"Sir, please," she began in a steady, urgent tone, her gaze locked on Mr. Rockworth. "Calm down. I understand you're angry, and you have every right to be, but let's not escalate this further. We can talk this out—please." She gestured subtly towards the growing crowd, their phones held high, recording every moment.
The faint whispers and the rapid clicks of cameras seemed to break through Mr. Rockworth's haze of rage. His eyes darted to the faces in the crowd, then back to Ava, who stood defiantly behind the young woman. Had his opponent been a big man—or even just a man—he wouldn't have cared about the crowd or their cameras. But Ava was a teenage girl, and the woman before him barely older. Regardless of his justifications, he knew the community would chastise him, erasing any goodwill he had earned through his past deeds.
"Ace!"
"Ava!"
"What's going on here?"
