A/N: I know. I absolutely suck at updating, and I've barely even started 'Back in the Moment' so why in the world am I starting a whole new story? Honestly, I don't even know. I was thinking up story summaries and this one just stuck in my head. Maybe its just the prospect of Ian Somerhalder and Taylor Kinney in suits. Eitherway, here I am with a story prologue. Reviews are gold. They tell me whether I should actually continue this story or not. And before anyone asks, I am still writing 'Back in the Moment'. I've just sort of reached a lengthy impasse.

Prologue

Her eyes darkened at the sound of the sirens. They were getting closer, and she was running out of luck. She didn't understand. So many years into this business and they had never once been caught. They always knew what they were doing, and when to get out.

But this time, something went wrong. A spy. She was certain. But how did they discover what their next target was? They always made sure to be discreet, and as a result, they never, ever failed. But now, here she was. Running from the sirens, whilst her partner in crime, her brother, is in handcuffs and off to the nearest Penitentiary.

She turned left hearing rapid footsteps behind her, the sirens more distant, but still existent. They were right behind her. She turned into an alleyway, preparing to duck as she heard the distinct click of a gun.

This was all his fault.

After she and Jeremy were ambushed, she grew more and more certain he was the spy. His smirk said it all. He planned this. He robbed Jeremy and his freedom and now, if she didn't escape, he would also rob hers. And frankly, after her brother's capture, she refused to allow him the pleasure of such a victory.

And if he truly was a spy, the reward for their captures would certainly be worthy of his time.

For two years now, Elena and Jeremy Gilbert have raided America's Most Wanted lists; for F.B.I, U.S Marshalls and GangTECC. Last time she checked, the reward was at least $100 000 each, especially after their stint with the Fells and Lockwood-Hamiltons. They were two of the wealthiest families in Virginia, second only to the Lockwoods and Salvatores.

At the memory of the Lockwoods, Elena's eyes narrowed and ran further into the alleyway. The Lockwoods. This was all their fault. They harboured the spy. They were the reason they were in this mess. That her brother, if she didn't break him out of their grasp, was never going to see the light of day again.

Remembering her situation, Elena's focus centred entirely on her path, only to realize her worst nightmare. It was a dead end, and the footsteps were getting louder with every passing moment. Her eyes widened in horror. She was going to jail.

In panic, she searched the surrounding buildings, anything for an escape, but no prevail. The garbage bins around her would keep her hidden, but they would find her within moments with no available escape route.

Her heart beat faster upon hearing the footsteps continue. They were getting louder, closer. Within moments, she would be finally be in the hands of the law. And for a moment, a part of her prepared herself to surrender.

Suddenly a hand reached from behind the bins, pulling her to its side and to a solid, male chest. Elena looked up in shock, believing to have already been captured only to find she was in the hands of someone far worse than the police.

"You." She hissed. "Get away from me." She struggled in his arms but his smirk only widened, and his grasp only tightening around her, his green eyes glowing with delight as her attempts came unrewarded.

"Calm down sweetheart. Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm here to ask a favor of you."

She stopped struggling, only to glare sombrely at the man who had doomed her. "You already taken my brother, my freedom, our lives. What more could you possibly want from me?"

"I have some unfinished business to take care of. And after meeting you at the Masquerade, it has become clear that only you can complete that business for me." He drawled.

Her eyes only narrowed in response. "You're insane if you think I would do anything for you, after all that you have done." She spat venomously. His green eyes no longer hypnotized her like their first meeting. Every second she spent staring at them, all she saw was what he had done, how he had betrayed her, and the spy he glorified in being.

"If you help me, Elena," he purred. "I will give your brother back his freedom."

She froze in his arms. "What did you say?"

He smirked ravenously. "You heard me. You help me and I will make sure your brother never hears the deafening noise of a police siren ever again. That's the beauty of money, sweetheart. With the flick of a wrist, it can buy absolutely anything." He purred, his breath tickling her neck.

Elena shivered in response, stepping backwards from his burning gaze as her brows rose in suspicion. "You would set him free, after ratting us out to the police in the first place? I don't believe that."

He shrugged. "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. You can call my bluff and rot in jail for the rest of your days or you can trust me, and should you grant me this favor, your brother will be a free man. So," He crossed his arms over his chest, a smug grin dancing across his lips. "Do I have your agreement?"

He already knew the answer, and he could already taste the satisfaction. He couldn't even imagine how tantalisingly delicious it would be to have Elena Gilbert under his control. And all it took was one glorious three letter word, and the world would be in his grasp.

"Yes." She whispered. And suddenly, his grin turned into a very malicious smirk. And in that moment, Elena knew it was a decision she would come to regret.

As he stepped out from behind the bins to inform the police of her apparent escape, she tried to concentrate on Jeremy. She tried to convince herself it shouldn't matter who the deal is made with, so long as Jeremy is unharmed, but the logical part of her couldn't help but shiver in horror of what she had just done.

She had just made a deal with the devil, before even asking what this favour could entail.

As she glanced from behind the bins towards the two very charmed policemen, her eyes almost caught one of the officers, and even from a distance, she knew in his eyes she was safe, for now at least. Whatever he had said, they believed him without a second's hesitation, just as she had believed him.

But as the policemen left and he concentrated fully on her presence, she couldn't help but wonder what the consequence would be for trusting someone so dangerously beautiful. For even the devil could concur that Mason Lockwood was not a man to be trusted, as she would so painfully discover.

Later that day
Manhattan, New York City

Elena sighed in exasperation as the sales assistant placed an even larger abundance of clothes in her arms, before following Mason rapidly awaiting his next beck and call. Elena never really liked shopping, even with all the money she and Jeremy embezzled. She supposed it was difficult to enjoy something like shopping when there's no-one to enjoy the pastime with anymore.

Her eyes softened at the memory of Jeremy. He would've been taken into custody now. She was only glad he wouldn't have to spend long in prison, and that as soon as this ordeal was over, she could see him again.

Elena fell from her reverie when the sales assistant placed another three pairs of shoes on the pile. Her eyes narrowed before placing the pile messily on a nearby chair. It was then she noticed, it was all formalwear.

"I'm flattered, Mason. But I'm not a suit girl. I prefer jeans and leather."

Mason grinned in response, grabbing one last hanger, before sending the all too enthusiastic sales assistant away. "As much as I love the sight of you in leather sweetheart, I'm afraid it's always black tie optional at the office."

Her eyes widened. "Office?" She absolutely loathed offices.

Mason's grin widened. "Of course. You don't expect New York's biggest law firm to operate in a underground bar, would you? Although," he paused. "that would be brilliant."

"Wait, you're a lawyer?"

His eyes widened in surprise, letting out a raucous laugh. "Lawyer? My dear Elena, I'm not an employee. I'm part owner. My partner and I own 50% of the firm each and we're right to. Our great-grandfathers founded the company after all."

She observed his expression carefully from a distance. In the month that she had known Mason Lockwood, she knew he was much darker than he appeared.

He was notoriously handsome; piercing green eyes and an athlete's body. Upon first meeting if not for one prominent feature, she would've found him attractive. But behind his Californian appearance, his dark smile spoke wonders about his personality.

Whilst conning the Lockwood-Hamiltons, his distant cousins, he had nothing but negativity towards them. He seemed so seductive at the Lockwood Masquerade ball, the site of their first meeting, but the more he visited, the more darkness she saw. And despite her business, he was far too dark for her liking.

Elena watched as his smirk faltered slightly at the mention of his partner and suddenly all became clear of what he wanted.

"You want his half of the company." She intimated. He only grinned in response, twirling the hanger in his hand boastfully.

"But, how? Isn't it a joint family company? You get rid of your partner, the next relative would take his place."

"Unless he has no other family. Damon's parents died years ago. He has a younger brother, Stefan, but he abandoned the family legacy after their father forbade him from dating the socialite, Bonnie Bennett. The moment he called Bonnie a conniving witch, Stefan disowned him on the spot."

Her brows rose in surprise. He sacrificed everything his family has lived for and his own father because of a woman. He was either irrevocably in love with this woman, or a complete and utter buffoon. Wait, Damon and Stefan? Bonnie Bennett? Everyone knew who they were. Even con artists watch the news.

"Your partner is Damon Salvatore?" she exclaimed.

He shrugged. "Yes, what of it?"

"How in the world am I supposed to convince Damon Salvatore to give you his share of the company?"

The smirk suddenly returned, warning her she really didn't want to find out. "I wouldn't say convince. I prefer the word 'seduce'." He drawled.

Her eyes widened in horror. "That is why you blackmailed me? To become your partner's whore?" she thundered. "No." She said flippantly. "I refuse."

Mason's eyes narrowed, before dragging her into a secluded corner of the shop. "I would think a con artist who seduced men away of their fortunes would have a much more positive outlook towards this scheme." He responded darkly.

Regardless of his negative manner towards his distant cousins, the Lockwood-Hamiltons were still Lockwoods nonetheless and although a part of him leapt for joy at their idiocy, the Lockwood blood inside him was infuriated she had chosen to steal from one of their own.

And now their money was in another's hands, a woman no older than 23, their inquiries into their share of the Lockwood inheritance had suddenly become demands. His cousin Jeffery especially wanted a piece of the family legacy, and with his plans to secure full ownership of the firm, Jeffery's persistence was not a good sign. And Elena breaking both his heart and his bank certainly didn't help.

"That was different." She professed. "For a start, I had my own reasons to obtaining that money and I wasn't blackmailed to do it. Also, I actually got something out of that. There are no benefits for me to this favour you desire."

"Oh now that's not true." He said flippantly. "You seduce Damon and your brother will have his freedom. Isn't that all that matters?"

Elena looked down blankly, playing with her hair anxiously. This was all for Jeremy. She couldn't lose another family member. "And what happens to me?" A frown overtook his lips. "You always say Jeremy will have his freedom but what about me? What happens to me after I seduce your partner and you get his half of the company?"

He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily before reaching to pull her hand from her hair and clasp it warmly in his. "Regardless to what you think, Miss Gilbert, I am a kind man. Once you have fulfilled your part of the deal, you will be given a choice as to what happens to you. You can leave New York with your brother, or you can have all the money you've ever dreamed of."

"But one choice you do not have," he continued. "is to fall in love with Damon Salvatore." Elena's eyes widened in surprise, as she couldn't help but release a snort of ridicule at the demand. Does he honestly think that low of her?

"You may have only known me for a month Mason Lockwood, but you will listen when I assure you, I am never anything but professional."

He smirked, shaking his head in response. "If you insist, Miss Gilbert." She nodded, turning away and heading towards the pile of clothes again until she felt him grab her arm and turn her to him.

"But listen to me when I tell you, Elena Gilbert, that I have known Damon Salvatore my whole life and I have seen many fall under his spell. But what both you and I cannot guarantee is that he will be of any exception to you, for I know you won't be of any exception to him. You are his perfect woman, Elena. That's why I chose you. The moment I saw you at the Masquerade ball, I knew you were the one woman he couldn't possibly resist." He drawled. "I just hope you are prepared for the intensity of his infatuation."