CHAPTER 8: Secrets from the Past (Part 1 )
Metropolis Plaza Suite
It was two in the morning and Chloe was lying wide awake in Lex´s arms. He was spooning her from behind, holding her tight to him even in his sleep, and she felt her maternal instinct overwhelm her. He had been tender and patient, preparing her for the moment their bodies would become one at last- and she had seen the hesitancy in his eyes when she locked them with hers before he tore the last barrier between them. She had read doubt in the blue-grey depths- as if he couldn´t allow himself to believe yet that she had waited for him for so many years- and overwhelmed by the feeling she saw reflected in them, she had angled her body and finally sheathed him. He had whispered something which sounded a lot like ´home´ as he filled her and gave her virgin womb time to adjust, and Chloe´s orbs had clouded when she felt his arms embrace her in much the same way as Alex had the evening he thought she was leaving for good. ¨I love you, Lex. I love you. I´m not leaving, ¨ she had murmured in his ear over and over again as their bodies rocked in a tortuously slow and gentle motion. ¨I love you. The children love you. We´ll always love you... We forgive you, Lex, ¨she had panted, holding his gaze before he sealed his mouth with a searing kiss and with a final deep thrust spilled his seed in her.
Chloe looked at the voile curtains billow with a sudden gust of wind now and saw the French door they had left open while making love was dangerously close to be slammed shut. She stirred a little, trying not to disturb Lex, and slipped away from his embrace when he slackened his hold on her a tiny bit. Not worrying about her state of undress, she secured the door and closed the curtains. The temperature in Metropolis had dropped a few degrees in the last couple of hours and she shivered, scanning the room to find something she could put on. Although the temptation to pull the quilt off the bed was quite strong, she didn´t want for Lex to wake up just yet; there was something special about watching someone sleep, and this was the first time she could observe him in repose to her heart´s content. No, she would simply grab his jacket from the dressing stool and slip it on. The expensive Italian outfit smelled of him and his exclusive perfume, and Chloe snuggled up, sitting down in an armchair in the corner of the room with her feet tucked underneath her. Only the sound of a distant siren was heard muffled by the close windows, and she could make out the soft compassed breathing coming from the bed. She couldn´t help but revel in the knowledge that it was her- Chloe Sullivan- who had managed to make him feel relaxed enough to be able to sleep a few hours in a row.
Half an hour later her right leg was getting numb and she was forced to change her position in the armchair, resting her weight on her left side. It was then, when she readjusted his jacket around her, that she touched the bulge in his left pocket. Her curious nature defeated the tiny voice in her that told her she shouldn´t poke her nose into his things, and she slipped her hand inside to take out a small velvet case.
Chloe held the case in her hands and stared at it as if it were a hot potato. She wanted to know what was inside, wished it were what she had been dreaming of in the past few months but was scared to open it in case what lay in it was a pair of goodbye diamond earrings. Her heart told her
she was being a fool, that the man who had made tender love to her a couple of hours ago, the man who had held her so tight as if he would never let her go, couldn´t be so cruel. However, the little insecure girl who still lived in Chloe- the one who had grown up in the shadow of Miss Perfect Lana Lang- told her Lex was no Prince Charming and that she was no Fairy Princess.
¨You´ve been fidgeting with that case for the last ten minutes, Chloe, ¨his masculine velvety voice intruded in her thoughts and brought goose pimples to her skin. ¨Aren´t you going to open it?
¨I didn´t know if it was for me, ¨she responded with a tremor.
¨And who would it be for? ¨he cocked an eyebrow, propped up on his left elbow. ¨I don´t know if you´ve noticed but, ever since you´ve been around, the throngs of accosting brunettes have suddenly vanished. ¨
¨It could be for Lilly, ¨she murmured, swallowing the lump in her throat.
¨She´s too young for jewels, don´t you think? ¨he smirked.
¨Well, not for a pair of mother-of-pearl earrings, ¨she smiled, meeting his eyes for a moment before toying with the case again.
¨Chloe, sweetheart, open it, ¨he murmured, sitting up on the bed.
¨How long... ? ¨she choked, looking at the delicate platinum and emerald engagement ring lying on the velvet bed.
¨How long have I got it? I´ve been carrying it on me for a few days now, ¨he responded, slipping on his trousers and approaching her barefoot. ¨I had it made over a month ago and kept it in my desk drawer until that Thursday you brought me Thai food to the office, remember? ¨
¨You´ve had it made for me? ¨she asked with blurry eyes.
¨The Luthor vault´s full of jewels, but I wanted something special, something new. This isn´t how I´d planned to do it... I still believe I´m being selfish to ask you this when we don´t know exactly what´s going to happen today, ¨he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
¨I can´t think of a better time or place, Lex, ¨she smiled. ¨I´ve never been this happy. ¨
¨Neither have I, ¨he responded, boring his intense blue-grey eyes in her. ¨I love you. Chloe Sullivan. Will you be my lawfully-wedded wife? ¨
¨What took you so long, Luthor? ¨she beamed as he slipped the exquisite jewel on her finger. ¨You won´t mind having three reporters in the family, then? ¨
¨My father must be turning in his grave,¨ he smirked, picking her up from the armchair and carrying her back to bed.¨What do you think you are you doing, Lex? ¨she asked in a husky voice when he deposited her on the four-poster.
¨You won´t be needing this, ¨he responded snugly as he removed the jacket from her.
¨I don´t know, it´s cold in here, ¨she pouted.
¨Well, we could do something about that, ¨he smiled, tugging at her earlobe. ¨What do you say? Shall we seal the engagement? ¨he added, pressing a kiss on her pulse and cupping her bottom gently to bring her closer to the evidence of his renewed desire.
¨I´d say that´s a nice way to keep me warm, ¨she moaned.
LuthorCorp Plaza 7 a.m.
¨Good morning, Mr Johansen. Tell me what you´ve got for me, ¨said Lex pouring two cups of freshly brewed coffee.
¨I´ve got both good and bad news. Which would you prefer to hear first? ¨ responded the seasoned PI.
¨You haven´t found the tapes, ¨ stated Lex, clenching his teeth.
¨We searched Boulder´s office and sent a team to his house when everyone was out; we found nothing. He must have them in a safe deposit box in the vault of the bank he operates with. The good news is... we´ve managed to dig up something about their past association with LuthorCorp, ¨smiled the private investigator, handing a dossier over to Lex.
Stretching out his arm, the young tycoon picked up the folder and leafed through it with a satisfied grin on his face; nobody who had ever worked for his father was a candidate for sainthood.
¨We´ll see how they get away with this, ¨smiled Lex wolfishly.
¨About the tapes... ¨began the man.
¨I´ve got the bargaining chip, Johansen. I´ll take it from here. Your usual cheque... plus a bonus, ¨responded Lex, adding his signature to the slip.
¨If there´s anything more I and my team can do to help... ¨said the man, grabbing the payment and leaving his chair.
¨I´ll let you know, thanks. Now, if you´ll excuse me, I´ve got other business to see to, ¨he finished, putting the dossier in his briefcase and closing it firmly. ¨Jessica, tell them to get the chopper ready, ¨he told his efficient assistant on the intercom.
Smallville 7.40 a.m.
Eight years after leaving the small town for good the Luthor heir landed in the green pastures of Smallville to face a man he scarcely knew- the man who had threatened to ruin Lex´s last chance of ever finding happiness; the man whose ancestors had founded the rural town to which Lionel had exiled his first-born.
Lex picked up his briefcase and, opening the door of the helicopter, stepped out to walk the distance between it and the house of his former father-in-law. The smell of grass and manure invaded his nostrils as he made his way to the two-storey house- he had forgotten what it felt like to breathe the fresh air of the countryside, away from the smog and pollution which had permeated his life in Metropolis. However, he knew that appearances could be deceptive; Smallville was far from being an average wholesome rural town of Midwestern America.
¨What are you doing here? ¨glared the bespectacled middle-aged man on opening the screen door.
¨Believe me, I´d never thought I ´d set foot in this town again and this is a house call I find no pleasure in doing, ¨ responded a very serious Lex.
¨I´ve got nothing to say to you except that I hope you´ll rot in jail for what you did to my daughter, ¨hissed Henry Small.
¨I´m afraid you know half of the story, Mr Small. Judging by the transcripts I got... Lana had our argument edited to appeal to your paternal instincts, ¨ responded Lex coldly. ¨She had virtually abandoned our children even before eloping with my campaign manager. ¨
¨Lana was a good girl. You Luthors ruin everything you touch, ¨said Henry in disgust.
¨I understand the love of a father for a daughter better than anyone, Mr Small, but a couple of random meetings at The Talon when Lana was a teenager were hardly enough for you to get to really know her. ¨
¨I know you and your kind, and that´s enough in my books. ¨
¨I´ve come here to strike a bargain, ¨said Lex coolly. ¨I´ve no intention of discussing your daughter or our marriage. ¨
¨You aren´t in a position to bargain, Mr Luthor. Give me what I want and, maybe, I´ll consider keeping quiet. ¨
¨You never showed interest in the children while Lana was alive. Why now? ¨
¨They´re my grandchildren. ¨
¨So were they then. And let´s not forget... they´re Luthors. ¨
¨Not once I get their custody. ¨
¨Do you think this tape will get you what you want? Besides, I have several witnesses who can testify what kind of a mother Lana really was. ¨
¨You´re right. The tape was just the bait, but what Boulder and I´ve got in that safe deposit box will make sure you´ll never see your children again. I won´t have Lana´s offspring raised by an unstable father and the daughter of a woman with a history of mental illness, ¨he spat at Lex.
¨I´d be careful if I were you, Mr Small. I might have tolerated your petty attempts at blackmail, but if you ever consider doing anything that might put Miss Sullivan in harm´s way... ¨he smouldered.
¨Is that a threat? ¨frowned Henry.
¨We´ve dragged this conversation long enough, ¨said Lex tersely.
¨Henry¨ said a grave voice behind Lex, ¨we´ve got a problem. ¨
¨Come to join the welcome committee, Dr Boulder? ¨Lex greeted him ironically.
¨How did you do it? ¨glared the grey-haired man.
¨How did I do what, Dr Boulder? What crime are you accusing me of now? ¨he cocked an eyebrow.
¨The tapes... they´re gone. How did you manage to do that? Did you bribe someone at the bank? ¨Boulder gritted his teeth.
¨Am I to assume you´ve misplaced your ´evidence´? ¨
¨Don´t act so surprised, Luthor. Remember I knew your father and his ways, and the apple doesn´t fall far from the tree. ¨
¨And, in your case, ¨smirked Lex, ¨there isn´t a more appropriate saying than ´Two birds of a feather flock together. ´ ¨he added, extracting a sealed envelope he handed over to both lawyers. ¨You shouldn´t be so ready to cast the first stone, not when you worked for my father for so long. ¨