Chapter 249
She called Gianna and said coldly, "I'll clear Felix's name and even smear Thomas, but I have one condition!"
Three days later, at the Clinton Group's press conference, Thomas sat at the head table, fielding questions from reporters.
Felix's alleged harassment of Ivy and Thomas's claim that Felix's parents killed his own had tanked the Clinton Group's stock. Shareholders decided to hold a press conference to distance Felix from the company.
Thomas was eager to tarnish Felix further and agreed.
"Thomas, what's your take on Felix, the former president, harassing a client?"
Looking pained, Thomas replied, "Felix's actions have hurt our company's image. We at the Clinton Group strongly condemn such behavior. Personally, as his cousin, I deeply regret Miss Foster's ordeal. I apologize to her on behalf of the Clinton family. I hope Felix corrects his mistakes soon."
Another reporter jumped in, "Didn't you say Felix's parents killed yours? Why apologize for him?"
Thomas paused, then said sincerely, "This has nothing to do with Felix. As long as he doesn't cover for his parents, he's still my cousin."
"Mr. Clinton, Miss Foster is now with Mr. Astor and pregnant. What are your thoughts on this?"
Thomas calmly replied, "That's a matter of her personal life. It doesn't excuse Felix's actions. What's wrong is wrong. We should focus on the issue at hand and not bring in unrelated matters. That would be unfair to Miss Foster."
The room buzzed, and reporters admired Thomas's integrity.
They asked more questions, and Thomas answered smoothly. The press felt confident in his leadership of the Clinton Group.
The live-streamed press conference drew praise online.
[Thomas has overall consciousness. Felix should go to jail for harassing women!]
[Felix hasn't apologized to Ivy. Thomas did it for him. No need to talk about Felix!]
[I thought Felix was a great entrepreneur, but he's just a scumbag. Men are all the same!]
[Hey, don't lump all men together. That's not fair.]
Thomas watched the live comments, smiling as Felix's reputation crumbled. People would remember Felix as a scumbag, not the former president.
As the press conference came to an end, Thomas stood to make his final remarks.
"Felix has made a mistake, but let's give him a chance to make amends. Everyone makes mistakes. I'll seek Miss Foster's forgiveness and ensure any necessary compensation. Thank you..." Thomas said.
Before he could finish, the door burst open, and a slender woman in a white dress walked in.
"Thomas, stop lying!"
As soon as she spoke, all the reporters turned their heads.
Seeing Ivy, who was involved in both the harassment and scandal, they got excited, their eyes full of curiosity.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and told his secretary, Jason, "Get her out of here."
Jason nodded and left. Thomas then looked at Ivy. "Miss Foster, shouldn't you be resting at home? Why are you here?"
Ivy sneered, eyes blazing, "Thomas, drop the act. You asked me to set up..."
Before she could finish, the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.
"What happened? Why was the power cut off?"
"Hurry up, use your phone lights!"
"Where's Ivy? She disappeared! I was waiting for her to speak!"
Chaos erupted, and it took ten minutes for the lights to come back on. By then, Ivy was gone.
Thomas smiled and reassured everyone, "Stay calm. We've fixed the power. A staff member accidentally pulled the switch. Hmm, where is Miss Foster?"
Reporters looked at Thomas, and one asked, "Mr. Clinton, Ivy said you approached her. What deal did you make?"
"Did you scheme the whole thing about Felix harassing Ivy?"
"There are doubts. Why did Ivy report it, but no evidence was found against Felix? How do you explain that, Mr. Clinton?"
Thomas's smile faded as he faced the barrage of questions. "Why would I scheme against my cousin? If this had happened before he stepped down as president, you might suspect. But I'm already the president. What would I gain from scheming him?"
Seeing no one speak, he smiled again, "I believe you're all smart enough that you won't do anything that doesn't benefit you, right?"
The reporters fell silent, then a light laugh came from the corner. "Thomas, is threatening people the only trick you know?"
Thomas's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the corner where a woman dressed as a reporter stood, his face darkening.
'What is Jason doing?' he wondered. 'Why is Ivy also still here?'
Ivy smiled and stood up, looking directly at Thomas, "Surprised I'm still here and not locked up by your secretary Jason?"
Thomas forced a smile, eyes cold, "Miss Foster, is there a misunderstanding? I have dealings with your father. If there's any issue, we can resolve it privately."
Ivy sneered, ignoring his threat.
"Thomas, do I misunderstand that you asked me to scheme Felix, or that you want to lock me up with my uncle and aunt for life?"
Reporters' eyes widened with excitement.
"What did I just hear?"
"Felix was schemed!"
"Thomas pretends to be righteous but stabbed Felix in the back. What a hypocrite!"
"Understandable. Only someone abnormal would befriend the son of his parents' killers!"
Thomas's face darkened as he coldly looked at Ivy, "Miss Foster, be responsible for your words. Don't talk nonsense! What benefit would I gain from scheming Felix?"
Ivy stared at him and said slowly, "You'd benefit by defeating Felix in the next Clinton Group presidential election!"
