"The Phoenix is stable," Mike said, his voice dropping into a more clinical, analytical register. "Bruce is reasonable in that specific, hardened way people are when they've built empires from nothing."
"He understands the value of what he possesses; he doesn't have the luxury of being reckless with his assets."
"And... he doesn't want to waste what he's bled for." He paused, the steam from his coffee curling around his face like a shroud. "Sabrina, though... she's a separate thread woven directly into the Phoenix tapestry."
"It's either a masterstroke of efficiency or a complication waiting to explode..."
"I haven't decided which yet."
He took a slow, deliberate swallow of the bitter liquid. "She said she'd send the outline..."
"She isn't the kind of woman who makes empty promises to save face; she doesn't do 'vague.'"
"The outline will arrive when she is ready to send it, which will be the exact moment she is ready to acknowledge her own readiness."
