Valerie, a trusted staff member of Alex's, gasped; their effort was already being countered.
A major network that had published a line had replaced it with a retraction. Their headline blinked: Cross Accusations Retracted — Source Issues Cited. The piece went cold. The network’s feed showed a legal disclaimer. The reposts slowed.
Valerie’s face went white. “They have pulled it.”
“Who is doing this?” Emilia demanded.
“It’s not just them being bought off,” Mara said. “They probably threatened them with litigation. They have access to the distribution nodes.”
Ethan’s voice from the glass floated over, laced with negative amusement. “You lit a bonfire. They sent a rain cloud. That’s what they do. They own the cloud.”
“Then let's go analog,” Alexander said. “We contact independent papers,
