"Hey, cut it out!" Abbott reached for Natalie's arm, trying to stop her. Seriously? Natalie spun around, grabbed his arm, and flipped him hard over her shoulder. He hit the ground with a thud and let out a couple of loud groans. Natalie gave him a quick kick. "Say one more word, and I'll take you all out!" With that, she climbed back into her car, picked up her bagel, and kept eating. Nothing annoyed her more than being interrupted during a meal. Chewing slowly, she frowned. Great. Must be that time of the month coming. No wonder I'm so irritable. Abbott lay on the ground, stunned. Natalie's fierce aura had completely crushed him, and he dared not look for trouble with her. Still, he muttered under his breath, "What kind of grown woman picks fights with a kid? Talk about small-minded." When the pain eased, he dragged himself up and went to check on the boy. "Hey, kid, are you okay?" The boy rubbed his head, tears still in his eyes. "I'm fine, mister." "Where are your parents?" Abbott asked. The boy pointed toward the mall entrance. "My dad and grandma are inside looking for stuff. I'm just out here drawing." Abbott frowned. Seriously? Who leaves a kid alone outside like this? What if someone grabs him? "Come with me," Abbott said. "I'm going in to find supplies. We'll look for your dad together. We don't want that mean lady to bully you again." The boy shook his head stubbornly. "No, I'm staying here. I want to draw." Abbott tried coaxing him for several minutes, but the boy wouldn't budge. This kid is so stubborn. No wonder his family just lets him be. Finally, Abbott sighed. "Fine. But listen—if that mean woman bothers you again, run into the mall and find your dad, got it?" The boy nodded. Satisfied, Abbott went back to his car, grabbed a few big bags, and hurried into the mall to collect supplies. Inside her armored ride, Natalie had just polished off three meat bagels and was about to drive off. But when she glanced up, she spotted the same kid over by a white SUV, happily drawing on the car's paint with a rock. She arched her brows, amused, and came to a stop.Part of her even wanted to see how that guy would react if he stepped outside and caught this scene. Natalie leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and rested for a while. Might as well take a short break. Not long after, a familiar angry voice rang out. "Hey! You little brat, what do you think you're doing?!" Natalie opened her eyes, and, sure enough, the same guy was storming across the lot, hauling two full bags. He dropped them with a thump and yanked the boy away from his vehicle. "How dare you scratch up my car?!" he shouted. But the boy looked him in the eye dead serious and said, "Please don't bother me while I'm drawing." Abbott was furious, staring at his SUV that now looked like it had been through a warzone. "What is this, your own private sidewalk? You think you can draw wherever you want? Didn't your parents teach you any manners?" The boy squirmed in his grip, shouting, "You're bullying me! I'm telling my dad!" Abbott froze for a second, stunned. Didn't I just told this brat to say that if that lady came after him? The kid was actually using his words against him. That only made him angrier. He hauled the kid closer and smacked him across the backside. "Bad kid! Rotten little brat!" The boy burst into loud, wailing sobs. Natalie, watching from her car, couldn't help but laugh. What a hypocrite. Total double standard. Both men wore glasses, but Harold looked smart, while this guy just came across as a fool.She started her engine and rolled forward. As she passed Abbott's white SUV, she lowered her window. "Hey! You're a grown man. Why waste your energy picking with a kid?" Before he could reply, she rolled the window up and drove away, leaving him fuming in the dust. Abbott was already fuming from dealing with the brat, and when he heard her throw his own words right back at him, it only made his blood boil even more. That woman is impossible—petty and vindictive! He looked down at the still-sobbing boy and snapped, "Quit crying! This is your fault! You wrecked my car, and now you act like you're the victim?" His temper boiled over again, and he gave the boy a sharp flick on the head. "What do you think you're doing?!" The shout came from the mall doors.A burly man carrying a heavy sack stormed out with an elderly woman close behind him. The man swung hard and punched Abbott square in the face, knocking him to the ground for the second time that day. "You dare lay a hand on my son?!" Abbott found himself on the ground for the second time that day. His face burned hot with anger. "How dare you accuse me of bullying your kid? He's the one who scratched up my car with a rock!" He jabbed a finger toward his SUV, its paint now ruined beyond recognition. The old woman yanked the boy behind her and planted her hands on her hips. "And what proof do you have that my grandson did that?" she snapped. Abbott nearly exploded. "I saw it with my own eyes! How could I lie to you?"The old woman arched her brows and shot back, "So just because you say you saw it, we're supposed to believe you? Where's the evidence? Go ahead—pull up the mall security cameras if you've got what it takes!"