CHAPTER NINE

Disclaimer in Prologue I

"Good evening, Miss Sullivan.  Hello, son," Lionel greeted them just as they were about to enter the nightclub.  He was rather surprised that they never noticed him in the first place.  He smirked.

The duo, in response, both froze, and while Lex was quick to recover, Chloe remained in a state of shock..  Making sure that his father would not take advantage, Lex placed himself in front of Chloe and held her close.  This did not go unnoticed by the senior Luthor.

"Father," he acknowledged the older man.  "What brings you here?  I didn't think that Club Daedelus was your kind of scene."

"It isn't," Lionel quickly retorted, amazed that his son would even consider associating him with the ground zero of adolescent frivolities within the confines of Metropolis.   "I just wanted to witness firsthand if there was any truth to the rumors."

"What rumors?" the younger Luthor glared.

Lionel shook his head, the smirk still planted on his face.  "Two little Smallville birdies came calling to my office today, practically asking me to interfere in the relationship between my son and his plant manager's daughter."

Lex clenched his fists in anger at the realization of what transpired in Lionel's office.  Chloe, regaining her composure by then, was equally as angry. 

"Imagine my surprise, Lex.  But I didn't think that Mr. Kent and Miss Lang had the penchant for manufacturing lies," Lionel added, knowing that his pieces were falling into place in this proverbial chess match between himself and his son.

"There is nothing going on between Chloe and me, Father," Lex gritted, hoping that Chloe would take the cue.  "Not that you need to know that."

However, Chloe did take the hint, though not before a flash of disappointment graced her face.  Lionel, the trained eye that he was, picked up on it and grinned.  "Right, Lex," he said in mock acceptance. 

The younger man was about to respond with a low blow when Chloe spoke up.  "You're right, Lionel," she conceded, something that astonished Lionel and, so it seemed, Lex.  My, my, wasn't this a night of firsts, he thought to himself before drawing himself back into the conversation as Chloe continued.  "There is something going on between your son and me.  It's called love."

Lex's jaw practically dropped at her statement, but Lionel maintained his cool, only raising an eyebrow.  Checkmate, son.  "Love, Miss Sullivan?"

"Yes, I love your son," she declared, not realizing the truth behind it until the words came of her mouth.

By now, Lionel's smirk had grown into a full-blown smile.  "Good.  Not that you've finally realized that, I can give my consent."  Well-aware of his son's capacity to be stubborn, he turned to Lex.  "Not that you really need it."

The duo remained silent amidst all of this, so while he kept himself from rolling his eyes at their naiveté, Lionel continued.  "Lex, I suggested that you don't let this one go."

My job here is done, he said to himself, smug at the turn of events.  With that, he turned back to his limo and drove away.

It took a moment for Lex and Chloe to recover.  "Did I just hear what I just heard?  From Lionel?" Chloe asked.

Lex guffawed.  "I think so," he replied.  "But like he said, not that we really needed to hear that."

"Though," he added before Chloe could get a word in.  "I'm more interested in confirming if I heard what you said correctly.  About loving me."