an accusatory video on her own account,” Emilia sighed
When Ruby filmed the video, she was at some cosmetic surgery hospital in the background. Large patches of gauze covered her face, and the uncovered areas were an abnormal red color like she’d been burned.
At first, Ruby said she was making the video to reassure her fans that she was actively receiving treatment and they shouldn’t worry about her. But ache kept talking, she started crying uncontrollably, almost to the point of fainting.
There was another woman in the video who claimed to be her friend. She comforted Ruby while encouraging her to tell the truth, saying her fans would help her get justice and also warn other fans so there wouldn’t be more victims.
Only then did Ruby reluctantly explain what had happened. She had filmed a short drama for Lunessé face masks, and because the content resonated with women who’d been bullied by toxic men, her popularity had grown a bit. She was grateful to the company for this opportunity.
To show her gratitude to the company and be responsible to her fans, Ruby decided to personally buy and test the face masks herself.
When she first applied the Lunessé Brightening Mask, her skin felt really comfortable and looked brighter. She not only spent her own money to recommend it to friends around her but also promoted it to major beauty bloggers.
But after using it continuously for over a month, her skin became sensitive. Eventually, she developed broken capillaries that slowly led to swelling and infected sores.
Ruby cried while she explained everything. “Maybe it’s just my skin type that’s the problem. It doesn’t mean the company’s products are bad. Everyone shouldn’t judge the whole thing based on one person’s experience. I still recommend people choose skincare products that work for their own skin.”
When Ruby said this, her fans thought she was just being diplomatic because of work pressure. They figured she didn’t want to offend the company, so she was being careful with her words.
Even though Ruby kept defending the brand in the comments, her fans still felt upset about the whole situation.
With Ruby’s fans stirring things up, a lot of people started questioning the face masks. They even went to other live streams to boycott anyone selling Lunessé masks.
Ruby didn’t have a huge following, but even small problems could cause big headaches. Users who didn’t know what was really going on got swept up in the drama, and word spread fast until a small issue became a major crisis.
“The problem now is that Ruby’s friend posted a testing certificate claiming Lunessé face masks contain fluorescent agents and other harmful ingredients.” Emilia paused before continuing. “The marketing team is already handling PR, but some of our partner influencers want to pause their collaborations.”
“I’m heading over right now.” Audrey hung up the phone and opened the bathroom door, only to find Sylvie standing right outside. It nearly gave her a heart attack.
“Sorry, but I’ll be staying close to you from now on,” Sylvie said.
Even when I go to the bathroom?‘ Audrey thought, her mouth twitching slightly. She checked the time. It was already eight o’clock, and Yann was still home. “Aren’t you going to work today?”
“I will go.” Yann wrapped his arms around her. “Just rest well at home.”
Chapter 297
Audrey pulled him aside. “There’s a problem at Lunesse that i need to handle
Yann was about to object when Audrey patted his hand. She continued. “You arranged bodyguards and Dr Marchand for me, rahat ya pet g studio to reassure everyone. Joseph from operations will handle the actual work.
“Lunesse’s face cream production line is already in preparation. We can’t have negative press right now, and I can’t just sit at home rang nontame i months. Not only would the startup fall apart, but I’d go crazy too.”
Under Yann’s intense, dark gaze, Audrey repeatedly promised she’d take care of herself before finally getting his nod of approval.
“I’m your husband, not some decoration. If you need me to do anything, just say it,” Yann said firmly.
“I know. You’re the best.” Audrey quickly pecked his chin.
Only then did Yann’s eyes soften. He instructed Hugo to keep Audrey safe and reminded her to eat on time. He fussed over her like a wormed mother with endless reminders until Audrey finally shooed him out the door.
After Yann and Quentin left, Audrey headed out with Hugo and Sylvie.
At the Lunessé studio, everyone was cursing Ruby for being a piece of work. She had called in sick a few days ago, asking for two days off, but it turned out she’d gone to a cosmetic surgery clinic instead.
When everyone saw Audrey walk in, they all stood up. “Ms. Henderson, Ruby is such an ungrateful snake.”
“She wouldn’t dare do this on her own.” Audrey sat down in the main chair. “Check her purchase records.”
When Ruby was filming the promotional video, she did get face masks from the company. At the time, they needed user feedback, so many people at the company took some.
There were records of this. Every box of masks had a tracking number.
Ruby took three boxes with three masks each, using one per week for about two months. The timeline checked out perfectly.
At a dermatology clinic, the doctor changed Ruby’s medication and warned her to watch her diet, otherwise she’d get permanent pigmentation.
Ruby looked at the woman by the window and said angrily, “You told me my face was just having an allergic reaction. Why is it this serious now?”
Jocelyn turned around and slowly walked over to her, looking down at Ruby’s face. ‘If it’s not serious, how can I destroy Lunessé?‘ she thought. Ever since Talia was sent to prison, she’d been looking for ways to get back at Audrey.
StellarCore Tech had completely pulled out of the smart device industry and was now barely surviving on small mobile games.
Stride Commerce had Paul running things, and with the Gibson family and Baldwin Biotechnology backing him, they had real power. Even if she found an opportunity to strike, she couldn’t target Audrey precisely.
Then, by pure chance, one of Jocelyn’s friends mentioned Ruby, saying she’d become famous from a short commercial series.
It was for Lunessé face masks, which people in Jocelyn’s circle were also using.
This face mask brand had come out of nowhere and quickly captured the mid–range market with prices ordinary people could afford.
Jocelyn had originally wanted to partner with them to find new opportunities for her company with Talia. Having money in hand would help Talia live more comfortably inside.
But when Jocelyn looked into it, she discovered that Lunesse was backed by StrideVestment, and StrideVestment belonged to Audrey. So what started as potential cooperation turned into a business war.
08:41 Mon, 16 Jun
Chapter 297
“As long as you cooperate nicely, after we bring down Limessé, I’ll send you to Kavantia for cosmetic surgery. You know their techniques there,” Jocelyn sneered.
Ruby gritted her teeth in frustration.
Jocelyn tossed her a piece of paper with talking points on how to trash Lunesse’s face masks, along with a check for 150 thousand dollars,
Ruby’s eyes lit up. She reached for it, but Jocelyn pulled her hand back. “You better act well. If you screw this up, you’ll have to pay back double everything you’ve already taken from me.”
The cold ruthlessness in Jocelyn’s eyes made Ruby shiver.
After leaving the consultation room, Jocelyn walked over to her assistant, who was waiting outside. “Have you extracted all the ingredients from Lunesse’s face masks? I want to make an identical product in the shortest time possible.
“With Lunesse facing this PR crisis, it’s the perfect time for us to grab market share.”
