Lex understood motivation.

Power motivated some people. Money motivated most. Fear handled the rest.

But her?

She was motivated by competition.

He had tested it.

Unintentionally at first.

Dinner reservations at the best restaurant in Metropolis—she barely reacted. Exclusive events, rare gifts, private access—nothing held her attention for long.

Until someone else wanted it.

Until there was something to win.

Lex stood in his office, reviewing a list of upcoming events, already filtering through them with a different metric now.

“…You declined this last time,” he said, tapping the file once. “But attendance doubled this year.”

A pause.

His eyes moved down the page.

“Higher-profile guests. Limited access. Waiting list.”

He exhaled quietly, the faintest hint of satisfaction in the sound.

“…You’ll say yes this time.”

He set the file down, already adjusting the plan in his head, already calculating angles, outcomes, reactions.

“This isn’t about the event,” Lex continued, voice low, thoughtful. “It’s about the fact that someone else might have it.”

He leaned back slightly, hands clasped behind his back.

“You don’t want things,” he said. “You want to win them.”

A pause.

Then, almost impressed—

“…That’s efficient.”