Laila was angry, but her anger wasn't solely because she had been labeled as "Lesbian." At this time, perhaps being homosexual was still groundbreaking news, but she knew it wouldn't have much impact in a few years. She could easily set this aside, not respond, not pay attention, as if nothing had happened, and wait for the situation to cool down on its own.
However, who owned the New York Post? Murdoch!
What was the relationship between Murdoch and her family's patriarch? Arch-enemies!
In general, any media could dig up such things, but it was highly unlikely that Murdoch's media outlets would publish it.
The reason was simple: Murdoch was a media tycoon, and she was a media giant too. He had FOX under him, and she had NBC under her. He had the New York Post, and she had Entertainer... In short, the two sides were evenly matched in terms of power.
Laila's presence had significantly strengthened the Moran Group's position, steadily increasing both television ratings and newspaper market share.
Although this indirectly squeezed Murdoch's living space, it was unlikely that the two would tear each other apart over this matter.
Now, the New York Post was directly lashing out at the Moran family's sole heir in the public eye. In other words, this was essentially a challenge from the Murdoch Group to the Moran Group. Even if Moran Senior didn't care about Laila's career, he had to step in now. Otherwise, it would have a terrible impact on the group's reputation.
People like Murdoch definitely had skeletons in their closets. Once the Moran Group's media outlets went after him, Murdoch would undoubtedly be the first to suffer.
So, Laila felt that someone as smart as him wouldn't do something so foolish. It was highly likely that it was a report made without his knowledge. So she instructed her lawyer to send a cease-and-desist letter and demand an apology. If the other party refused, she could then conclude that Murdoch tacitly approved it from behind, and the war between the two families could officially begin!
Walton, the lawyer, acted very quickly. Upon receiving the notification from his boss, he immediately sent the cease-and-desist letter to the New York Post.
However, the New York Post, upon receiving the cease-and-desist letter, simply ignored it. Apologize? What a joke! Do you know how many copies of the newspaper were sold today?
Reporters were not afraid of being sued. Just as in the past, scholars would intentionally provoke the imperial court for a chance at fame; today's reporters were no different. The more you sued them, the more it suggested your guilt, and it provided them with more opportunities for publicity. They would love nothing more than to rush in front of Laila and shout, "Hit me, sue me."
Even if they were genuinely convicted, what did it matter? Their fame would skyrocket, and they would become the envy of other reporters, making a significant mark in history. When they mentioned the incident of "Laila being a Lesbian" in the future, they would also mention the names of the reporters and the New York Post. With these benefits, why wouldn't reporters eagerly throw themselves into the fray?
The editor-in-chief of the New York Post, upon seeing the sales statistics, smiled so much that his eyes narrowed to slits. Originally, he had been worried that this news might be a mistake, but seeing the sales figures, he had no more concerns. Even if it was the granddaughter of the Moran family, so what? They had presented their case with reason and evidence. Why would they be afraid of a silly cease-and-desist letter?
They could receive eighty or a hundred of those things in a year. Each time, it was all talk and no action. At most, they would issue a quiet apology in an inconspicuous corner. How many newspaper readers paid attention to such things? As long as they captured the news that needed to be exposed, they were fine.
The editor-in-chief was smugly calculating his year-end bonus when a phone that rarely rang suddenly rang.
"It's here!" He rejoiced inwardly, knowing that it was the boss's direct line, and if he was calling at this time, it must be to praise him, right?
"BOSS..."
Before he could say anything, Murdoch's angry voice roared from the other end, "What the hell are you doing? Who allowed you to publish that kind of thing?"
"Huh?" The editor-in-chief was stunned. "Which thing are you talking about?"
"What else could it be? The Moran family's granddaughter's affair. Who let you publish it without proper investigation?" Murdoch's face was turning purple from anger. He had only learned about the incident after receiving a sarcastic call from Oswald Moran. How could there be someone so foolish among his subordinates?
The editor-in-chief swallowed hard. "Boss, the sales..."
"Don't talk to me about sales! Tomorrow, you'll print a front-page apology statement. If I don't see it there, you can pack your things and leave!"
"Click..." Hearing the busy tone from the other end, the editor-in-chief slumped in his chair, unable to get up for a long time.
He didn't know that Murdoch, who had hung up the phone, was equally infuriated. A big boss like him certainly wouldn't care about what the front-page headline of a newspaper would be, or he would have been exhausted by now.
But then he received a call from Oswald Moran early in the morning, almost getting scolded to death. It was only then that he found out what had happened. How could there be someone so foolish on his team?
He had the strong urge to strangle the editor-in-chief when he realized what had happened. It wouldn't have mattered if the editor-in-chief were gay; why did he have to concoct a story about the Moran family's heir?
The Moran family controlled so many media outlets. What if they decided to expose some of his unsavory secrets in return? Even if they didn't know anything, having rumors and gossip constantly swirling around him would be nauseating!
So, he immediately called the editor-in-chief to demand an apology and clean up the mess. If he weren't so far away, he would have personally gone to give him a sound beating.
With the backing of the big boss, the editor-in-chief naturally didn't dare to delay. The next day, he promptly issued an "apology" on the front page, expressing regret for their hasty publication without proper investigation.
When Laila saw the apology statement, she knew that this matter had nothing to do with their big boss, Murdoch. This realization relieved her. Engaging in a media war was both troublesome and costly. If she could avoid it, she would.
However, even though the New York Post had apologized, it didn't mean that readers would forget their words. Blame it on their "evidence" being so deceiving that the public seemed to genuinely believe their side of the story.
On this point, Laila was well aware that a simple apology wouldn't resolve the lingering doubts. But how could she prove that she wasn't a lace edge? Should she go on a television show with a man to prove her heterosexuality? Apart from the issue of whether such explicit content could be aired, she couldn't do such a thing!
"Laila, Laila?" Louise's voice broke through Laila's thoughts, bringing her back from her reverie.
"Sorry, I got lost in thought," Laila apologized. "Where were we?"
A/N: Guess how Laila can resolve this issue? Hint: Laila never does anything with only one benefit in mind. How can she make a significant profit while resolving the situation?