A/N : Thanx to Queen of Tact, lil, Lady Adyra, Gemini and Kai, for the latest reviews.

Is there a way that Chloe can keep her secret and, if there is, will she choose to use it? Read on to find out...

(Disclaimer : see chapter 1)

A secret, suddenly came into my mind. Ironically, Lex was about to save me from his own anger and pain. I hurried towards the far wall of the room, giving Clark as wide a berth as possible. I ran my hand along the top shelf of the book case until I found the volume I was looking for. I gave it a push and there it was - a secret passage. It seemed ridiculous to me that the Luthor Mansion had secret passages and I hadn't really believed Lex when he'd told me it had, until he showed me one day. I suppose it made sense given the dark past of Lionel Luthor and the somewhat shady path that his son had been set to follow, if not for people like myself and Clark, that the house would need some extra way for its members to move around.

"Go!" I whispered to Clark, signalling down the passage which I remembered led to another bedroom in the next wing. Thankfully, he was in no mood to argue and he did as he was told immediately.

"Oh, now what room did I put him in" I called loud enough for the servant outside the door to here, stalling until I was sure Clark was in the other room and preferably in the bed there.

"I think it was the second guest room in the East Wing" I said eventually, pushing a second book and recovering the passage entrance. I was relived to hear the servant move away from the door.

I was pretty sure Clark would've made it in the time allowed, but that didn't solve the other problem. I had to live with guilt, with the knowledge that I had spent the night in the arms of another man. Could I lie like that to Lx?

I tried to tell myself that lying to him was the kind thing to do. His mother and his baby brother had passed away when he was just a boy, his father had barely treated him like a human being, never mind a son, and he'd come so close to falling into the darkside. Lex Luthor had lived a life of pain and suffering, to tell him the truth would only add to his depression and that would just be unkind, I rationalised, but a part of me would always feel guilty, I knew that. Regardless of this guilty piece of me, I decided I would stick to the plan and not tell Lex about it, before remembering that I might not even be given the chance to lie.

Clearly Lex had not come home last night and I began to worry about him as I realised he had been gone more than twelve hours now. I had no idea where he could have been for all that time. I only hoped that he would come home and soon, but preferably after Clark had left. If my dirty secret was to remain just that, a secret, it would be easier without the other half of my deceitful crime in the building.

I wished then that maybe everything would go back to normal once Clark had gone and Lex had returned, but perhaps this was wishful thinking, on my part.....

"Mrs Luthor" I heard the butler's voice again. 'What now?' I thought.

"Yes" I called, as calmly as I could.

"Mr Luthor has returned and wishes to speak with you in his library, madam"

I cringed. I was so glad Lex had come back and yet I felt so awful about what had happened I didn't know if I could face him. Especially not with Clark still in the house.

"Oh, and madam, Mr Kent has left the house"

I breathed a sigh of relief. If Clark was gone, maybe everything could go to plan, maybe it would all be okay now.

"The telephone call from his wife was apparently to summon him home on a matter of some emergency. He left directly and asked me to pass on his apologies for not properly thanking yourself and Mr Luthor and for not bidding you a proper farewell" the man went on to say.

I opened the bedroom door immediately.

"He didn't talk to Lex?" I checked.

"No madam"

All kinds of thoughts and feelings flashed through my mind and body. I am ashamed to say that the main one was relief. I had got away with my heinous crime. I know honesty is the best policy in a marriage or in any kind of relationship, but I couldn't bare to add more pain to that I knew my husband must already be feeling, after last nights episode.

'It would be better if I just let it go, pretended it didn't happen' I told myself, but I still wasn't sure if I could. Even as I came to the doors of his library and tapped on the solid oak, there was still doubt in my mind as to whether I was going to admit my sin or not.

"Hey" I said as I opened the door.

"Hi" he replied, flatly. He looked tired, more tired than I had ever seen him look before. He had always looked old for his years but today it was different, he looked worn out and like he was sick of the world. From the way I felt, I guessed I didn't look a lot better.

We stood a few feet apart, occasionally making eye contact but mostly glancing around the room wondering were to begin.

"Chloe, I'm sorry" he said finally and something inside me turned over with a nauseating feeling attached to it. He had no real reason to apologise to me and the guilt I felt was overwhelming.

What could I say?

What could I do?

A/N : Next chapter is on it's way soon, in the meantime please review and keep in mind that there will be a happy Chlex ending.....eventually.