New chapter! This upload is kind of close to the other ones because its part of the take off for the story, don't expect the rest of the updates to be so often. Just to let you guys now.

Thanks so much for the reviews! Enjoy this chapter, it will kind of tell you what this all going to be really about.

Deciding the future

The house at the end of the dirt road was where he least expected to find the man that had changed his life without having even met him, if it was even him.

"I was expecting a classier loft, weren't you?" Chloe mirrored his thoughts, driving slowly up the small road behind Lex's Porsche.

"He retired years ago and moved here. He only advises my dad once in a while." Lana explained.

"Lets get this over with already." Chloe turned off the motor and got out of the car, taking a closer look at the deteriorated farm house.

Lex was already at the door when they were getting out of the car.

"He's in a hurry." Lana stated and got a nod from Chloe before they reached him. The door was opening by the time they were behind Lex.

"Good morning, how can I help you?" a tall chubby man in his 50's answered the door. His eyes were kind and his voice was soothing.

"I was sent a card with your name yesterday evening from my mother, I just need to know if you are the one she meant." Lex, all business got right to the matter in hand.

"I see, thought that was you boy. Please, won't you come in." Lex didn't hesitate and followed him in. Chloe and Lana exchanged looks as they went inside.

Samuel walked straight to his study, Lex right behind him. Chloe and Lana decided to stay in the living room after seeing the small office.

"I've had these for a long time, now let me get the right one." Lex sat down, not knowing what to expect, while Samuel searched for something in his archive.

He finally found what he was looking for and handed him a yellowed envelope.

"I have the legal protocol, but this pretty much explains it. I'll leave you alone, I'll explain what you don't understand later." He smiled sadly, revealing in his eyes much more knowledge of the whole situation than he let on.

He patted him on the shoulder, Lex, not accustomed to such a fatherly gesture looked up in surprise. Samuel didn't take much notice in his reaction and left the small room, closing the door behind him.

Silence engulfed him a couple minutes before he had the guts to open the envelope.

He carefully took out the paper and unfolded it before him, taking in the elegant strokes of the writing.

My dearest Alexander,

How I long to be there, seeing the man you have become, but these words are probably going to be as close as I am going to get. First of all happy birthday! You are 28 now, a man full of promise of what you have accomplish and will in the future. But fortune and power is not all in life, I hope you have discovered that already or will after this.

If you received this letter it means you are still single and haven't met the one to be your life-partner. My son, love and marriage seem to begin to be outdated; I don't want to imagine how it is now. But in this world where everything seems to be disposable, true love and life long companionship is the only thing worthwhile.

Only in love can you find your true self and lose the mask we all wear for anyone who is not our mirror. Only in love can you fully understand the reason to live in an earth we are so compelled to destroy. Only in love can we become part of life and sustain it.

My love for your father and you has given me the certainty that everything is going to be all right. My pain is numbed when I think of you happy an enjoying life to the fullest. That is what I want for you, happiness and joi de vivre. Wisdom is nothing else but knowing how to get the best out of life. Be wise my son, be happy.

Samuel will explain my will to you, I just felt I needed to talk to you first. I will always be here every step of the way. I love you my dearest Lex. Be patient and don't try to get around this, just listen and try to get the best out of it. If it doesn't work, well, then I need to work on my connections up here.

Mom.

Lex sat unmoving just staring at the words that did nothing but bring back beautiful memories of his mother and more questions than it had meant to answer.

A soft knock came at the door a couple second later.

"You done? Samuel opened the door slightly.

"Yes, please come in, you have some explaining to do."

"That I do, I told her the letter was too vague." He smiled at the memory. "Sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. I am Samuel Hartridge, I was your mother's close friend and lawyer. I have to admit I help her scheme this." He smiled again and sat in the desk in front of Lex.

"What scheme? That is what I don't understand, and, are there more letters?" Lex asked demanding a reason for all this.

"ah yes." He opened a drawer and took a long manila folder out. "this is your mother's will, here you can read it, but it pretty much goes like this." He handed him the envelope and sat back. "You mother inherited you her share of stocks on Luthorcorp, and the castle here in Smallville"

"And?" sensing there was more.

"Which will be yours after you comply with certain clauses." Lex skimmed through the papers he had gotten out from the folder, but decided to let the old man explain it himself.

"Clauses?"

"The first condition is that you have to be married to receive the stocks. If you have already been married for a period of over 5 years or are married now you would receive these stocks" they both knew he didn't fill in either one of those requirements.

"And if not" he said slowly, not liking the turn this was taking.

"If not, you have to get married within six month and stay married for at least 2 years before seeing those stocks. If not they would go to your father."

Lex took all this in quietly, part of him not believing any of this, and another part of him wondering what his mother was thinking by making such a will. Sure, his mother's share of stocks would give him the majority of ownership on Luthorcorp, making him head of the corporation. He looked again at the papers in front of him.

"What about the other letters?"

"There are three more that will be given to you in due time." He replied kindly, understanding the mix of emotions and thoughts that must be going through his head. "Lex your mother wanted to leave something behind, and she found nothing better than to give you a chance at love, call it romantic ideas of a dying woman, but that was her last will, to see you happy, the papers you have in your hand is just what makes it legal, that is all."

Lex looked up at the man and thought that if he wanted he could have those letters in a blink of an eye, and end this game once and for all. But the mere fact that her mother had wanted this weakened him.

"So I have to get married in 6 months? I really have to think about this Samuel, can I call you that?"

"Sure, and take all the time you need. You can take that, it's a copy, you will probably want your lawyers check it out.

"Yes, you can be sure of that."