Damon was sitting with Elijah in the company's board room, waiting for Stefan to show up with his lawyer. Elena was also late from internship which was pissing him off. He didn't have all day, sure ruining Stefan's life was fun but he had to turn this around. He didn't actually want to marry Elena. He was just trying to put a nail in the coffin because Stefan was texting her about the Sophie Jones. God, he thought Elena would stall it because she just turned 20 but damn it. It was totally worth the reaction he got from Stefan. He went crazy there. But then he was smart by pulling this whole contract thing. Damon had to play his cards right today so Elena backs off on her own.
Right at the moment, Stefan showed up with his lawyer and lily was also accompanying him, Damon scowled at the sight. He hated the woman with a passion.
"Fashionable entrance, 45 minutes late." He commented dryly. Stefan smirked and pulled out a chair for lily making Damon roll his eyes. Lily thanked him in a whisper and Stefan sat by her side, they were silently waiting for Elena. She had texted that she was just 20 minutes away.
"Can't believe you'll go as far as marrying someone to piss me off." Stefan sat back in his seat, "I am flattered."
Damon narrowed his eyes on his brother before realising that this was the perfect opportunity to rub his relationship in, "I can't do better, the girl checks all my boxes. Hates you, very flexible- and you know what I mean by that don't you?"
Stefan bit the inside of his cheek, fisting his claw, lily reached for his arm and squeezed it, "It's fine sweetie."
Damon groaned, "God, do you fuck him as well? It won't surprise me if you-"
The door opened at Elena came in, Damon stopped mid-sentence and got up from his chair, "Hey, we were all waiting for you." Elena walked across the table giving Stefan a glare before she hugged Damon, "I am sorry, I know I am late but you won't believe the traffic." Damon kissed the top of her head and she sat down on the other side. Elijah cleared his throat, "So we have formed a contract about the shares. It's a double contingent. In case Miss Gilbert gets married to my client Mr. Salvatore. She becomes half partner, the partnership in question would terminate Stefan Salvatore's share entirely as a withdrawal, proposed by Stefan Salvatore himself."
Lily let out a sigh and gave Stefan a look as if asking him to be sure. Their lawyer Mr. Simmons, too opened his binder, "In case of a divorce, Miss Gilbert maintains her position in partnership."
Elijah interrupted , "In case of a mutual decision, Miss Gilbert will withdraw from partnership, leaving Damon Salvatore the complete owner."
Stefan raised a brow and leaned to speak on Simmons's ear. Who nodded before speaking, "This isn't in writing, if Miss Gilbert applies for a divorce, in that case only will she withdraw from her partnership."
Elena was looking back and forth between the lawyers, Damon was still holding her hand, seemingly unaffected by all the 'divorce' talk.
"That is unfair to my client." Elijah said calmly, "At any moment if he feels that he can't stay in the marriage, he'll lose half control to an unreliable partner."
Stefan huffed, "Oh really? Or do you mean when Damon is done in his pointless scheme to ruin my life, he'll just get the whole company."
Damon could feel his girlfriend tense by his side, she gripped his hand tighter and her skin was turning hot. "Don't you think that's a little extreme." He said to Stefan.
His other hand tapping on the table, "The divorce is an unlikely case." He added. Lily spoke up, "But it's not impossible."
"We won't separate, ever." Elena said the last word to her ex-boyfriend who had a regretful look.
"Then what does Damon have to lose?" Lily said raising an eyebrow, "If he thinks the possibility of a divorce is impossible, why not agree to Stefan's terms."
Elena let out a dark chuckle, "Because Stefan isn't in charge of my life. I can't believe Damon and I even agreed to this, this is stupid and I am not doing it." She got up.
Good, Damon didn't even have to put on a show. Stefan got up, "Elena please I am trying to protect you."
She let out a sigh, tired of this whole situation, "Just stop Stefan. You're ruining my life. You might think that you're doing what's best for me. But I don't, I am really happy with Damon. He makes me happy. I want you to be happy as well, just please move on."
Stefan pursed his lips, "Elena, please you don't understand this. He is not a good man."
Damon finally got up, "Okay brother, we've had enough. You want me to agree to your stupid terms. Be it." He gestured Elijah to agree to their terms, Elena shook her head, "No you don't need to justify yourself."
Elena was about to pick her bag and leave when lily stood up as well, "Elena I didn't have this choice when I married his father, that man ruined my life. I was trapped in an abusive relationship with him so if you cannot see Damon for who he is now, at least think of a future you. This is your control, you can't lose it to him." She urged. Damon clenched his jaw at the woman which went unnoticed to Elena was had stopped, Stefan got up to stand by lily's side with pleading eyes, "You have nothing to lose Elena." Stefan begged.
Damon was in a tough position, he couldn't tilt Elena back to his side because that would be clear as day. "fine." Elena said to his horror. "Damon and I don't care about this, but if this will make you believe." She sat down. Elijah looked at Damon with a raised brow and he gave a tight nod.
Elena signed both the contracts. Now there was only one thing Damon could do and that was delay the wedding as much as he could.
As soon as the meeting was over Damon stayed back with Elijah to discuss the contract over. Elena left to get ready for the dinner with her father and him as well.
Damon was pacing in his office while Elijah was watching him amused. Damon was pulling at his tie over and over, loosening it, "This can't be happening, you need to find a damn loophole."
"There is no loophole. You get married, you have to accept Elena as partner." Elijah said in a robotic voice, "All you can do now is delay the marriage."
Damon clenched his fist, "How much can I delay it, not more than a damn year, or till she is done with college, that is if Stefan doesn't jump back in due to all this delay."
Elijah rubbed his eye and chuckled, "Well they didn't put in a break up clause."
Damon stopped, "right, the contract is contingent, we never get married- the contract isn't valid."
Elijah got up from the seat, "Now all you have to do is break up and don't go crazy when that poor and confused girl runs back to your 15 percent partner brother." He had to admit, watching Damon play this game was interesting. That thought really bothered Damon. He took Elena from Stefan, she couldn't go back to him, she loved him. He always had to compete for everything and he had won at this game. He won't lose now.
"I need some time to think about it." He said as he picked up his coat, Elijah groaned in annoyance, "Damn it, Damon. You need to prioritize your 80 percent, we both know that girl and you aren't even going to keep this marriage thing for a month, you wanna be down to 50?"
He turned around to look at Elijah, "I didn't just spent a year and half for losing this with nothing in return."
He left his office and went down by the elevator when his assistant stopped him, "Mr. Salvatore, Miss Gilbert is still around, I thought you'd want to know."
He raised a brow at Elizabeth, who added in a low voice, "She's in Mr. Salvatore's cabin."
"Is lily Salvatore with them?" he asked immediately.
She shook her head, "No she left a while ago."
Damon nodded at her murmuring a thanks before going towards Stefan's cabin.
When he reached the door, he could hear Stefan's voice, "I am not doing this to get you back. I know I've ruined everything."
Elena sounded tired, "Then why are you doing this? To spite your brother?"
There was silence before Stefan said, "No, Elena- I love you. I can't stop loving you because you don't love me. And I don't hate Damon, he's my brother and the whole Sophie Jones situation that Lily told me about, makes me feel like I don't know a lot of things about my father and my brother. I really don't know why he hates me because of any of it but I have to make sure you don't get hurt."
He ended his passionate speech, Elena seemed taken aback because she was hesitant when she said, "I am not going to get hurt. And you need to stop hurting yourself as well. Just because I am in love with Damon doesn't mean I didn't love you. I can't see you fighting with Damon or giving up so much for me. Please. I don't want to hurt you more." Her voice was soft before it turned it to a warn, "No Stefan, don't touch me."
"Elena-" he pleaded.
That's when he had enough, Damon pushed the door open and saw Elena's hand on Stefan's chest as if she was pushing away from him, while Stefan was holding her arms. On seeing him Elena stepped back from him and walked towards Damon, "Hey I was just leaving."
"We can leave together, I am done." Damon said as he pulled her to his side still looking at Stefan, "Now that you got what you wanted, you can back off."
Not listening to what Stefan had to say, he walked away with Elena.
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Damon couldn't believe that in all the places he was at a restaurant on a double date with Elena's friends. This could not be his life now. He thought as they waited for her friends to show up Elena was talking on and on about her father. Dinner last night had been awkward to say the least. The last time that he met the man he wasn't Elena's boyfriend and now suddenly he was getting interrogated by the man.
"I haven't even told him about the contract, he's going to over react. I just know." She ranted. Damon finally looked over at her from his phone, "Why didn't you?"
Elena was wearing a dark blue dress and had curled her hair for this date. She sighed, "Because it was just to shut Stefan up. This was suppose to be our moment." She said putting her palm under her chin, "You didn't even propose and I already signed a divorce agreement. That freaks me out."
He shrugged, "Well you didn't have to. If you had trusted me-"
"Damon, I trust you." She said as if that was absurd, Damon shook his head, "Lily got to you. Wouldn't you say that?" He asked in a cutting tone, she shook her head, "No she didn't. Why are you saying all that? This is all just for them, we will go at our pace, baby. We don't need this pressure." She convinced holding his hands, "You love me don't you?"
He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her briefly, she pulled back after a moment, "Arghh Now let's just not talk about all this stuff in front of Bonnie and her boyfriend okay?"
Damon huffed, "Of course."
Soon Bonnie joined them but she was alone, "He's outside taking a call." She excused her boyfriend as he sat down, "I've literally heard so much about you." Bonnie said to embarrass Elena who blushed, "Okay I am not that obsessed now."
Damon chuckled and wrapped his arm around Elena, "Oh the idea of you being obsessed is perfectly fine with me." He kissed her cheek, she rolled her eyes, "Wouldn't you like that." She teased.
Bonnie smiled, "You both are sweet. So are you guys going on that trip, semester is about to start."
Elena looked at Damon for an answer, they hadn't really talked about it, "Yeah. We are going to leave in a few days."
"Oh hey, Enzo is here." Bonnie said and waved at the man that was a few tables away, When Damon saw the man, he froze. Was this really a coincidence? No way.
"Sorry I had to take that call." The man said as he sat down, Elena greeted him, "We've been planning this for so long now."
Enzo acted like he didn't even know him. Great. More problems.
So this man was Elena's friend's boyfriend and also Elena's supervisor. Wow. What both of them didn't know was Enzo was also on his 'fellow' on mid-year cruises. Another one of Rose's conquest.
Due to lack of communication on his end, Elena introduced him, "This is my boyfriend, Damon Salvatore."
Enzo raised a brow, "Oh I've heard of him."
Damon's breath got caught but Enzo then added, "Your company skyrocketed last year."
"You follow me?" Damon asked casually and the man nodded, "Very closely." When he noticed Elena and Bonnie's eyes on him, he said, "Your work, I follow it very closely. I never thought anyone could handle it as well as Giuseppe Salvatore. The guy was a genius."
Damon bit the inside of his cheek, he absolutely loathed when he had to act like he cared about Giuseppe, "Its good to live up to those expectations."
Now that Elena had some idea about his tainted relationship with his father, she knew that this must be making him uncomfortable as Enzo continued, "I just wish I had a mentor like yours, he seems to have such an impact it's like he reincarnated in your form."
Damon pressed his lips together, he knew Enzo was trying to mess with him because Rose always leaned towards him more than she did Enzo. He was actually losing it. But then he felt Elena's fingers laced through his and she squeezed his hand as if comforting him, "Damon is exceptionally talented but completely different from his father. I know that. His ideas are his owns." She said lovingly. Bonnie gave an awkward laugh, "Oh-kay guys let's just skip the who impacted what talk and order? I am starving."
Damon took a deep breath, "I agree with Bonnie, I am famished."
He tried to understand Enzo's motive, if he was here because of this 'Rose' thing was he using 'Elena's friend' to do it. Poor girl, she was constantly going on and on about relationship milestones that the bastard didn't even care about. The man was probably looking for Rose even after all these years.
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Elena was still thinking about all that pre-dinner talk. Damon seemed off with her. Then he did walk in on Stefan and her the other day. She felt confused. He was quiet the whole way back.
She was putting some dishes in the dish washer when she saw him walking to the house bar, tempted to talk. She left her work mid way and walked across the hall towards the bar, "Hey, you okay? You've been crazy quiet."
He shrugged without turning back, "fine."
Elena took a deep breath and walked closer, "You wanted me to sign it and I did. I didn't think it would be an issue."
He clenched his jaw and nodded, "I didn't say it was."
"Then why won't you talk to me?" she asked leaning closer, he sighed trying to contain his outburst before turning to her, "Everything is not about you, you get it?" he snapped. She frowned as he stepped closer, "The problem is that you keep asking these probing questions. If you are so hell bent on finding a reason-" he realised he was actually shouting at her, she was looking at him in shock, he palmed his face and took a step back, "I am so sorry, it's just- That guy, Enzo. He reminded me of something and-"
She bit her lip, "I know that. But he didn't know anything about you. You aren't your father." She gulped stepping closer and slowly cupping his face, "You don't have to be like that. What anyone from the outside thinks doesn't matter. I know you and I love you."
His mouth fell open, now he shouted at her and actually planted a seed of doubt in her head. "It's okay Damon. We all lose control sometimes." She said wrapping her arms around him and holding him close, "You just have to believe me. Okay? Just trust me. He is gone now, you are your own person."
He felt a wave of warmth cross him as she held him close, like a warm blanket in that dark cold cellar. He murmured, "What do you even know."
Elena rubbed his back slowly to calm him down, "That you deserve to know that you are worth it. Don't shut me out."
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Damon was sitting up in his bed, it was late at night and all he could think about was the past. Elena was curled on her side of the bed. He just took it too far. He put his share in danger just to mess with a brother who still didn't hate him. No matter what he did he couldn't escape the cruise years and the shittiest of it all was that he felt like he was on the road to becoming his father.
Maybe that's how it all started. He realised his power, he got addicted to manipulation, to buying anything with money and to testing every limit.
Was he going to end up like him. He felt anxious as he ran a hand on his bare chest feeling it aching with emptiness and pain at the same time. He thought he was different, but he was addicted to wanting it all. For once in his life he wished he could believe Elena when she said he was misunderstood or he was capable of being saved.
He was lost in his own head when Elena pulled at his arm, she sounded sleepy, "What's wrong?"
He shook his head looking away, tugging at his arm for her to let go. He felt the bed shift as Elena sat up and rested her head on his back, wrapping her arms around him, "Still thinking about him?"
He shook his head, "No, just me. I am terrible. You don't know how fucked up I am." He held on to her arm around his shoulder and asked, "I really wanted to be another man after be died but I didn't know who I was. I feel like a robot with no instructions." He chuckled darkly, "And I acted on my worst intentions because that's what I think I was made to do. But now that I have the opportunity to be me. I don't know what I am. Life is half way done and I don't like what I am."
He rested his chin on her arm, "You want to believe in me and i know it's sick but I really wish you didn't because at least then I have an excuse." He huffed loudly. She felt a bit uneasy with his confession, did he want her to assume the worst of him? Give up on him and leave him alone? But he was finally opening up to her and she had never seen him like this before.
"You are not a robot without instructions. He was fucked up and he fucked you up but you don't have to be the way it was. He's dead and no matter how long it's taking you to realise this but you can start over. You can be the opposite of what he wanted you to be because that's what you want but you are uncomfortable." She kissed his temple and cupped the side of his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb, "When my mom died, I blamed myself over and over. I changed every reason why I thought she might have hated me. I felt alone through it all, so alone that I didn't realise that she hurt me as well. She gave up on our family a long time ago. And she never even apologized ,she chose to end it all. So I can't spend the rest of my life satisfying a ghost. And neither can you live this life reflecting on his every action and running away from it. You need to move on."
He turned his head to her and rested his forehead against hers, "I wish I knew where to start."
She smiled, "Well you can start by coming back to bed. It's Monday." She whispered the last word and he sighed, "Right." She made him lie down and rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arm around him, "Trust me okay?" she asked in a soft whisper.
"I love you." He felt a huge weight off his chest when he said that, "I'll love you forever."
She looked up at him and smiled, "I love you too. Now, tomorrow and any day you forget."
Could it be true? He thought, could he actually be in love?
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Damon had never been distracted like this, he knew that his probable enemy "Enzo" was out to conspire against him and yet he was in denial. He was beginning to enjoy his domestic bubble much to his horror because it seemed like it was going to be short-lived. Sooner or later everything would fuck up supremely.
Elena was cleaning the home office. She hated how cluttered that place looked. Damon was in there all the time and he couldn't bother organizing the piles of work he brought home. Damon was looking around for her when he spotted her in there, organizing the shelves and shredding the papers he had tossed on the floor. He leaned against the door asking, "This is why I think we should hire some staff around." He had heard her more than a few times about how messy he left things.
She sighed, looking over her shoulder, "Ughh don't start. These are very normal chores which you should learn to do on your own." She said in a lecturing tone.
He smirked seeing her annoyed. He secretly found it amusing whenever his cool and calm girl friend would bat shit lose it over the smallest things. "See if you look at it my way, I still get the work done." He said taking a step in to the room. She shrugged as if asking to which he said, "My behaviour provokes you to organise in here. Thus, if anything I get the credit."
He watched her hiss before she put the books in the bottom shelf with accurate order, "Or maybe you can just actually clean." She spat.
He chuckled riling her up further, "Don't be ridiculous- do I look like a maid? You're the one with the vacuum cleaner-"
Before he could get another word out she threw the ostrich feather duster at him which he caught while she walked towards him, "You're such a dick- it's not that hard to wash a few dishes or pick up a wet towel or putting the freaking books back in place!" she said backing him to the couch near the large mahogany desk in the room. He laughed holding her wrists as she scowled at him, "You always go on and on about how the ties you like go missing well because you toss them away like a child when you get home, mister." She scolded.
He rolled his eyes, "Okay fine, I take my words back. No need to kill me."
"I should kill you, you've surpassed three strikes a whole of seven times now." She muttered relaxing her grip on his hands, he raised a brow, "You have a strike system?"
"Mmhmm." She said slowly straddling him now. He slid his hands down to rest them on her hips, "And I've been 'out' about 7 times?" He asked surprised.
She nodded, "Yeah strike one right now." He slowly leaned in her neck and trailed soft kisses down the skin of her neck. She breathed his name out before throwing her head back, giving him access, "Okay, I take back the last one." She said in a small giggle when his lips closed around a spot on her jaw, "Elena." His voice held urgency. She looked down at him with a small smile.
He wanted to say so much, that she was beautiful, he felt alive around her, that even a feather wasn't as soft as her skin or any music didn't match up to the peace he felt when she talked to him, he had so much to say but all he said was, "Marry me, Elena."
She pursed her lips, this was so out of the blue, before she could say anything, he added, "I don't want to wait. It's what I've been thinking about a lot lately and the truth is I am in love with you, so much that I realize life is very short and I don't want to spend 2-3 years waiting for our forever."
She felt tears coming to her eyes as he spoke softly, "I promise I'll take care of you. Just let me."
Elena didn't know what to say, she opened and then closed her mouth shut, "Now?"
He nodded, "Yeah, take this as a casual non Paris proposal, and if you want it I can go all out on our trip to make it a huge fancy thing. Of course knowing that you'll say yes." She giggled as he added, "Like a foreplay you know."
"I like foreplay." She said sniffling. "And I love you but you'll have to wait a few years." She said planting a small kiss on his cheek, he sighed not expecting her to turn him down, "I'll give you everything, Elena. And I know you think it's too fast. It's fast for me as well, but I am not thinking about things that could go wrong anymore because there is one thing that is right. It's you. All these mistakes I've made, I've still managed to end up with you in my life. I might be clueless about everything but there is no doubt in my head that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me." He slowly held her hands and looked down at them.
"I need you in my life." He confessed sincerely, she licked at her lips and looked in his blue eyes that shone with hope, "Okay." She murmured.
"Okay as in?" he asked, she huffed, "Yes to the foreplay, sweet proposal. I will marry you but-"
She trailed off, slowly sitting up in his lap, "You will shred all those papers that are stacked behind that desk." She pointed to the table beside them.
He rolled his eyes, "Forget it. Not worth it. I am better off." She gasped picking up the duster and hitting him with it, "Jerk! Not worth it?"
He coughed putting his hands up in surrender as she hit him with the duster over and over, "Kidding! Kidding. Jeez you're really scary."
She stopped tossing the duster aside, "Its something you'll bear with for the rest of your life." He wrapped his arm around her waist and flipped them so now he was on top of her, "I am well equipped to bear with you."
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Hey guys, new update on the story. I am quickly trying to finish all of them because I have too much work on my hands right now. I love to write and nowadays I am going through very tough times so I would love if you would drop me a review
Next chapter
Delena gets married. Elena finds out more.
Elijah suggests the only way to terminate the contract is if the subject "Elena" dies... Will her selfish husband do it? Stay tuned!