Biggest mistake of my life by mishasalvatore

Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own vampire diaries or Damon for that matter.

Authors note: I really didn't think I would post my second story before I completed my first but this idea was stuck in my head for a while and I needed to get it out. And please check out my other story 'Metamorphosis'. And be kind with your reviews.

Chapter 1:

Unexpected turn of events:

DPOV:

Damon was beyond annoyed; he hated anything or anyone disturbing his playtime. This better be good, he thought. He was just enjoying a cosy little time with Andie. An easy woman, desperate to win his heart and the comforts that came with being Lord Damon's wife. Ya right! Like that's going to happen. Damon knew perfectly well that he would never settle with one woman. He liked them all. Some women's body excited him. Other's nature, all in all Damon had love only for himself and his work. Being Lord Damon, one of the most, sorry, the most powerful man in fell's church. He loved the power and the wealth. No, he was not greedy or proud like the other men out there. Power, Damon thought was an aphrodisiac. He liked being in power. He ruled the Salvatore mansion and his entire plantation business. Everyone was afraid of Damon Salvatore. He reduced many of his associates to tears by his ruthless dealings. This, he did to get a clear message across, that he was not to be messed with. Most people got it, but some unfortunate souls created trouble. Damon was on his way to sort this kind of trouble out. He had, till now, no idea what the god damn emergency was. He only knew this had something to do with that idiot John Gilbert. God! That guy was a fool. He was Damon's business partner and a lying conniving thief. If it were any other man than Damon, John would have looted him by now. John Gilbert owned Damon a lot of money. A lot. Maybe the thief got scared and tried to run away. Hmmm it was probably a good thing Damon had some of his men around the Gilbert mansion.

"Zach! What is the meaning of this? What, on earth is so urgent that you disturbed my personal time"

"Well… Lord Damon…. John Gilbert is… he is…"

"He is an idiot, a liar, a thief, a good for nothing asshole. What more do you want to add to that list"

"Dead"

"He is dead. Lord Damon"

Damon was shocked. Now this was not something he had been expecting. Damon knew that at a time like this, propriety demanded he showed some mourning and put on a sad face. But Damon wasn't really fond of the Gilbert to show any amount of sorrow.

"Zach, that man owed me a lot of money does he think committing suicide will save him"

"Sir, he didn't commit suicide. He died of natural causes, it was a heart attack, they say."

"Well, then that changes things doesn't it."

"Yes sir in case of a suicide, all of john gilbert's money, his property, all his assets sir, would be transferred to your name. But since it was a natural death then all that John Gilbert owned would be transferred to the next living relative."

"And who is this relative"

"Elena Gilbert."

"Elena Gilbert?"

"Yes, John Gilberts niece, she is his elder brother Grayson and his wife Miranda's child"

"Only child?"

"No sir, a boy, by the name of Jeremy gilbert. He is adopted, and younger to Elena. So it's Elena who gets to inherit."

"And how old is this Elena Gilbert?"

"She is seventeen, Lord Damon"

Now this was going to be a serious problem. If this Elena Gilbert had really inherited everything, then he could kiss goodbye to a lot of his money. But still there was a way.

"I want to talk to Matthew right away"

"Yes sir"

Matthew was an attorney and not someone whom Damon liked. But as Damon noticed this night was not going according to his liking.

Damon was seated behind an ornately carved wooden desk in his study. Decorated according to Damon's taste. Luxurious. He vaguely wondered where his little brother Stefan was. Well, not so little he was eighteen, after all. His brother was quite different from him. Their looked different too. Damon was taller of the two. With raven black hair, and deep blue orbs and very lean. While Stefan was a bit muscularly built, curvy bronze hair and forest green eyes. Damon was an unabashed sinner, and ladies' man. Stefan, Damon mused, was still probably a virgin. His little brother had very little to do with members of the opposite sex. Stefan had no experience on even courting a girl. Damon had tried to set him up with a few women he knew. Well, let's say that didn't go too well. He cared about his brother no doubt but still there was some nagging feeling on the back of his mind that never let him love his brother whole-heartedly. It was probably due to Giuseppe, Damon concluded. His father always had preferred the younger son over the elder. He made some mistakes in his life, like dropping out of the university. And he had some fun with wine and women when he was younger. But that was just that teenage foolhardiness and mistakes. Mistakes his father considered grievous sins. Damon was tired of his father and being constantly compared to Saint Stefan, and maybe that's why he didn't get along so very well about his brother. Damon was lost in these thoughts as he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in"

"Hello, Damon"

"Welcome, Matthew" he greeted the attorney. Now, matt was handsome young man about the same age as Damon. His blonde hair and dimpled cheeks had many women swooning.

"I'm sure you know the reason as to why I had to call you this late matt."

"This has to do with the sudden death of Jonathan Gilbert I presume"

"Very good, ten points to you matty" Damon remarked in his usual wry manner that made matt roll his eyes. He had no affection of any sort with Damon Salvatore or the reputation he had built for himself. But he could just tolerate him enough to do his job.

"As you, and everyone else in fells church knows, matt, john owned me a lot of money and from what I have heard he died of a heart attack."

"Yes, he did Damon, and what do you want to do about it now?"

"Well, I also heard that since he died a natural death all his assets are being transferred in the name of his niece - Elena or something"

"Well yes, Elena is the rightful owner of all the gilbert property"

"What do you mean 'rightful owner'? Her uncle owned me money and since he died before he could cough up, I think what is rightful of Miss Elena is to return all the money her uncle took!"

"Damon, you don't understand…" a troubled look came over matt's face. "Damon I knew Grayson Gilbert very well, and John too. The money he invested with you that is not his own. All that wealth was Grayson's. He had left all the property in Elena's name. He had left a will Damon. And john had…"

"Let me guess, john had hidden the will from Elena and everyone assumed all the gilbert property was his. And now that he's dead you've found the will and now Miss Elena owns everything."

"Yes, that quite sums it up Damon"

"What the hell! Do you know matt that this means not only do I not get the money I loaned to john gilbert I also face heavy losses as all his investment he made in my establishment would be illegal."

"That Damon is something you should have thought about before. There is nothing I can do to help you Damon." said matt as he got up to leave.

"Matt wait! There is got to be a away"

"I'm afraid there is nothing you can do about it Damon, so just forget it"

This was not happening at all. Damon Salvatore always got what he wanted and right now Damon would let nothing leave a dent on his more than comfortable lifestyle.

Then suddenly he had a plan. Damon Salvatore sometimes your smartness amazes me, thought Damon smugly.

"Wait matt, before you leave, you have to do me one last favour"

"And what is that?"

"Tell me everything you know about Elena gilbert"

Matt was shocked for a moment, but quickly recovered himself. He had an ominous feeling about this. The unexpected question coupled with the sneer on Damon's face was sure enough sign that something devilish was going on in Damon's mind.

"I mean you are their close family friend as you claim to be" Damon said still smiling.

"What's on your mind Damon" s matt was untrusting.

"My mind is none of your business matt. Just answer the question please."

Damon thought matt looked like he had been zapped with electricity when Damon said 'please'." Well diplomacy was not his strong point but at the moment he felt it quite necessary.

"Well, I've known Elena since she was a kid. She was taken after her mother. Polite and sweet and pretty strong headed young lady she was."

Damon didn't miss the 'was'.

"But now" matt continued "well… let's just say john didn't treat her well. It all began with her parent's death. There was a fire at their mansion, an entire part of the mansion had been burned down, along with Miranda and Grayson. Elena was away with a friend, and had been devastated by her loss. She was quite depressed and then uncle john came along. He found out about the will and hid it from Elena. She was forced to live under his guardianship. He was never a good person to look after her. He was never there, for Elena. Elena was as you can expect not very happy with this. Her only happiness is her little brother Jeremy. And I can't imagine that poor child all on her own that way."

"Neither can I matt, neither can I" it was planned out in Damon's head. No he would not lose his footing in fell's church. Losing john gilbert's investment would set him cost him a lot. No, he had a perfect way out of this. A perfect plan.

"Oh, matt Elena is seventeen right, she's a minor and so is her brother, they would need a guardian right?"

"Why do ask Damon?" matt had a very bad feeling about this.

"I'd like to be her guardian" Damon said finally.

A/N: So what did you guys think. This story is not going to start of directly as Delena. But that won't last long. And Damon's 25 in my story ans stefan 20 years old.