The detached door struck the asphalt with a heavy clang, its impact echoing between the surrounding vehicles and briefly drowning out the distant shouting. The sound was so sudden and forceful that several people flinched, while others instinctively ducked behind their cars. For a moment, even the surrounding commotion seemed to falter as everyone tried to process what had just happened.
The SUV's driver stood frozen beside the damaged vehicle, his mouth slightly open as he stared at the empty space where the door had been. Only seconds earlier, he had been arguing about the value of his car, apparently convinced that the masked man was someone he could intimidate or dismiss. Now, he seemed incapable of finding a single word to say.
