The ornateness of his study suddenly felt oppressive, the dark wood mirroring his dark mood.
Whom did he owe his allegiance to? Himself, of course. If there was one thing Lionel had taught him, that was it.
In recent years, he'd been significantly burned twice by women. Though he hadn't really trusted Lady Victoria, he'd seen her as the perfect partner in crime. They had similar backgrounds, both growing up without mothers, raised by fathers who were ruthless. But she'd betrayed him with his own father, and then she'd betrayed them both.
Then there was Helen, Lex thought as he stood and walked over to the bar. Nimbly, he poured himself a scotch. She'd made Lady Victoria look like the Virgin Mary. He'd wanted desperately to believe that she really loved him. With her guidance and love, he'd actually thought he could become a better man, unlearn all those things his father had taught him about loyalty, love, and cruelty. But after Helen had tried to kill him, it had been Lionel's tutelage that had ultimately saved him. How ironic, father really did know best.
He cared about Lana, and he knew she was a good and honest person. He respected her far more than any woman he'd ever been with. He also knew that if he left her, she'd be okay. He'd watched her grow from being the quarterback's girlfriend to a woman who had traveled halfway around the world to create a better life for herself.
Clark, on the other hand, was another matter altogether, Lex thought as he took a swig of his drink. He knew Clark was hiding something. He also knew that he'd never get close enough to Clark to find out what it was if he stayed with Lana.
As Lex poured himself another drink, he heard a soft knock at the door. "Come in," he said, putting the glass down.
The door opened and in walked Lana. "Hey," she said as she glided across the room to stand in front of him. Tentatively, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close. But sensing that something was wrong, she pulled away, and looked into his eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, touching the side of his face.
"Nothing," he said turning his back to her.
"Don't lie to me Lex."
He sighed. "Clark was just here."
"Oh."
"He didn't take the news that we're seeing each other well."
"I know that must have been hard for you," Lana said as she touched his shoulder. "He would have found out about us eventually. It's better he heard it from one of us."
Better for whom Lex wanted to ask but knew not to. If he'd had his way, he would have preferred to keep Clark in the dark about his and Lana's relationship. "Lana," Lex said after a few moments of silence. "I think it's best if we don't see each other anymore."
"Why?"
"Luthor Corp is growing and I don't have time to manage it and spend time with you."
Lana's heart fell. "I thought you cared about me," she said. She was careful not to use the word love. Though she loved him, she didn't know how he felt about her. Sometimes she wondered if Lex just tolerated her as one did a cute little sister. Albeit, a cute little sister one made out with on a regular basis.
"I do. That's why I think it's best if we don't see each other anymore."
"I know Clark is your friend and you don't want to hurt him. He's my friend too. But Lex, we have a right to live our lives." She knew that by entering into a relationship with Lex, Clark would be an issue. She'd grown up over the last two years and was ready to move on with her life. Moving on meant leaving Clark behind romantically. She knew that she and Lex weren't destined to spend forever together, but he was the right person for her at this time in her life. He'd been the only one to support her from the beginning, no questions asked, when she'd began to strike out on her own and create a new life for herself. Unlike everyone else, he had been willing to let her change.
"You're right, Clark is my friend and I don't want to hurt him. But the fact remains that Luthor Corp is my first priority which precludes me from seeing you."
"Fine," Lana said as an errant tear fell from her eye. "I never harbored any illusions about us, but I thought you were stronger than this."
He cared about her. He didn't know if it was love, but he'd felt something between them. Of course, he couldn't tell her that now. A man couldn't show vulnerability. Vulnerability was weakness and no one respected weakness. "Have you ever heard the parable about the scorpion and the dog?"
"Lex …," Lana began.
"You'll find this enlightening. A dog and a scorpion are standing on a riverbank. The scorpion, knowing that it can't make it across the river alone, turns to the dog and asks if he can ride across on its back. The dog refuses, saying to the scorpion, 'If I do, you'll sting me and I'll die.' In response, the scorpion replies, 'Don't be silly. If I sting you then I'll die too.' The dog thinks about it for a few minutes then agrees to allow the scorpion to ride its back as it swims across the river. But halfway across the river, the dog feels the scorpion's sting. 'You fool,' the dog cries. 'Why did you do that? Now we're both going to die.' The scorpion replies 'I know. I couldn't help myself, it's in my nature.'" Lex finished then picked up his glass of scotch. "You should leave Lana."
She wanted to say something, to protest, but she knew there was nothing she could say that would change his mind. Thus, she turned, walked across the room, and out the door.
Lex stood for a few moments with his glass in hand, then walked over to his desk. After sitting down, he picked up the Luthor Corp quarterly earnings report and began reading.