Inside the dimly lit study of the Newman family estate, heavy silence hung over the room like lead.
Richard Newman sat slumped behind his massive mahogany desk, staring blankly at a printed copy of The Sentinel's public retraction notice. The glowing lamp on the desk cast long, sickly shadows across his pale, sunken face.
Finn paced back and forth across the rich Persian rug, clutching an iPad with white knuckles, his eyes bloodshot and wide with anxiety. Beside the window, Ray sat in a plush leather armchair, his foot tapping in a rapid, neurotic rhythm against the floorboards.
"It didn't work," Finn said, his voice laced with crackling panic. "I spoke with the chief editor at The Sentinel right after Troy forced them to publish the retraction. He said Golden Investments didn't even acknowledge receipt of the apology notice. They ignored it completely."
