Either way, the project would become vulnerable.

And Graham intended to benefit.

The morning of the confrontation, he called Miles.

“Is everything ready?”

“Three cameras,” Miles replied. “Two guys with Derek. We have the whole angle covered.”

“Good.”

“Are you sure about the old man?”

Graham looked at the photograph on his desk.

Arthur Bell, much younger, standing on a championship podium.

“Oh, I’m sure.”

Miles hesitated.

“What if he actually hurts Derek?”

Graham closed the folder.

“My son is a professional fighter.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

Graham’s voice turned cold.

“Just get the footage.”

Chapter 4: Eleven Seconds

The mall’s head of security arrived while Derek was still shouting.

Two guards moved between him and Arthur.

Derek tried to push past them.

“HE ATTACKED ME!”

Several shoppers began protesting.

“We saw you shove him!”

“You threw the first punch!”

“Leave Santa alone!”

But Derek wasn’t listening.

His eyes stayed fixed on Arthur.

The old man had returned to the red velvet chair.

He was helping Emily gather the scattered Christmas presents.

That infuriated Derek even more.

He had just been thrown twice in front of an entire mall.

And the man who had done it was casually picking up gift boxes.

“LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!”

Arthur didn’t look up.

“You’re making this worse, son.”

Derek shoved a security guard’s arm aside.

The guard stepped forward again.

“Sir, you’re leaving the mall.”

“DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”

“No,” the guard replied. “And right now, I don’t particularly care.”

Brett lowered his phone.

Jonah stared at Derek with a strange expression.

For the first time, he seemed embarrassed to be associated with him.

As security escorted Derek away, the crowd slowly dispersed.

Emily helped Arthur sit down.

“Are you hurt?”

“My shoulder’s sore.”

“Arthur.”

“I’m fine.”

“You were just attacked in front of fifty people!”

“More like seventy.”

“This isn’t funny.”

“No,” Arthur said. “It isn’t.”

He looked toward the little girl who had been crying earlier.

She was standing beside her mother, still holding the stuffed reindeer.

Arthur motioned for her to come closer.

The mother hesitated.