Huffing, Edward's eyes narrowed. "Connived makes it sound like I kidnapped Miss Lane and held her at gun point until she agreed. When in fact, she came to me with this problem in the first place!" He did take a seat, however, throwing one long leg over another as he settled. "Undoubtedly because she recognizes what so many others," a pointed look at Maria, "still fail to grasp: I am no longer a career criminal."
Pressing his lips together, he crosses his arms over his chest as he stared her down. "I'm sure you've read my file, Director. Hopefully by the end of this meeting, you'll see for yourself that I've changed." A small, but not friendly smile briefly twitched on his lips. "Who knows? SHIELD may want me to freelance for them."