Chapter 35 - The Press Conference
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The announcement of the Denver affordable housing partnership drew significantly more media attention than Charlotte had initially anticipated. The financial press was obsessed with the narrative: the betrayed, triumphant ex-wife entering into a multi-million-dollar joint venture with her disgraced ex-husband.
Charlotte decided to tackle the spectacle head-on. She organized a formal press conference in the main ballroom of the Monarch Grand, standing at a sleek podium flanked by Ethan and the Denver city officials.
The room was packed with flashing cameras and eager journalists hungry for drama.
"Ms. Bennett!" a reporter from a major financial network shouted, raising his hand aggressively. "You famously ousted the Bennett family from this corporation after uncovering massive fraud. Why on earth would you choose to partner with Ryan Bennett now? Is this a sign of personal reconciliation?"
Charlotte did not flinch. She leaned into the microphone, her expression projecting absolute, unshakeable authority.
"This partnership has absolutely nothing to do with personal reconciliation or family drama," Charlotte stated, her voice echoing clearly across the ballroom. "Bennett Global is a data-driven, ethically bound corporation. We partnered with the Denver firm because they presented a flawless, highly compliant, and profoundly necessary proposal for urban housing stabilization."
Another reporter immediately jumped in. "But surely, the optics of working with your ex-husband—"
"The only optics I care about are the three hundred working-class families who will have a safe, affordable place to live next year," Charlotte interrupted smoothly, completely dominating the room. "Ryan Bennett is the lead developer on this project, and he has explicitly agreed to the strictest financial oversight and compliance audits in the history of this company. We are entirely focused on the future, not the tabloids. Next question."
She answered questions for another twenty minutes, masterfully pivoting every attempt to sensationalize her personal life back to the concrete, positive impact of the Denver initiative.
When the press conference finally concluded, Ethan walked beside her as they headed back to the private elevators.
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"You completely neutralized them," Ethan chuckled, shaking his head in admiration. "They wanted a soap opera, and you gave them a masterclass in corporate governance."
"They can write whatever they want," Charlotte said, pressing the elevator button. "The truth is in the work. Let them watch us build."
