Let's continue with the given expression step by step.
You have already correctly simplified the parentheses:
\[
9 + (-6.8) = 2.2
\]
Now the expression is:
\[
-7.6 - 2(2.2)
\]
Next, we'll multiply:
\[
2 \times 2.2 = 4.4
\]
So now the expression is:
\[
-7.6 - 4.4
\]
Now, we will perform the subtraction:
\[
-7.6 - 4.4 = -12.0
\]
So, to summarize:
- The next step after simplifying the parentheses was multiplication.
- The simplified expression after multiplication is \(-7.6 - 4.4\).
- The final answer is \(-12.0\).