Even after spending so much time with the Sovereign, Stephanie still could not say what kind of person he truly was. Every contradictory emotion seemed to have a counterpart within him; cruelty and kindness, sympathy and indifference all resided in the same soul. Even his occasional displays of emotion made it extremely difficult for others to discern his true thoughts. Not even the psychological analysis department S.H.I.E.L.D. had assembled in the past, led by Agent Melinda May's ex-husband Andrew, had been able to provide Nick Fury with an accurate enough psychological model to let the King of Agents gain the upper hand in negotiations with Salomon.
The only successful negotiation had come when Thor descended, when Nick Fury had merely tried his luck. But once Salomon became wary, he never gave him another opportunity.
Fortunately, Stephanie Malik had still found the right way to deal with him: act with the goal of protecting the interests of the whole. As long as an action was taken to safeguard the collective interest, no matter how despicable or shameless it was, the Sovereign of the City of Immortals would approve. That was why Stephanie had taken it upon herself to add an extra complication to Helmut Zemo's assignment without worrying about the Sovereign's wrath—she knew what her superior wanted. She was the white glove that handled the dirty work, and Stephanie was willing to take on that role, taking pleasure in it. This was Gideon Malick's advice. The Malik family had never done anything to anger the Sovereign of the City of Immortals. Whether the Malik family used its power for private gain, gradually swallowing up the assets of financial conglomerates, or steadily expanding its influence in politics, as long as it could provide sufficient benefits to the City of Immortals, its Sovereign