The silence after truth was not peace—it was the calm before retaliation.

In the aftermath of their data release, Emma became the unwilling face of a movement she never asked to lead. Her inbox overflowed with emails—supporters, critics, investigative agencies, and buried within them, threats cloaked as legal inquiries. The transparency had broken a dam. But not everyone wanted the flood.

By midweek, Hayes Enterprises’ headquarters became a fortress. Jack ordered biometric locks on ...