Infatuated with my Ex-wife novel Chapter 69

"Arrange a press conference for me immediately. I need to clarify my relationship with Celine to the media," Edward ordered his secretary as he drove away from Celine's house. Time was short.

"Understood, Mr. Wilson. I'll see to it," Lily replied formally.

She hoped that Edward could quickly sever his ties with Celine, for she hated her too.

"I've summoned all here today for an important announcement with hopes that such scandalous articles may not be written about me in the future. Please refrain from making my wife jealous," Edward announced formally.

...

The reporters attending the press conference this time was no longer the previous batch of arrogant spies. They were all ordinary journalists.

"Mr. Wilson, this announcement must be important since you are holding this press conference in person. We are quite intrigued by it. What is it about?" asked a reporter seriously, microphone in his hand.

They were all very interested in what the cold and stoic president had to announce.

It was usually quite difficult for them to get a chance to interview Edward, yet here he was, taking the initiative to host a press conference. They were all amazed, even if the previous one was filled with hostility.

Most importantly, there was no trace of the trouble-seeking reporters from before. They weren't allowed to attend, and things were looking quite bleak for them.

It was an unspoken rule of thumb that as a lowly reporter, the last thing you'd wanted to do was offend the rich! Moreover, those reporters were deliberately making things difficult for him.

It was reasonable for Edward to pull some strings and teach them a lesson.

The reporters in attendance this time knew they had to pay attention to Edward's mood, lest they lose their jobs.

"Listen carefully, my relationship with Celine is not special or romantic in any form. We used to be childhood friends, but that's off the table after the recent ordeal!" Edward said with finality.

With the previous incident fresh in their minds and Edward's stern demeanour, nobody dared to bring up controversial questions.

"I see, Mr. Wilson. You must really love your wife, don't you?" asked another reporter, a bigger microphone in his hand.

"Precisely, I love her with all my heart. A person who manipulates the situation cannot call themselves a friend of mine. I believe everyone is aware of the recent events, yes?" Edward asked coldly.

Even though Edward didn't name the person he was referring to, everyone knew who he meant.

"Mr. Wilson, I have a few questions that may upset you. Will you be willing to answer them?" a young female reporter asked politely.

Edward appreciated her courage as a passionate journalist and wouldn't blame her for asking.

"Mr. Wilson, you must be referring to Miss Celine, the female star who has recently made the headlines. Since both of you were just friends, may we know why she was wearing your coat and hugging you tightly?"

The moment those words left her lips, nobody dared to speak. The other reporters looked at her with amazement, admiring her tactful questions.

She displayed the basic qualities that was required of a reporter. The other reporters took pride in her conduct, because people in their line of work were generally known to be rude and intrusive.

"That is a good question indeed. Celine had once attempted suicide and was rushed to the hospital. We were still friends at that time, so I spent some time looking after her before she was discharged," Edward answered patiently.

He could see some of Irene's fearless passion in this young reporter.

"That's why you'll see me giving Celine a glass of water to drink. However, the angles of the photos made it seem more intimate than it really was. I believe everyone is aware of the trick angles used to film kissing scenes in movies?"

It was a reasonable explanation indeed.

It was true that actors would sometimes use trick angles to make the kiss look real when their lips never actually met.

"As for the other photo, this happened when I sent her home after her discharge. I lent her my coat because she felt a little chilly, and I'm sure nobody here wants her to fall sick too."

"I see. Yes, that is what anyone would've done in that situation. It seems like we've all misunderstood you, Mr. Wilson," one of the reporters exclaimed.

After all, rich people were known to be fickle and toxic. It was rare to see such a rich and handsome person who cared so much about the feelings of his lover and his friends.

"So that's what really happened. Mr. Wilson, you're such an honest and righteous person!" cried out some of the reporters with great enthusiasm.

"Yes, I'd like to thank everyone for understanding. She was very emotional when we arrived at her apartment, and she hugged me suddenly. I was quite stunned, but I pushed her away immediately. Unfortunately, that scene was photographed by people with ulterior motives."

Edward finally clarified the contents of those photos.

He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but he still needed to explain the situation to Irene in person later.

"In that case, why did you cut ties with Miss Celine? We heard you were both childhood friends who grew up together for many years," asked another dedicated reporter.

...

Everyone was curious about the authenticity of those words. After all, a person who held great importance to relationships would not give up a friendship so easily.

"The reason for that was because Celine hired someone to take those photos secretly, so that she would once again be on the headlines. However, this concerns my own reputation and my wife's feelings. The company's stock value would also depreciate."

Nobody would continue to be friends with such a selfish individual. In this short period of time, some of the reporters had begun to regard Edward as their role model.

It was said that Edward was not only good-looking, he was also virtuous. Those rumours turned out to be true.

Edward had already investigated the source of those photos and found that the photographer was in contact with Celine. With such blatant proof in his face, it was obvious she was behind it.

Some celebrities used this sort of limelight to gain their popularity, so Edward assumed that she was the only one behind these photos. He didn't think too much about it. In fact, both Eric and Celine had worked together to form such a heinous scheme.

"I believe we are all aware of the high competition in the entertainment industry, yes? Celine tried to increase her popularity by refusing to clarify the situation and choosing to say something that provoked people's assumptions."

The reporters looked at each other in dismay as they listened.

Of course, they knew how competitive the entertainment industry was, and they finally saw that they had been deceived by Celine. Some reporters thought she really believed in love, but she had ulterior motives all along.

"I see. Mr. Wilson, does your wife still misunderstand the situation?" asked a reporter concernedly. A great person like Edward was hard to come by, so they admired him even more.

"If even you reporters can misunderstand me, my wife would also be bound to jump to such conclusions. It stands true that she would only be affected by such news if she had feelings for me."

"With this, I hope this interview has cleared up any assumptions about me."

Edward's words were sincere. He really wanted to return to Irene's side, but he first needed to settle things properly to uphold his oath.