In other words, the abusive leader is happy to offer an olive branch as long as he never has to admit any real wrongdoing. Like Saruman in The Lord of the Rings, he won’t repent of his actions but still insists on brokering “peace” with the victims. As noted in the prior chapter, this allows him to look like the better man who’s wanting to reconcile, while never owning the deep damage he’s done.
