Duane turned, startled to see the supervisor from the hospital standing there. Then his surprise turned to anger."You," Duane said coldly. "How dare you provoke me again? Wasn't getting fired enough of a lesson for you?"James's face went red. "Last time you got away with it by hacking the hospital's computer system! But that's not going to work here! I'm going to expose you for the fraud you are!"Duane stared at him, completely baffled and enraged, "Hacking? What are you talking about?"James ignored him and turned toward the jewelry store entrance, waving frantically at a sales associate standing near the door."Excuse me! You need to hear this!" James called out. "This man is a repeat offender! He hacks into computer systems to get things for free! Yesterday it was the hospital, and now he's here to scam your store!"The sales associate, a young woman in an elegant black suit, walked over with a professional smile. "Is there a problem here, sir?""Yes!" James pointed at Duane. "

James stared at Duane's phone screen, his face going pale.The name was right there, clear as day: THOMAS PHILLIPS - BELMONT & STERLING MANAGERHis mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.Duane didn't say anything. He simply tapped the green button and put the call on speakerphone.The manager's voice came through immediately, his tone smooth and apologetic. "Mr. Wordsworth! I'm so terribly sorry I haven't arrived yet. Traffic was worse than I expected, but I'm only a few blocks away now. Please forgive the delay."James felt his knees go weak. Sarah grabbed his arm, her face draining of color."That's alright," Duane said calmly into the phone. "But I need to tell you something about my experience at your store so far.""Of course, please. How has everything been? I hope my staff has been taking excellent care of you."Duane's jaw tightened. "Actually, my experience has been terrible."There was a pause on the other end. "I'm sorry? Terrible?""Yes. From the moment I arrived

Duane's eyes locked onto James.His voice came out cold and deadly calm."You treated my mother with cruelty," he said quietly. "You tried to have her thrown out of the hospital while she was dying. You slapped the doctor who tried to save her life."James's smirk faltered slightly."And now," Duane continued, his voice dropping lower, "you're provoking me again. Calling me a fraud. A scammer. Trying to have me beaten."He took a step forward."You're going to pay for what you've done."Before anyone could react, Duane’s fist connected with James's jaw with a sickening crack. James stumbled backward, shock flashing across his face.Duane didn't stop. He grabbed James by the collar and hit him again. And again."Stop!" Sarah screamed. "Somebody stop him!"James tried to fight back. He tried to push Duane away, but Duane was fueled by rage. He drove his fist into James's stomach. James doubled over, gasping."Security!" the sales associate shrieked. "Do something!"The two security gua

Thomas took a deep breath, trying to calm the fury still coursing through him.He turned away from the sales associate and James, forcing himself to focus on what truly mattered.He turned to face Duane.His entire demeanor changed immediately. The rage melted away, replaced by something close to fear. His shoulders hunched slightly. His voice, which had been booming with anger moments ago, became soft and cautious."Sir," Thomas said carefully, almost timidly. "I... I hope you can forgive me for what has happened here today. What you've experienced is completely beyond my expectations. This is not how we treat our valued guests. This is not the standard of service Belmont & Sterling is known for."He paused, swallowing hard."I take full responsibility for the failures of my staff. But before we proceed, I need to confirm your identity properly." His voice shook slightly. "Would you please show me your Black Gold Card?"Duane reached into his pocket without a word.He pulled out the