NOVEL NEXT Chapter 454 Public Opinion Explosion
Bang bang bang!
Inside the villa, Link put down his phone, took a sip of water, and continued punching the speed bag.
While he was training, the matter Taylor and Ivanka were consulting about was also progressing in an orderly manner.
The bodyguards at the mansion had set a trap and caught a guy who had been secretly following the servants. They pried open his mouth with two thousand US dollars and learned that someone had paid them to spy for information here.
It was said that the mansion hid the children of country music star Taylor Swift, and the employer hoped they could capture photos of Taylor showing up at the mansion, preferably photos of Taylor with the kids, each worth thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
But with surveillance and armed bodyguards in the mansion, it was difficult for them to force their way in, as risking their lives or going to jail for a few thousand dollars wasn't worth it.
Taylor breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the news, but the existence of the children had already been exposed. Continuing to hide them was no longer realistic.
The PR teams began to discuss how to gradually solve the problem.
Before they fully prepared, on July 12th, the "New York Observer" published a blockbuster story on its front page: The miscarriage incident of country music queen Taylor Swift in early February was suspected to be fake. It was an event fabricated by Taylor Swift to maintain her pure and sweet idol image, and her children were fine.
The report stated that Taylor's children were being hidden in a mansion near the Great Smoky Mountains in Nashville, less than five kilometers from Elvis Presley's former residence "Graceland." The mansion, which Taylor bought at the end of last year for 2.2 million US dollars, was over two hectares in size.
Six nannies and servants were taking care of the children within the mansion, guarded by numerous bodyguards, making it inaccessible to outsiders.
The article mentioned eyewitnesses who claimed that Taylor had frequently visited Nashville in the first half of the year and even stayed in the mansion for a while.
Additionally, the report included several exterior photos of the mansion, a timetable of Taylor's travels to Nashville in the first half of the year, and notably, a photo of Taylor shopping in a Los Angeles baby products store that perfectly corroborated the veracity of the news.
The "New York Observer" is one of the industries under the Kunis Group, a weekend newspaper.
It is mainly distributed in the Manhattan area of New York, with a circulation of about 30,000 copies per issue. The newspaper primarily reports on recent political, economic, and cultural news, with an interview with a heavyweight celebrity featured in each issue. It is essential reading for socialites, the literary world, and politicians, with significant influence in the Manhattan area.
News of Taylor hiding her children, once exposed, caused a huge sensation in the United States, leading numerous major media outlets to scramble to report on it.
That very day, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox Television Network, and other major media urgently replaced their headline news to focus on this story. News websites also prominently featured the news in the most eye-catching position.
Many news websites' headlines read, "Link and Taylor's children did not die young," simple and crude, highlighted in large red letters for emphasis.
This news also topped the search lists of websites and social platforms such as Yahoo, Google, Twitter, and Facebook within an hour.
The public opinion wave came too quickly and ferociously, exceeding the expectations of Link and Taylor's side. Everyone underestimated how high the media and public's interest in this matter would be and the enormous impact of the news Link and Taylor had created jointly.
Given the current state of public opinion, unless there was a war, natural disaster, or catastrophe, no other news could affect the heat of this story.
After all the major opinions had reported on this matter, the media and the public first wanted to clarify one thing: whether the "New York Observer" report was true or false, and whether Taylor and Link's children were indeed still alive.
To this end, hundreds of media reporters surrounded the headquarters of Big Machine Records that day, demanding an interview with Taylor.
Dozens of reporters took a different approach and rushed to Lionsgate Films to block Link, trying to dig up some information from him.
Many others went to that mansion in Nashville to investigate the matter on the spot.
Both Taylor's and Link's sides temporarily remained silent, with no one coming forward to explain, and silence often speaks volumes.
That day, the mainstream American public opinion's discussion of the matter gradually shifted from speculation to confirmation.
Many media outlets revisited the news reports from February. At that time, many newscasts questioned the veracity of the incident, arguing that with Taylor's situation and conditions, the chances of an accident occurring with the children were slim.
Without solid evidence, the media dropped the discussion after a while and moved on to other targets.
Looking back now, the initial speculation was absolutely correct.
The public began to hold their breath, brewing emotions, eager to know the purpose behind Taylor's actions.
After the media and the public deemed the news confirmed, Taylor's side held a press conference in front of the Nashville branch of Big Machine Records at two o'clock the next afternoon.
Over thirty media reporters were invited. The press conference was hosted by Taylor's Executive Agent, Ms. Emily, and country music star Taylor Swift made an appearance and answered questions from the reporters.
At the press conference, Taylor personally admitted that the children were indeed still alive, very well and healthy, and that no accidents had happened. She also told reporters that they were a pair of adorable twins.
At the same time, Taylor's Facebook account also featured photos of the children—a boy and a girl, one with short black hair, and the other with two tufts of light golden hair. The little ones were chubby and rosy-cheeked, very lovely, along with several casual photos of Taylor with the children in her daily life.