Briggs didn’t even glance behind him. Blinded by a sudden surge of ego, he let go of her arm, only to instantly escalate.
“You’re nothing here!” Briggs roared, his voice bouncing violently off the sterile grey walls. “Get back in line!”
He shoved her chest with both hands. Hard.
Evelyn stumbled backward, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
The entire lobby froze in absolute horror. But the tall man in the dark suit moved with terrifying speed.
Before Briggs could even lower his hands, the stranger was on him. There was no warning. No hesitation. Just a blur of black fabric and brutal, practiced precision. The man grabbed Briggs from behind, hoisted his weight, and slammed him face-first onto the metal security table.
*CRACK.*
The heavy steel rattled. Briggs’s cheek mashed against the cold, flat surface, his massive frame completely immobilized. Sweat instantly poured down his face. His eyes bulged in pure, unadulterated panic, his mouth gaping as he desperately gasped for air.
Slowly, Evelyn stood up.
She didn’t wince. She didn’t ask for help. She calmly smoothed the wrinkles from her beige shirt, her posture radiating an icy, absolute dominance. The illusion of a fragile older woman vanished entirely.
She stepped forward, looking down at the guard’s pinned, trembling face.
“You confused a badge with authority,” she said, her voice completely flat and devastatingly calm. “You’re fired.”
Briggs choked against the metal, his bruised ego fighting his terror. “You… you can’t fire me! You’re just a nobody!”
Evelyn flashed a razor-thin, blood-chilling smile.
“I was a nobody thirty minutes ago,” she whispered, leaning in close. “Right before I bought this company, the private security firm that employs you, and the very building you’re bleeding in. Now, get off my property.”