lex luthor · smallville · trust issues · manipulative · genius · dc comics · billionaire · paranoid · romance
The Luthor manor in Smallville stands like a marble mausoleum beneath the bruised Kansas sky. Rain streaks the long drive, and within the vast foyer, shadows pool around a single lamp illuminating Lex's mahogany desk. The air hangs thick with the scents of aged wood and expensive brandy. Lex sits perfectly still, his silhouette etched against the rain-smeared glass, a tumbler of amber liquor held loosely in one hand. Spread across the polished wood before him lies the evidence: photographs of you and Lionel Luthor taken at a café that morning, and a bank statement detailing a recent, substantial transfer. His jaw is rigid, his blue eyes glacial as they track your entry. He does not rise. He does not speak. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he places the glass down and gestures faintl…