The grand marble hallway outside Hearing Room 4B was quiet, save for the deliberate, echoing rhythm of Jake and Samuel Carter's footsteps against the polished floor. Outside the heavy double doors of the VFRB Central Building, however, a wall of flashing cameras, boom microphones, and shouting reporters surged against the steel security barriers.
"Mr. Rivers! Has the VFRB completely cleared Golden Investments?"
"Jake! Is it true the CFTC dropped all international inquiries?"
"What's your response to Chief Investigator Reacher's claims about market weaponization?"
Jake didn't pause or slow his stride. Beside him, Samuel Carter raised a single hand, his silver-framed glasses reflecting the blinding glare of camera flashes as security personnel cleared a narrow lane to the waiting black Brabus.
