Chapter 195
"Regarding my father Brian's whereabouts, I'm sorry, but I don't know either. He left temporarily for personal reasons. As for what those reasons are, that involves family privacy, so I'd rather not say more. As for me taking over the Johnson Group, it has nothing to do with whether my father is present or not. The Johnson Group was founded by my mother. As her daughter, it's both my responsibility and duty to keep the Johnson Group going."
Emily's answer was neither humble nor arrogant. She didn't avoid the question, but she didn't reveal any key information either.
The reporter was clearly unsatisfied and pressed on with another question.
"What about your mother then? Why have we never heard you mention her?"
Emily's eyes darkened. She knew he was deliberately trying to stir up trouble.
"Regarding my mother, due to her personal wishes, I'd rather not say more. Besides, today is a press conference about me taking over the Johnson Group, not a personal discussion about my mother."
The reporter was stunned. He hadn't expected Emily to refuse so directly in front of everyone.
He opened his mouth, wanting to ask more, but Emily had already raised her hand to indicate the next reporter.
"Next."
The second reporter stood up with an even sharper question.
"Ms. Johnson, what is your relationship with William Brown? There are rumors that you're relying on the Brown family's influence to take over the Johnson Group. How do you respond to that?"
Emily smiled calmly, her tone steady.
"William and I are engaged. We've never hidden that. As for your claim that I'm relying on the Brown family's influence to take over the Johnson Group, what I want to say is that the Johnson Group is my mother's life's work. I have the ability and confidence to do it well. William has indeed given me a lot of support and encouragement, but the final decision to take over the Johnson Group was my personal choice. I don't need to rely on anyone to make the Johnson Group succeed."
As her words fell, a third reporter stood up with an even trickier question.
"Ms. Johnson, I heard you have a sister. Why didn't she attend today's press conference? Is your relationship as sisters harmonious?"
Hearing this, a flash of coldness passed through Emily's eyes, though her smile remained graceful.
"I do have a half-sister."
She deliberately emphasized this point, letting everyone understand certain implications.
"She and I have our own separate lives. We don't need to be connected in everything. Today is a press conference about me taking over the Johnson Group. There's no need for her to attend. As for our relationship, that's our private matter and not appropriate to discuss here."
The reporters' questions came one after another, each one targeting Emily's privacy and background.
They all thought Emily wouldn't be able to handle it, since these questions were really too tricky.
Anyone else would probably have gotten angry or lost their temper on the spot.
But Emily remained calm and composed throughout, answering each question openly and honestly, not hiding anything, yet not revealing any key information either.
After several rounds, the reporters who had been bought off by Sophia looked at each other, realizing they couldn't get anywhere with Emily.
This woman was much harder to deal with than they'd thought.
Meanwhile, in the Brown Group CEO's office.
William was handling documents, but the computer screen in front of him was still streaming the press conference live.
He'd originally just wanted to glance at it occasionally to check on Emily's condition, but once he started watching, he couldn't look away.
On the screen, Emily faced the reporters' difficult questions with constant grace and composure, answering each question perfectly.
Her eyes were determined, her voice steady, and she radiated a light that couldn't be ignored.
William had seen Emily in many ways, but he'd never seen her like this.
Today she was confident, strong, and fearless.
Just standing there openly was enough to capture everyone's attention.
But as the reporters' questions became increasingly tricky, William's expression darkened.
Someone must be arranging this behind the scenes, otherwise these people would know better.
[Do you need my help?]
He picked up his phone and sent Emily a message.
At the press conference, Emily took advantage of a break to call him back.
"Are you watching my live stream?"
Her tone carried some amusement, but also a hint of barely noticeable fatigue.
"Yes."
William admitted it readily, then asked again.
"Do you need my help?"
"No."
Emily refused directly, her expression calm.
"I can handle these things myself. I don't need you to step in. If there's really something I need you for, I certainly won't be shy about it."
William wasn't annoyed by Emily's refusal. Instead, he chuckled and agreed.
"Alright, if you need my help with anything, just let me know anytime."
Since he'd already chosen to trust Emily and give her control, he certainly wouldn't say anything questioning at this point.
Morale was important!
After chatting briefly, seeing that time was almost up, Emily said goodbye and hung up.
Back at the press conference, facing everyone's difficult questions, Emily remained composed.
At the venue, those reporters continued to look for tricky questions to make things difficult for Emily.
But after going around in circles, Emily wasn't afraid of their questions at all. With no other choice, they could only sit down resentfully.
Emily scanned the room, and seeing no one else wanted to ask questions, she stood up.
"Since everyone has no other questions, I formally announce that starting today, I will fully take over the Johnson Group. The Johnson Group will undergo internal restructuring, clean up bad practices, and re-plan our development strategy. I believe the Johnson Group's tomorrow will be better."
After speaking, she bowed slightly to the audience and turned to leave.
Scattered applause rang out, but Emily didn't care at all.
She knew very well this was just the beginning.
The battles waiting for her were still ahead.
And she should also investigate who exactly sent these reporters.
Maybe through this opportunity, she could draw the snake out of its hole.
Some people were like grasshoppers after autumn—they couldn't jump high, but their very existence was annoying.
Emily had never been soft-hearted.
She knew very well that given Brian and Sophia's ruthlessness, if they caught a chance to retaliate against her, who knew what they might do.
More importantly, they might very well target the children.
By then, Emily might not be able to guard against it.
Even for the children's sake, she had to plan ahead.
Besides, all the hardships she and Amelia had suffered over the years, all the wrongs they'd endured—it was time to settle those accounts one by one.
A dark gleam flashed in Emily's eyes as she calmly left the stage.