"Since that night," he admitted after a pause. "I left the... thing and headed straight for a meeting with Sage. Which was balanced out by my own stupidity not long afterwards."

He stepped up behind her. He cleared his throat to move the explanation along. "I have no interest in your father dying. Since that doesn't seem to stick anyway. He wants superiority; he'll see I'm the one still standing while he has nothing. I do want your father to lose all his power, prestige, money, and lackeys." Particularly Crane.

"Everything but his life will be taken from him. And his business should go back to someone who deserves to have it." Namely Stephanie.