After Caleb left, Victoria returned to her room. The more she thought about the recent terrible events, the angrier she became. If Isabella had helped the Mitchell family through their difficulties earlier, she wouldn’t have been abandoned by Caleb.
She gritted her teeth, blaming Isabella for everything. If she was going to lose everything, she would make sure Isabella wouldn’t have it easy either!
That night, Victoria picked up her phone and called an entertainment news company, reporting that Isabella had a child out of wedlock.
The next day, Isabella’s scandal hit the trending topics, and she had to stop working.
In the Turner family group office.
“Ryan, contact all the major media outlets in New York and hold a press conference in the company’s name. Explain the situation thoroughly with the media outlets friendly to us, and try to steer the public opinion in our favor,” Andrew instructed.
Ryan understood Andrew’s intention immediately. He planned to publicly clarify Asher’s parentage.
Hesitant, Ryan couldn’t help but object.
“Boss, are you sure about this? The simplest way to resolve this is for Isabella to leave the entertainment industry. If she’s not a public figure, who would care if your child is legitimate or not? If you clarify the situation now, it will only make things more complicated. You have a military rank; having a child out of wedlock is a big taboo. Do you want to risk your future?”
Andrew looked at Ryan with a deep gaze, his tone casual yet very serious. “Is my future more important, or Isabella’s reputation and Asher’s future? As a husband and father, if I don’t step up, Asher will be labeled a bastard for life.”
“But…” Ryan wanted to argue but was interrupted by Andrew.
Andrew patted his shoulder with a warm smile and said, “Ryan, you’ll understand a man’s responsibility to his family once you get married and have children. If I can’t protect my wife and child, my life would be meaningless.”
After saying that, he extinguished his cigarette and walked out with long strides.
Two days later, the Turner family conglomerate held a public press conference.
At the press conference, almost all the media in New York attended.
The usually low-profile CEO of the Turner family group made his first public appearance. However, since Andrew was not a public figure, the press conference allowed interviews but no photos.
Isabella and Asher did not attend; their manager, Olivia, represented them. Olivia was much more experienced in handling such situations than Isabella.
At the press conference, journalists bombarded them with questions, but the order was well-maintained, preventing any chaos.
Andrew stood on stage in a perfectly tailored pure black suit, looking tall, handsome, and impressive.
His appearance caused quite a stir, with some reporters whispering among themselves, “Is this Andrew Turner? He’s such a hunk, incredibly handsome…”
“Handsome and wealthy, no wonder he’s so low-key. If he were more flamboyant, those top actresses would be all over him.”
As Andrew stood in front of the microphone, the whispers stopped immediately. The room fell silent, everyone waiting for him to speak.
Andrew’s speech was simple and orderly, presenting the facts.
Of course, their one-night stand and Isabella ‘keeping’ him couldn’t be mentioned. Officially, they were described as falling in love, having a child, and because Isabella was still young, they got engaged first. After having the child and Isabella turned twenty, they registered their marriage.
This explanation was impeccable. Although it was a case of putting the cart before the horse, in today’s open society, it wasn’t unusual. Many wedding clients each year are already pregnant when they walk down the aisle.
The only issue with Andrew and Isabella’s situation was that Isabella was quite young when she got pregnant. However, she was over eighteen, not a minor.
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls at the obstetrics and gynecology department for abortions. Andrew didn’t make Isabella get an abortion; instead, he took on the responsibility a man should, making his image significantly more respectable in the eyes of the public.
Next, it was time for questions.
Since Ryan had arranged everything in advance, the reporters didn’t ask any tricky questions, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Someone inquired why Isabella didn’t attend the press conference. Olivia playfully replied, “The purpose of this press conference is to clarify the issue of the illegitimate child. The company will pursue legal action against those who maliciously slander Miss Isabella. If our journalist friends want to see Mr. Andrew and his beloved wife, Miss Isabella, we will arrange for an interview next time as deemed appropriate by the agency.”
Then, another reporter asked Andrew, “As we all know, the work of an actor is very demanding. With Miss Isabella being busy with her career, it’s hard for her to take care of the family and the child. Mr. Andrew, do you think Miss Isabella is a qualified wife?”
Andrew smiled faintly and replied, “As long as she keeps her family and loved ones in her heart, she is a qualified wife in my eyes.”
“Mr. Andrew, how do you evaluate your wife? Do you think she is perfect?” another reporter pursued.
“There is no perfect person in this world. Isabella is a very simple woman, pure and kind-hearted. Living with her makes me feel relaxed and happy.” Andrew’s response was indeed flawless.
The press conference quickly approached its end. Andrew, being busy, left early.
Ryan instructed the PR team to accompany Olivia in entertaining the journalists, and each journalist received a small gift upon leaving.
Although it was a small gift, the Turner family conglomerate is never short on money, so the gifts were naturally of significant value.
Victoria mingled with the crowd of reporters, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, with a press badge hanging around her neck, so no one recognized her. When leaving, the staff warmly handed her a gift.
She accepted it expressionlessly and opened it after leaving the press conference site, finding a beautiful platinum necklace inside, worth at least ten thousand dollars.
Victoria sneered; Andrew was indeed generous.
After the press conference, the journalists left. To avoid being recognized, Victoria quickly walked into the underground parking lot.
Once she got into her car, she didn’t immediately start the engine. Instead, she gripped the steering wheel tightly, her face turning green with anger.
She never expected that the child Isabella had was Andrew’s biological son, no wonder she was so confident!
Emily, that fool, had intended to set up Isabella, but ended up pushing her into Andrew’s bed. Now that Isabella had climbed up the social ladder, they couldn’t afford to offend her.
Victoria barely suppressed her anger, picked up her phone, and dialed Caleb’s number. However, the call went unanswered.