Chapter 684
Divorce
In a hotel outside the Beverly Hills Business Club, Hawke stood at the highest point, watching the activity below through the bulletproof and blast-proof glass windows with Brian.
Edward, standing by another window, warned, "A convoy is coming."
Hawke and Brian saw it too.
Several black Chevrolet SUVs drove up from West Olympic Avenue and quickly approached the Beverly Business Club.
Hawke remained calm and said, "As expected, the Department of Homeland Security personnel have arrived."
News had already leaked from the White House, so Brian asked, "Is everything ready?"
Hawke stated simply, "The FBI and SWAT teams are in place, and the relevant documents from the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court have also been sent over. We have the upper hand in terms of personnel, firepower, and procedures."
Brian exclaimed, "You've done all the work ahead of time, which has drastically reduced the difficulty."
Hawke said, "Our problems have been very clear over the years. With clear goals, there will naturally be corresponding plans. We can't wait until an election year to pray to God for help."
From the very first day of its planning, the AI Manhattan Project was not merely about obtaining large federal subsidies and grants.
A massive project, like a giant aircraft carrier, requires a complete industrial chain and hundreds of suppliers.
Hawke picked up his phone, made a call, and said softly, "They've arrived."
Erica replied, "We saw it."
The convoy stopped in front of the Beverly Business Club. More than 30 agents in black got out of the cars. Amid the astonished gazes of the reporters, the two leaders quickly walked to the door, showed their credentials and paperwork, and barged into the club’s lobby.
The press conference, which had been relatively quiet, descended into complete chaos.
Twitter and Fox News simultaneously turned their live stream cameras to focus on the Department of Homeland Security team.
The head of security at the business club was greeted by these special agents.
The lead agent, Gavi, identified himself directly and announced loudly, "Regina Soster is suspected of stealing state secrets and treason..."
But before he could finish speaking, Chick, from the FBI's Los Angeles branch, strode over: "I am Chick Orvis, FBI Director, responsible for protecting Ms. Regina's safety."
“We ask for your cooperation.” Garvey’s words carried a hidden meaning: “This is an order from Washington.”
Chick did not step aside: "Regina reported the incident to both the FBI and the LAPD. She is both the complainant and an important witness. The FBI and the Department of Justice have already initiated special witness protection provisions for this case."
He pulled out one official document after another: "This was issued by the Department of Justice, this was issued by Justice Klein, this was issued by the Attorney General's Office..."
The Department of Homeland Security is not under the Department of Justice. Garvy glanced at the document and said, "Please don't make things difficult for us."
Chick and several of his subordinates stood in front of them, unmoving.
The black-clad agents behind Gavi stepped forward and stood behind their boss.
Media reporters turned their cameras in unison, and the hall was filled with the sound of camera shutters clicking and flashes going off.
Amidst the chaos, Erica in the command center gave the order: "Advance!"
A flurry of footsteps echoed along the circular corridor of the lobby building.
Four fully armed SWAT teams, equipped with automatic weapons, occupied high ground.
Although the muzzles of the automatic rifles and submachine guns in his hands were all hanging down, they could still bare their fangs at any moment.
Around the hall, FBI agents dressed in heavy bulletproof vests appeared like ghosts, subtly surrounding the Homeland Security personnel.
Most of the reporters weren't afraid at all; on the contrary, they were extremely excited. If the two sides were to fight, it would be a spectacular event in America, and the press would definitely reap a great reward!
But to their disappointment, the people at the Department of Homeland Security were not stupid at all.
Garvey looked up at the fully armed SWAT team, then glanced at the FBI agents on the first floor, whose numbers were more than five times that of his own.
Everyone likes power, but only if you're alive to enjoy it.
Garvey raised his hand to stop his subordinate from taking any rash actions and said slowly, "I will report what happened today to headquarters in Washington."
Chick said, "We will submit a report to Hoover Institution and the Department of Justice."
At that moment, the two reached a tacit understanding without words.
Higher-level matters are beyond their control; let the big shots settle things on the high end first.
When the top echelons determine the winners and losers, those below can naturally better assess the situation.
Gavi put away his identification and documents and said, "Let's go."
The Department of Homeland Security staff arrived in a hurry and left even more hastily, spending less than five minutes at the Beverly Business Club.
Once the business club doors closed, reporters swarmed around Chik, hoping to get some news out of him.
Chick said, "The main character of the press conference is about to appear. After hearing what she has to say, you will understand why all this just happened."
Ignoring the reporters' comments, he went straight backstage.
Regina entered the press room under the close protection of two security personnel and sat in front of the microphone.
The scene fell silent instantly.
Having come this far, Regina had only one option left. She calmed herself down slightly and said directly, "I'm sure you're all curious as to why I'm in Los Angeles and holding a press conference here."
Twitter and Fox News' live broadcast cameras were all focused on her.
Regina stood tall and proud: "I left Washington because I was persecuted and dared not stay there. After arriving in Los Angeles, I reported to the FBI and LAPD that while working at the White House, I was sexually assaulted and raped by my superior, the current president, Tom Emmer..."
These words were more explosive than a bomb dropped into a crowd, and the scene was like a boiling pot.
Even Lewinsky didn't make such accusations against Lewinsky back then!
Regina then recounted how she had been forced to bow down and grovel under the oppression of powerful figures over the past few years.
A spokesperson for the FBI's Los Angeles office also appeared before the media, stating that the FBI has formally accepted Regina's report, presented the evidence provided by Regina through image projection, and reported it to the Department of Justice.
The Secretary, who is also the Attorney General, has exercised his authority and formally opened an investigation.
The reporters' heads were spinning; the top echelons of American politics were just too outrageous.
The US presidential election truly lives up to its reputation as the world's biggest variety show; it's getting more and more exciting.
Twitter is broadcasting live to the world via the internet.
Netizens around the world were in an uproar. "Tom Emery has inherited the fine traditions of Kennedy, Richard Burton, and all the presidents of the United States, creating a scandal that has shocked the world."
"I strongly recommend awarding Tom Emmer the Nobel Peace Prize. People all over the world have given up war at this moment because they are watching the drama unfold."
"We have elected an outstanding president who first lied to everyone and denied the illegitimate child incident, and then a rape scandal broke out. From Tom Emmer, we can see the bright future of America."
"Even dogs won't vote for Tom Emmanuel in this election!"
"I agree with the comment above..."
The press conference was short, but its impact was enormous.
From the internet to television news programs, Tom Emer has taken over all the important pages and time slots.
In particular, the FBI announced that DNA from two people was detected on the underwear provided by Regina.
One is Regina herself, and the other is male DNA.
Fox News' live news broadcast immediately contacted legal experts from Stanford University and Yale University.
The two were surprisingly in agreement: "It would be very simple for the president to prove his innocence; a DNA test would suffice."
Once the news was broadcast, public opinion was almost unanimously supportive.
Because the woman who accused Tom Emmer was not just anyone, but Regina, who had served as his special assistant for a long time.
The following morning, the Department of Justice held a press conference in Washington to respond to the case.
Secretary Hugh Sr. announced that a formal case had been opened and appointed renowned legal expert Roddick as special prosecutor to investigate the matter.
The offices of the two federal justices issued notices indicating that they were formally taking the case into their own hands.
Tom Emmer's side will not sit idly by.
Peterson Strategic Consulting is suspected of stealing state secrets, and several senior executives, including Peterson and Elizabeth Carter, have been temporarily detained by the Department of Homeland Security.
Hawke also had a contingency plan, and a professional law firm immediately followed up.
At the same time, he also received a report from Campos.
“We detected tetrodotoxin in the food provided to Regina.” Campos looked ashamed. “Through full monitoring and internal screening, we discovered that a veteran security guard had been bribed.”
Hawke nodded and asked, "Is Regina alright?"
Campos said, "The food wasn't delivered to her. Regina is safe. Betty and Fiona are now taking care of all her meals."
Hawke didn't hesitate for a second: "Squeeze every last drop of what he knows and get rid of him."
Campos replied, "It's being done. I've also further increased Regina's security level."
Not only was Butterfly Company in trouble, but the FBI's Los Angeles office also encountered internal problems.
One of the people in charge of the evidence room tried to secretly replace the evidence provided by Regina while on night duty, but was caught red-handed by Jennifer, who was already prepared.
With thorough preparations and in a place like Los Angeles, it's difficult to avoid situations where individuals, driven by greed, are easily turned against their own side.
But the chances of doing this under Hawke's nose are extremely low.
Not only that, but security for key figures in the Los Angeles Group, including Brian, has also been significantly strengthened.
Although there have been virtually no cases of presidential candidates being assassinated in recent years, with social conflicts so intensified and the divisions between various factions becoming increasingly severe, no one can guarantee that someone won't take the risk.
Having a creative mind and being shrewd are always effective ways to deal with competitors.
The Kennedy brothers would definitely give it a silent thumbs up.
On the congressional side, with the coordination of many veteran members such as McCain and McCarthy, the Senate and the House of Representatives are preparing to convene a meeting to discuss whether to hold hearings on this matter and to initiate relevant impeachment proceedings.
Amidst this chaos, Claire Emerson suddenly boarded a flight and arrived in her hometown of Houston.
The current First Lady gave an exclusive interview to Twitter and Fox News at the Hilton Hotel in Houston, which was broadcast live across the United States by both media outlets.
The focus of the interview was, naturally, the series of scandals that have recently occurred involving Tom Emmanuel.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Halle Wayne had a one-on-one conversation with Claire.
Judging by actions rather than intentions, Harley's past news reports, which are generally considered to be of the Los Angeles Group's caliber, have consistently sided with the group.
Inevitably, she also became a spokesperson for the Communist Party's media.
Facing the live broadcast camera, Harley asked a simple and direct question: "Ms. Claire, are you and the President still in love as much as ever?"
The question had already reached Claire, and she had prepared her answer. She didn't need to lie; she only needed to state the facts: "During this election, my relationship with Tom Emmer completely broke down. All the harmony and affection were just a script. In reality, I wanted to kill him!"
Harley asked at the opportune moment, "Why?"
“I can tolerate his extramarital affair,” Claire said coldly. “But he had an illegitimate child and lied to me, saying it was his assistant, Clichy’s, child…”
Harley seized on the key point and pressed on, "You mean, that boy named Bill is President Tom Emer's illegitimate son?"
Claire stated definitively, "That's right, he's Tom Emmanuel's illegitimate son! Tom Emmanuel seduced his own niece! Although Samantha isn't related to Tom Emmanuel by blood, her father and Tom Emmanuel were longtime friends, and Tom Emmanuel watched her grow up. When she was a little girl, Tom and I often took her shopping together. I never imagined that Tom Emmanuel would seduce Samantha, who was still a minor at the time, and later have Bill, this illegitimate son."
The First Lady's personal confirmation is no different from solid evidence.
Harley asked emphatically, "Are you sure?"
“I’m sure. I also have video evidence of my argument with Tom Emmer.” As it turns out, Claire is a good ex-wife, always hitting her ex-husband where it hurts most: “And I also know about the mess between Tom Emmer and Regina.”
She paused slightly before continuing, "To be precise, many people in the White House know that Tom Emmer has absolutely no regard for my dignity as his wife."
Harley immediately shifted the focus to this matter: "Regina accused Tom Emer of abusing his power to coerce and force her to perform certain services..."
Claire interrupted her question directly, saying, "Tom Emmer is a very controlling person. If he really did something like this, I wouldn't be surprised at all. But all I know is that the two of them have a romantic relationship. As for how the relationship initially developed, I'm not very clear."
Harley continued to press for answers about Tom Emer.
Claire followed Hawke's policy and said what she meant without fabricating anything.
At the end of the interview, Claire announced to the camera, "I am formally filing for divorce from Tom Emmer." (End of Chapter)