Sophia
The article went live a little before noon, and by the time I saw it, Emma had already pulled it up on her phone, her expression pale as she slid it across the counter toward me without a word.
**Corporate Giant Hargrove Holdings Faces Scrutiny Over Aggressive Redevelopment Tactics**, the headline read, Claire Whitman's byline sitting beneath it. I scanned through the opening paragraphs quickly, my stomach tightening with every line, the careful, methodical reporting laying out exactly what Noah had warned me about the night before. The eminent domain filing. The suspiciously timed building inspection. Statements from other business owners along the block who described feeling pressured into signing agreements they weren't entirely comfortable with.
Then I reached the section tha
