Adrian looked at Chloe with clear surprise.
He knew Chloe had always dreamed of becoming a journalist.
Hearing her suddenly talk about giving up on it genuinely caught him off guard.
"I remember your dream was to win a Pulitzer Prize, wasn't it?"
After a brief pause, Adrian looked at her and asked, "Did your interests change?"
"No."
Chloe let out a quiet sigh.
"I've just been feeling exhausted lately."
She picked up her coffee, stared into it for a moment, then gently placed it back down.
"It feels like I suddenly lost sight of what I'm even working toward anymore."
Her eyes drifted toward the window as she spoke.
"This is different from what I imagined. Back then, I wanted to become a journalist because I was curious. I wanted to understand everything."
She glanced at Adrian.
"Do you know, Adrian? When I was younger, my dad took me to a baseball game in Metropolis. We sat incredibly close to the field. The crowd was loud, everyone was cheering, waving their arms, completely caught up in the excitement."
A faint smile appeared on her face as she recalled the memory.
"Then, during halftime, I saw someone standing in the middle of the field. Everyone's attention shifted to her."
"Oriana Fallaci."
Chloe's voice softened with admiration.
"She had this retirement ceremony, and somehow, she completely stole the spotlight. More than the athletes, more than the game itself."
"She interviewed people most journalists could never even get close to. Presidents, world leaders, revolutionaries, kings. People others considered impossible to reach."
"She was fearless."
Chloe paused before continuing.
"I still remember something she once said, it stuck with me for years. A journalist can be aggressive, but they have to learn how to reconcile with themselves."
Her expression dimmed.
"And I can't reconcile with myself."
The café fell silent.
Chloe slowly turned her gaze toward Adrian.
He looked back at her for a moment before asking quietly,
"Reconcile with what?"
"With you and Clark."
Her voice grew heavier.
"So much has happened lately."
"You and Clark have been fighting constantly. I know something happened in Gotham. I heard about the destruction at city hall."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You were involved, weren't you, Adrian?"
Adrian said nothing.
There was no reason to explain Gotham, the Joker, or the chaos surrounding the city to Chloe.
The silence between them stretched.
"I don't understand either of you anymore," Chloe said quietly. "Not you, and not Clark."
"Clark chose to leave. You…"
She hesitated, struggling to find the words.
"You've changed."
"I'm a journalist, Adrian. I've always wanted the truth. I believed truth mattered more than anything."
Her fingers tightened around her coffee cup.
"But lately, it feels like the truth doesn't matter at all."
She laughed bitterly.
"Sometimes I think about high school."
Her eyes softened.
"Back then, everything felt simpler."
"I keep wondering how nice it would be if we could go back to being the people we used to be."
By the time she finished speaking, her eyes had reddened.
Her feelings had always been complicated.
She liked Clark. That much had always been obvious to herself.
Clark was warm, dependable, kind.
But Adrian…
Adrian had always been different.
Cold, distant, impossible to fully understand.
The type of person who made people want to get closer while also making them hesitate.
What she felt for him had never been simple.
Even now, after everything, she still could not clearly define it.
Lois used to joke that Chloe's life somehow revolved around the Kent family.
At the time, Chloe brushed it off.
Now, she found the statement annoyingly accurate.
Maybe that was why Jimmy's constant efforts never truly reached her.
Her heart had always been somewhere more complicated.
Adrian remained silent for several moments.
Chloe was different from everyone else.
She was not just another person passing through his life.
They had known each other since middle school.
He had saved her more than once.
Even if he always found excuses to justify his actions afterward.
Chloe was right about one thing.
He had always been good at lying to himself.
Still, none of that showed on his face.
His expression remained as unreadable as ever.
"This has nothing to do with you."
Adrian stood.
His eyes briefly shifted toward the photographs displayed behind the café counter.
"If making life harder for yourself is a talent," he said evenly, "then you're probably unmatched."
Chloe blinked in disbelief.
Adrian picked up his coat.
"Thanks for the coffee."
Then he added,
"And forget about changing careers."
He glanced back at her.
"Journalism suits you better than anything else."
Chloe froze.
Adrian rarely encouraged anyone.
"You've always been like this," he continued. "Ever since high school."
"The Chloe Sullivan who would argue with the principal just to protect the school paper."
"So just write what you want to write."
"Isn't that what you've always done?"
For a long moment, Chloe simply stared at him.
Then, as he walked away, the corner of her lips slowly curled upward.
"Seriously…"
Her voice was soft.
"You really do remember everything from high school."
She walked over to the window and pushed it open.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set over Metropolis.
The evening breeze brushed against her face.
Strangely enough, the heaviness in her chest had eased.
A determined look appeared in her eyes.
Adrian.
Just wait.
I'll figure out a way to help you.
Meanwhile, in Star City, inside the Merlyn Global Group Tower, a private reception room sat quietly beneath the city skyline.
Malcolm Merlyn stepped inside with practiced confidence.
The composure of a successful man radiated from him effortlessly.
And why wouldn't it?
With the Green Arrow gone from Star City, the city practically belonged to him.
He had been one of the earliest people to side with Adrian, long before Adrian became powerful, back when he was still in high school.
That decision had paid off beyond expectation.
His influence had grown tremendously.
At this rate, becoming mayor was no longer impossible.
Thinking about it made Malcolm feel quietly pleased with his own foresight.
But the moment he entered the room, his confidence faltered.
Someone unexpected was waiting for him.
"Malcolm."
A smooth yet slightly husky voice echoed through the room.
"It's been a while."
A woman sat comfortably on the sofa.
Her dark brown hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders. Sharp features, piercing eyes, and an unmistakable elegance gave her a commanding presence.
There was something dangerous about her beauty.
"It sounds like life has been treating you well," she said calmly. "I could hear it in your footsteps."
Malcolm's expression shifted only slightly before settling again.
"All thanks to Ra's al Ghul's teachings," he replied smoothly. "His guidance shaped much of who I became. I remain grateful."
The woman standing before him was Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul and one of the League of Assassins' most dangerous figures.
Yet unlike before, Malcolm no longer felt intimidated.
He respected her.
But fear?
No.
That had disappeared.
"Why are you here, Miss al Ghul?" Malcolm asked as he sat down.
Talia's expression darkened.
"I want to discuss Gotham."
Malcolm paused.
"Gotham?"
He studied her carefully.
"As far as I know, your position there is… complicated."
"The government has officially labeled the League of Assassins a terrorist organization."
He folded his hands together.
"So forgive me for being cautious when you ask questions related to Gotham."
Talia frowned.
She disliked the shift in his attitude.
Once, Malcolm would never have dared speak to her so casually.
"You were part of the League of Assassins, Malcolm."
"So?"
Malcolm shrugged.
"That was a previous chapter of my life."
"It doesn't define me forever."
Talia's eyes narrowed.
"Homelander is militarizing Gotham," she said sharply. "His control is growing stronger every day."
"It won't stop there."
"Soon, he'll extend that control to every city."
"Star City included."
Her voice hardened.
"You don't understand the threat he represents."
"Superman couldn't stop him."
"Once he consolidates power, he'll impose control everywhere."
"He wants obedience."
"He'll drag the world toward tyranny."
Malcolm listened quietly.
Completely unfazed.
Then he asked,
"And the League of Assassins is somehow better?"
Talia paused.
"What?"
"The League destroys cities to rebuild them," Malcolm said coldly. "You call it rebirth."
"But destruction always comes with death."
"Innocent people die too."
He leaned back slightly.
"You speak of Homelander as though he's uniquely dangerous."
"But tell me honestly."
"Can you guarantee the League caused less suffering?"
Talia's expression hardened.
"Rebirth demands sacrifice," she said firmly. "Gotham needs change, but not this."
Malcolm shook his head.
"No."
"You're wrong."
"The sun rises every morning."
"History repeats itself."
"People never really change."
"There's nothing new under the sun."
His eyes sharpened.
"And besides…"
"You still have no idea how powerful Adrian truly is."
===
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