That tiny glance told Jordan everything. This was not anger. It was performance. Tyler wanted an audience. Chase wanted a reaction.
Logan wanted footage. Jordan slowly bent to reach for another page. Tyler shoved him. It wasn't enough to knock Jordan down, but it was deliberate. A few people gasped.
Jordan straightened. His face remained calm. Inside, something old had begun to wake. Not rage, memory. The smell of wrestling mats.
Coach Brooks's voice. Weight through the hips. Watch the shoulders. Never fight force with panic. Jordan took one step backward.
I'm leaving. That should have ended it. Tyler laughed. You've been leaving all week. Jordan reached toward his portfolio.
Tyler moved first. His fist came forward fast, but not fast enough. Jordan saw the shoulder turn before the punch fully started. His body reacted before thought. He shifted half a step to the outside.
Tyler's fist passed where Jordan's face had been. Jordan caught the attacking arm, guided the momentum forward, and turned his hips. There was no wild motion, no swing, no retaliation. Tyler simply lost his balance. One second he was standing, the next he was controlled against the wet stone with Jordan holding his arm safely behind him.
The terrace exploded in startled voices. Oh my god, what just happened? Logan's phone jerked downward. Chase stared. Tyler struggled.
Jordan loosened pressure rather than increasing it. Stop moving. Tyler twisted harder. Jordan adjusted his grip. Nothing dramatic, just control.
Tyler stopped. Then Chase charged from behind. Emily saw it. Jordan. Jordan heard her.
He also felt the shift in the crowd. He released Tyler and turned. Chase reached for his shoulders. Jordan stepped across his path, caught the upper arm, and used Chase's own momentum to guide him down. Chase hit the terrace on his back with a shocked breath.
Not injured, just stunned. Jordan immediately stepped away. Two attackers down. No punch thrown. Logan stared at his phone.
For perhaps the first time in his life, he forgot he was filming. Then Pride made the decision for him. He shoved the phone into his pocket and grabbed Jordan's wrist. Jordan looked down. Logan realized his mistake too late.
Jordan rotated his arm free, caught Logan's wrist without twisting it violently, and guided him toward the ground. Logan dropped to one knee. Hey. Jordan held him there, not hurting him, preventing him from moving. The entire sequence had taken seconds.
10, perhaps fewer. Rain hissed beyond the awning. Tyler lay on one side, staring at Jordan as though he were seeing a different man. Chase sat up slowly. Logan's breathing came fast.