The situation was now under control.
What should never have happened in the first place had been resolved, and things were back on track; however, things weren't quite the same anymore.
Someone at the level of Michael Lynton would typically never get involved in such minor matters. As the CEO of a top-tier company, he simply had no need to.
But this time, things were a bit different.
Edgar remarked, "I think, at the latest by tomorrow, he'll come to the hospital to visit."
And he would notify the press too, ensuring a grand spectacle when it happened.
Eve thought it over and agreed.
"Act innocent. Act like the victim. Pretend nothing ever happened. Claim that all the misunderstandings were just communication errors by the team and rumors stirred up by the tabloids. Can you believe it? TMZ will be part of the narrative."
This is what they do best.
Eve turned to Anson, "So, are you ready for this?"
Anson was completely serious, "Honestly, I never expected to have the chance to go head-to-head with the CEO of Sony-Columbia, but I'm ready. I'll prove that I'm a professional."
After all, as the saying goes: life is a stage, and it all depends on how well you act. It's a timeless truth.
And in this case, it really was true—
The next morning, Michael Lynton arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital, surrounded by a sea of flashing lights, almost like a megastar—think Michael Jackson—visiting sick children. It was a media frenzy.
Unfortunately for the press, they weren't allowed inside the hospital room.
Otherwise, they would've witnessed a classic scene—
Someone else had beaten Michael to the punch.
Amy Pascal.
"Hey, good morning, Michael," Amy greeted him with a bright smile.
Michael's face remained unchanged, but his body stiffened slightly—caught off guard by Amy's unexpected appearance.
Clearly, Amy wasn't going to sit by and do nothing. She was also seizing the opportunity.
From a purely objective standpoint, Anson, as an actor, didn't yet have the clout to influence the overall direction of Sony-Columbia. He was still a pawn, a small fish.
Yet, the reality seemed a little different.
Silently, Anson was becoming a crucial piece in this power struggle.
The facts were in plain sight—Anson had survived the crisis and forced Michael to comply—
The Sony-Columbia board wasted no time pinning the blame on Michael. They confidently claimed, "Anson was fine, why replace him?" "Was it a brain-dead idea to go after Anson?" "You were too aggressive and didn't think things through."
Everyone was eager to shift responsibility, making it clear that the entire mess was Michael's doing.
Now, the board seemed to be Anson's biggest supporters.
Whether in terms of controlling the media narrative or maintaining internal stability, Michael had to make a hospital visit today.
And Amy, of course, wouldn't miss out.
Michael, Amy, and Anson engaged in what could be called a "pleasant" conversation.
In reality, Anson was the only one truly enjoying it. He sat back, watching the drama unfold like a spectator, as Michael and Amy traded subtle blows.
During their short fifteen-minute interaction, the tension never let up.
Originally, Anson was supposed to be the main character, playing the innocent victim. Instead, the story took a slight detour, and he became the supporting role. Michael and Amy only had eyes for each other, leaving Anson to relax.
He was just there to watch the show.
Then Lucas, playing the bad guy, interrupted the conversation, politely asking Michael and Amy to leave, as Anson needed to prepare for rehab.
Both CEOs complied, smiling as they left.
The reporters waiting outside the hospital were in for a surprise. Not only did they get to see Michael enter the hospital, but when he left, Amy was with him—a bonus scoop! The flashes from the cameras were like a tidal wave.
In front of the media, Michael and Amy were more restrained and cautious.
Both expressed that the "Spider-Man 2" production team was eagerly waiting for Anson, confirming that he was the one and only Peter Parker. So far, Anson's recovery was going well, and they believed he'd be back on set soon.
In short, Sony-Columbia fully supported Anson.
This battle was a huge win for Amy, and Michael had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.
After the chaos and excitement, things finally began to settle down, and Anson's life returned to normal. The world finally quieted.
Edgar had been worried that the paparazzi might keep harassing Anson since he hadn't made any public appearances or given any direct responses—even his condition had not been officially addressed.
There was still plenty of public interest here.
Why would the paparazzi give up?
Surprisingly, though, the paparazzi's usual enthusiasm seemed to wane, partly due to TMZ and Harry Percy's incident.
There were still some paparazzi trying to sneak into Mount Sinai Hospital to get photos, but Lucas's security team was always one step ahead, catching them every time.
One paparazzo almost fell from a tree outside the hospital, which could've resulted in serious injury, but the security team saved him just in time.
Another paparazzo broke a bone and ended up in the hospital, where he ran into Anson in the physical therapy room. Unfortunately for him, he was caught before he could snap a picture.
One particularly patient paparazzo camped out in the hospital cafeteria for days. He eventually managed to get a shot of Anson in the hallway heading to rehab, but it was blurry, with no clear shot of Anson's face. The photographer actually broke down in tears, and the security team comforted him.
There were no gaps in security.
Lucas's ironclad efforts even made professionals like Edgar and Eve take a step back.
On one hand, the number of paparazzi willing to risk everything for a scoop had dwindled. On the other, the airtight security left those who tried repeatedly defeated.
And that wasn't all.
Each time a paparazzo failed, Eve made sure to leak the story to TMZ.
TMZ would then publish the failed attempts, ensuring the public knew just how relentless the paparazzi were, maintaining the pressure on them, which ultimately led to diminishing returns for the photographers.
Gradually, the paparazzi gave up.
Frustrated, they began plotting to boycott Anson entirely. They figured if no one covered him anymore, his fame would fade in a matter of days, leaving him irrelevant. Then we'd see who had the last laugh.
Who knew, maybe one day Eve and Edgar would be on their knees begging the paparazzi to chase after Anson again. After all, in Hollywood, a celebrity without media attention is practically worthless.
"So, Anson, scared yet?"
To that, Anson said: "Oh yeah."
No matter what, the outcome was that Mount Sinai Hospital was finally peaceful, and Anson could focus on his rehab, following the doctor's advice.