Have I explained the title? I can’t remember.
In the first book, the Malefactor was basically a twisted voyeur, hiding in the shadows, pulling strings from a safe distance. His bottomless wallet funded the basest of human desires, fueling the sickness in the evil minds of his victims.
As you know, he was impressed with Ren’s successful unraveling of a convoluted and far-reaching “project” that had been in progress for years. So impressed, he allowed Ren and company to live; the first time he’d ever done so.
Why?
Because M isn’t done with Ren. Instead of lurking in the background and watching Ren work, for the first time M decides to become actively involved.
Ren has pushed M out of his comfort zone and M decides the only way to fix it is to up the game; to transgress beyond the limits of involvement he’d lived behind for so long. To transgress beyond his own malformed ideas of moral behavior and decency.
Although he is excited to engage Ren again, M also resents Ren for many things.
For out-maneuvering his talented team of professional criminals, causing many of their deaths or capture.
For altering the final outcome he’d intended.
For the death of Ray Hanson, his surrogate for many years.
And finally, he resents Ren most for making him step out of the darkness and become—the Transgressor.
Joe