Chapter Text
Lena Luthor stood on her balcony taking in the view and enjoying the warmth of the sun. She rarely gets to enjoy the sun anymore. Since taking over her family’s company, Lena finds herself coming to work just before the sun rises and goes home well after it sets. She forgot how much she missed the small things in life. She loved the work she was doing at L-Corp. She worked hard to change the image it once had under her brother and stepmother’s control, back when it was known as Luthor Corp. Still she could not help but feel a bit of sadness thinking about all the things she used to do this time last year. Lena closed her eyes and took a deep breath in trying to savor the moment as long as possible before making a mental note to schedule time in her day to do just enjoy simple pleasures.
As Lena turned around to walk back into her office she was startled to find her assistant Jess standing in her office.
“Ms. Luthor, your 10:30 is here. Do you want me to let her in?” Jess asked cautiously knowing the young Luthor did not want to be interviewed, but Jess also knew the pressure she was under.
“Yes, but before you do, please let our guest know that she doesn’t get more time because she’s late. The meeting was blocked for an hour and she has wasted more than half of it by being late. I do not have time for tardiness in my life like she apparently seems to,” Lena responded trying not to sound too annoyed at Jess.
She was annoyed, but not because of Jess or even because her appointment was late. She did not want to have this meeting in the first, but the board was forcing her. She has been in National City for almost a year now and hardly anyone knows a thing about her. She liked it like that. Normally when it came to the press, the Luthor name was an easy target. Lionel Luthor, the patriarch of the family was known as a ladies’ man. He was not shy about the number of mistresses he had in his life. His wife, Lillian, would turn a blind eye to the affairs if Lionel held up to his end of their marriage. Lillian would remain his wife, raise their son, Lex, and continue to own 25% of the family business. All Lionel had to do was keep himself wrapped up and not produce another Luthor heir. Lillian continued to act clueless of the affairs, until Lionel returned home one evening with a young child, Lena Kieran.
Lena was four when her mother drowned in front of her at the family lake. Lionel had just left after a weekend home, but immediately retuned when the maid called him about the accident. Before the accident, Lena's home was always filled with love, but when she came to live with the Luthor's, her home was only filled with rage and anger. Lillian was appalled at the sight of Lena. She rarely looked at Lena and when she did it was usually to scold her for out shining Lex. Lena always outshined Lex in Lionel’s eyes, until Lena got older and started to look more like her mother. That is when Lionel stopped noticing her, she reminded him of the love he lost. The reason he lost his love. Lex would play on that hatred, manipulating Lena into believing she could earn Lionel's love again. Only to watch her fail. He would swoop in trying to be her hero, while also becoming the golden child in Lionel's eyes.
“Jess,” Lena said before Jess turned around to leave. “Which CEO face should I wear? The badass CEO who doesn’t take shit from anyone or the sexy CEO that doesn’t take shit from anyone?” Lena could not hide the fact that she was nervous.
Jess smirked at her, “How about just Lena Luthor? Something tells me the reporter doesn’t care about the CEO mask you wear.”
Lena took a deep breath, Just Lena Luthor, the raven-haired woman thought to herself before she scoffed. Badass CEO it is.