Daniel began walking toward him.
Ryan noticed the approaching senior officer and quickly changed his posture. He released his tense expression, adjusted his uniform, and turned slightly as though he had been calmly managing a routine security issue.
He had no idea why Daniel was approaching.
Nathan remained still.
The identification card was still in his hand, hidden just inside his jacket.
The next few seconds would determine whether Ryan finally understood the consequences of his behavior.
And for the first time that morning, the officer who had been so certain of his authority was about to discover that he had badly underestimated the man standing in front of him.
Daniel Hayes continued walking toward the entrance, his attention fixed on the man standing beside the stone staircase.
At first, he noticed the coffee stains covering the front of Nathan's jacket. Then he saw the wet marks across his face and the tension in his shoulders.
Something was clearly wrong.
Daniel slowed his steps.
"Sir, is everything all right?"
Nathan looked at him.
Before he could answer, Ryan stepped forward.
"Everything is under control, Lieutenant. This individual refused to follow security instructions. I was handling the situation."
Daniel glanced at Ryan, then returned his attention to Nathan.
"May I ask what happened here?"
Ryan answered immediately.
"He became confrontational when I asked him to identify himself. I instructed him to leave, but he refused. I had to use reasonable force to control the situation."
Nathan remained silent.
Daniel's expression grew more serious.
He looked at the coffee stains, then at the stone pavement where Nathan had fallen. A paper coffee cup lay several feet away.
"Did you say you used force?"
Ryan nodded confidently.
"Yes, sir. He wasn't cooperating."
Daniel turned toward the security guard.
"Did you witness what happened?"
The guard hesitated.
Ryan immediately looked at him.
The brief exchange was enough to make the guard uncomfortable. He knew what he had seen, but he also knew that Ryan had influence among several officers in the building.
"I saw them arguing," the guard replied carefully.
Daniel frowned.
"That's not what I asked. Did you see what happened?"
The guard looked at Nathan, then at Ryan.
Before he could answer, the woman who had been standing near the entrance stepped forward.
"I saw it, sir."
Everyone turned toward her.
She was an administrative employee named Melissa Grant. She had worked at headquarters for almost four years and had witnessed plenty of disagreements between officers and visitors. But what had happened that morning was different.
Melissa looked directly at Daniel.
"That man was walking toward the entrance. Officer Pierce stopped him, started insulting him, and then threw his coffee into his face."
Ryan's expression changed.
"That's not true."
Melissa continued.
"After that, he grabbed the man's jacket and pushed him backward. The second time, he pushed him hard enough to knock him onto the pavement."
Ryan shook his head.
"You're leaving out what happened before that."
"What happened before that?" Daniel asked.
Ryan hesitated.
"He refused to cooperate."
Daniel's voice became firmer.
"Refusing to cooperate does not give you permission to throw coffee at someone."
Ryan looked uncomfortable.
"Sir, I was trying to maintain security."
"Then explain why you used a cup of coffee."
Ryan opened his mouth, but no immediate answer came.
Nathan watched the exchange quietly.
He was not interested in humiliating Ryan in front of everyone. He wanted to understand whether the department's supervisors would take responsibility for what had happened.
Daniel looked at Nathan again.
"Sir, I apologize for the way you've been treated. Are you injured?"
"I'm not seriously injured," Nathan replied. "But I would like to know whether this is how your officers normally handle visitors."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Absolutely not."
Nathan glanced toward Ryan.
"Then perhaps you should find out why this officer thought it was acceptable."
Ryan shifted his weight.
"With respect, sir, this man has been difficult from the beginning."
Daniel turned sharply.
"Officer Pierce, I haven't asked for your opinion again."
Ryan immediately fell silent.
The atmosphere outside the headquarters had changed. The people who had initially watched the incident from a distance were now paying close attention.
A few officers had gathered near the entrance. They recognized Daniel and understood that he was not treating the situation as an ordinary disagreement.
Daniel took a breath.
"Where is the security footage from this entrance?"
The guard answered.
"There are cameras covering the staircase, the main doors, and the courtyard."
"Good. Make sure the footage is preserved. I want the entire incident, not just the final moments."
Ryan's face became tense.
"Sir, there's no need to make this bigger than it is."
Daniel looked at him.
"You don't get to decide how serious an incident becomes after you've used force against someone."
Ryan lowered his eyes briefly.
Daniel then turned back toward Nathan.
"May I have your name, sir?"
Nathan studied him for a moment.