Benjamin stood in the doorway, his hand still resting on the brass handle. Across the room, Lucious sat behind his mahogany desk, fingers steepled beneath his chin and watching Benjamin with eyes that held no warmth.
"If you've come to plead on Vael's behalf, you can see yourself out," Lucious said.
Benjamin didn't move. His fingers tightened on the handle, then released. "I'm not leaving."
He crossed the room and lowered himself onto the leather chair opposite Lucious' desk.
"What can I do to change your mind?"
Lucious leaned back in his chair and studied Benjamin with the cold calculation of a man who had spent decades learning exactly where to strike.
"If Vael kneels before me," Lucious said slowly, "then I'll consider it." He paused, letting the weight of the demand settle between them.
"But we both know he won't. That boy has too much pride. Too much of his father's stubbornness." Lucious waved a dismissive hand. "So nothing can change my mind."
