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Since I made you wait for part eight for so long, here’s the next chapter, I hope you’ll enjoy. Thanks to JadedEvie for her excellent beta reading.

Chapter 9



For a long time I am just sitting there, crying desperately without knowing why. I can’t shake the feeling of having lost something important.

A terrible feeling grips me - time is slipping away, and I’m powerless to stop it. The chill in my veins has nothing to do with the weather.

The Planet is lost and all I have left in my life is Lex, who didn’t seem happy when I postponed our meeting.

But why did I postpone?

My life is unraveling. Lex is the only solid ground I have left - so why do I feel like I’m slipping away from him?

I don’t understand myself during the previous days, I’ve had countless blackouts and done strange things.

Maybe it’s the stress of losing the Planet? Putting my hands in my pockets to protect them from the cold, I discover the ring Lex gave me. My engagement ring - why did I take it off? I did accept Lex’ proposal, didn’t I?

I slide the ring back onto my finger. It fits, yet it feels foreign - heavy, as if it carries a weight beyond its size.

The rain has picked up and became a winter storm. I walk back, thinking about that last conversation with Clark. It seems I had another blackout then, and he seemed distressed… I wonder what has happened?

About one block from my apartment a noise startles me, but I’m too lost in my thoughts to pay attention to my surroundings.

Seconds later, I hear a screeching noise and turn my head, just as a large car slides with speed in my direction.

Then there’s a loud crash, and I see Lex’ limousine has stopped the car’s advancement towards me.

“Lex!” I scream, as I see him get out of the back of the car. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. I was on my way to your apartment when I saw that car losing its grip, going in your direction. I ordered Nigel to put the limousine in front of you to protect you.”

“Oh, Lex, thank you!” I exclaimed, kissing him. “Why were you coming over?”

“Darling, I was worried when you canceled our meeting today, and I wanted to see if you needed anything. I was worried, since you seemed hesitant about my proposal yesterday.” Then he took my hand in his and kissed the ring finger. “But I see, you have made the right decision.”

I nod, not sure what to say.

Superman lands with a thud, his rain-soaked cape billowing in the icy wind. His eyes, usually steady as the stars, are storm-dark with something unreadable - concern, exhaustion, maybe even regret. His gaze locks onto me and for a brief moment, there's a flicker of something unreadable in his expression.

“Are you alright?” His voice is deep, carrying an undertone of urgency. If I didn’t know any better I would swear I could detect a slight shiver in his stance but that’s impossible, Superman doesn’t feel the cold. He’s invulnerable.

I nod, though the words catch in my throat. Lex’s arm tightens around my waist, a possessive gesture that I barely register, my mind still reeling from the near miss and the strangeness of the day.

“Thank you, Superman,” Lex says smoothly. “I’m grateful for your swift response, but as you can see, everything is under control now.”

Superman doesn’t respond immediately. His eyes shift from Lex to me, lingering on my face as though searching for something. There’s an intensity in his gaze that roots me to the spot, like he’s trying to reach me through something unseen.

“I was nearby when I heard the crash,” Superman finally says, his gaze softening ever so slightly. “People often get too careless when driving in this weather.”

A shiver runs down my spine, but it’s not from the cold. There’s something about his tone, the way he’s looking at me, that feels... off. Like he knows more than he’s letting on.

“I’m fine,” I manage to say, though my voice sounds distant, even to my own ears. “Thanks for... for checking on me.”

Superman’s jaw tightens slightly, and for a moment, he looks as if he wants to say something - something important. His eyes flicker to the engagement ring on my finger, and a shadow crosses his face, too quick to name. Regret? Anguish? But then it’s gone, buried beneath the controlled calm of Superman, the hero, the symbol.

“Be careful,” he says, more softly this time and it seems he doesn’t mean the accident I was almost part of. He nods to us before he turns and leaps into the air, disappearing into the dark sky as swiftly as he arrived.

The silence that follows is heavy, punctuated only by the steady patter of rain. I realize Lex is watching me closely, his sharp eyes missing nothing.

“Superman has a way of showing up at the right time,” Lex comments, his tone casual, but his grip on my waist still firm. “Though I wonder... what could have caused him to be so concerned, darling?”

I open my mouth to respond, but the words falter. The truth is, I don’t know. Everything feels so disjointed, like pieces of a puzzle that just don’t fit together. The blackouts, the strange things I’ve been doing, the way Superman looked at me just now, nothing makes sense.

Lex gently turns me to face him, his expression softening as he brushes a wet strand of hair from my forehead. “You’ve been through a lot,” he says, his voice low and soothing. “I understand if you’re feeling overwhelmed. But remember, you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here for you, always.”

His words are comforting, yet there’s a lingering doubt at the back of my mind. I can’t shake the feeling that something crucial is slipping through my fingers, something I’ve forgotten or overlooked. The ring on my finger feels heavier than ever, like a weight tethering me to something I can’t quite grasp.

“I know,” I whisper, more to convince myself than him.

“Take all the time you need,” Lex replies, his smile warm, but his eyes calculating. “We’ll get through this together.”

As he leads me to a taxi Nigel has called, I can’t help but glance back at the spot where Superman had stood, the uneasy feeling in my chest growing stronger. There’s something wrong, something I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s there, lurking in the shadows of my mind.

And as the car pulls away, the city lights blurring into streaks of color against the rain-streaked windows, I can’t help but wonder what I’ve lost... and if I’ll ever be able to find it again.

~~~

The following weeks pass in a whirlwind of preparations, with each day blending into the next. From the moment I wake up until I collapse into bed at night, my life is consumed by the details of the upcoming wedding. Lex seems determined to make sure everything is perfect, sparing no expense and leaving no stone unturned.

“Just relax, darling,” Lex often says, his tone always warm and reassuring as he arranges yet another meeting with a high-profile wedding planner or organizes a private fitting for my dress. “You deserve the best and I'm going to make sure you have it.”

And he does.

The dress fittings take place in an exclusive boutique, where I’m surrounded by walls of silk, satin and lace. The designer, a renowned name I'd only seen in glossy magazines before this, fusses over every detail of my gown, ensuring that it fits me like a glove. I can’t deny that the dress is stunning, a masterpiece of craftsmanship that makes me feel almost like a queen. But there’s a strange, detached feeling whenever I look at myself in the mirror, as if I’m watching someone else go through the motions.

My days are filled with endless meetings with caterers, florists and decorators, all of whom cater to my every whim with a mixture of reverence and fear. Lex’s influence is everywhere, his wealth and power smoothing over every potential problem before it even arises. I barely have time to think, let alone feel, as I’m whisked from one appointment to the next.

Is this my future? A life of pristine gowns and carefully curated appearances, while my husband orchestrates the world around me?

In those rare quiet moments, usually late at night when the apartment is dark and silent, I can’t help but feel a creeping sense of unease. It’s as though I’m being kept busy on purpose, every minute of my day accounted for, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation. I tell myself that this is just pre-wedding jitters, that every bride must feel overwhelmed at some point. But the nagging feeling that something is off never quite goes away.

Lex, of course, is always there, his presence comforting, yet somehow overwhelming. He takes care of everything, often without even asking for my input. At first, I’m grateful; who wouldn’t want to be pampered and adored? But as the days turn into weeks, I begin to realize how little control I actually have over any of it. Everything seems to be happening around me, rather than with me, and it leaves me with an odd sense of disconnection.

I find myself thinking back to that day in the rain, the memory of Superman’s concerned gaze lingering in the back of my mind. But every time those thoughts surface, I’m quickly distracted by another task, another decision that needs to be made. There’s no time to dwell on the past, not when there are menus to finalize, seating charts to arrange and vows to write.

As the wedding draws closer, Lex becomes even more attentive, if that’s possible. He showers me with gifts — a necklace here, a pair of diamond earrings there – and arranges luxurious spa days to help me relax. Each gesture is more grandiose than the last and while I’m touched by his efforts, a part of me wonders if it’s all just a way to keep me occupied, to keep me from questioning anything.

Finally, two days before the wedding, I find myself alone in my apartment for the first time in weeks. The silence is almost deafening, a stark contrast to the constant buzz of activity that has surrounded me. I sit by the window, watching the city lights twinkle against the night sky and for the first time in a long while, I allow myself to think.

I haven’t even been back to work at LNN, I realize. I never even thought about it.

The wedding is in two days. The thought should fill me with excitement, but instead, I feel a strange sense of detachment, as if I’m standing on the edge of something vast and unknown, looking at myself.

As I gaze out at the city, I can’t help but wonder what Superman is doing right now. Is he out there, somewhere, watching over the city like he always does? Does he ever think about that day in the rain, the look we shared before he flew away?

I push the thought away, forcing myself to focus on the ring’s cold brilliance. It’s beautiful - undeniably so. A perfect symbol of the life I’m stepping into. I’ve made my decision and the day after tomorrow, I’ll see it through. So why does it feel like I’m locking a door behind me?

But as I turn away from the window and head to bed, I can’t shake the feeling that something is still missing, something important that I can’t quite remember.

T. B. C.

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