The Ballroom

DAMON'S POV;

The ballroom, typically filled with intriguing decorations from glistering chandeliers that cast a glow to cascading draperies in rich sumptuous colours, attendees and attendants dressed in their finest with ladies in gowns and gentlemen in their formal suits.

The music filled the air...while some of the guests danced to the rhythm of the song.

I and Elena walked in with Leonardo ahead of us. "Take her for a while Leo," I said taking Elena's towards him. " Antonio," he called my name faintly. I knew he had doubts cause this was not in the plan, we were supposed to use Elena to get through to him if sighted.

I turned my attention to her and I noticed she wasn't letting go of my hands easily, she looked at me curiously, trying to understand the clueless chat between me and Leo.

"I need to check out something". I said ignoring Leo's concern and moving out of Elena's soft hold. " I'll be right behind you," Leo replied. "Watch her for a while." I insisted. I advanced towards the little crowd.

As I moved further into the ballroom, I cautiously walked, my eyes scanning the crowd, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, I felt every step I took could be monitored by unseen eyes.

I thought it was my imagination but I saw eyes were actually on me, these men looked like they knew more than I knew, the extreme paranoia gnawed at me and I was about to enter their midst until I was stopped by one of the ball servers who offered me a drink.

"Would you like a drink sir" In the silver tray he was holding were cool glasses of champagne with wine drink and it was almost like he knew what I needed at that moment cause I was getting frustrated and wasn't thinking clearly. My eyes were squinted, as I tried to read the situation. These men were obviously keeping close tabs on me. But then my men were amongst them. I chuckled to myself. I had pretty smart men. If any of the rivals tried to make an ugly move, they would die on the spot. And there Derek was, thinking he was winning. I rolled my eyes as I sipped my drink.

I gestured a satisfying reaction with the drink in my hand after accepting his service. " You're welcome sir," he said generously as he moved further into the crowd. I turned back feeling calm and seeing the men I suspected smiling at each other.

I needed to pull myself together cause this was a ball organized by an anonymous mafia group which seems to be unknown at the moment. It might seem fishy but was not new to me as I've been in a situation like this before. I was certain that even his mafia men had no idea who he was.

But I couldn't pass the opportunity to find my brother Derek and bring him down and end his horror that has consumed me for so long. "Young man." A lady called me surprisingly as I looked back quickly at the tiny voice. "Wanna dance cuz you seem lonely." I furrowed my brows, unimpressed by her approach.

"Excuse me. I have other pressing matters to tend to." I said nonchalantly, moving away from her and I felt her eyes behind me looking rejected but I didn't care. I was interested in absolutely no distractions.

I still advanced hoping to find something, tension rose again in the atmosphere because I still couldn't help but feel that I was being monitored, I sipped a little from my glass of champagne. Suddenly I heard laughter coming from a group of people. "All hail the mighty Derek." One of the men said joyfully, starting a cheer with the others.

Sounds of glasses clinking filled the air as I watched them all, I felt my eyeballs moving randomly at them all trying to find my target until they stopped and glared at a despicable-looking man smiling at the other men with so much malice in his eyes. He hadn't sighted me yet, but he knew I was here. That was the exact reason he called for this ball because he was after me. But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me or luring me into his traps. I was no longer the naive little boy he used to know. With what he made me go through, I was never going to be or become his footmat. He was going to pay with every drop of blood for what he did to our parents. Our father only abused me, never raised his hand on his first son, but instead, treated him so well because he was his heir. He was our father's favorite and yet he had the mind to kill that man. Even our mother...I was furious at the memory of my mother lying down, lifeless because of her son. My breathing rose and I could kill him and stab him with a knife in his heart. He should have done so much better.

My blood began to boil as I watched him from the corner but I couldn't move towards him. I had to be discreet, to read the situation, I couldn't act on impulse and he mustn't know that I was here. I knew his men were out here to kill me and I sighted the man that had his eyes on me. I chuckled to myself. They really thought I was that easy to target huh? Well, they had another thing coming. Like a predator to its prey, I stared at him while he glanced about. Finally, after eighteen years of searching, he finally revealed himself. He had no idea what it was that was going to hit him very soon.

A lot of things flashed through my mind. I could bring out my gun and end him right here or go there and hurt him badly whatsoever. I couldn't hold the pressure anymore. I tried to let loose my pistol but was held back by a touch on my shoulder. "Leonardo," I called quickly

I felt a cool breeze move past me when Leo put his calming hands on my shoulder, it was as if he sensed the inner turmoil inside me. "Remember the plan Antonio" he said calmly into my ears."We can't act impulsively." "Let's get her and work this out."

I nodded in agreement and took a deep breath to myself. "Let's go!" I said quickly. I later realized I could have been reckless and my impatience could have gotten the worst of my downfall. I felt a little scratch on my palm, I just noticed I left a crack on the empty glass and gotten myself a little graze,

I saw Elena waiting and looking puzzled at a corner. She looked curiously at me when I moved towards her. "I need you to get to someone" I said calmly while rubbing my hand with a white napkin making sure to cover the sight of bleeding.

She was reluctant to respond, looking at me puzzled. "You'll see a man dressed in a wine suit at six o'clock." "I want you to get his attention," I explained further "and the rest will take place."

"I don't know," she said, looking confused. " You don't have to know anything, just get his attention" I insisted. She looked at me with disbelief written all over her face. I understood her hesitance, but I believed Derek was more important to me and had to be trapped. I didn't want to miss this opportunity. This was a chance for me to test the waters, to see how he would respond to her.

"Go now" I said to her and she reluctantly moved towards him, I and Leo followed her slowly and stopped at a corner to examine the situation. As I saw her move cautiously in his direction, she stumbled, missing her step and I took an unconscious step forward trying to stop her from falling but then she was quick to catch his clothes. He turned due to the sudden impact and instantly helped the damsel in distress. I noticed the look in his eyes the moment she straightened and looked at him. It was a look of intrigue. He was entrenched by her beauty, exactly where I wanted him to be. I noticed that they exchanged pleasantries, and wanting to hear their fingers, I dodged to a corner where they both were.

"I've never really seen you around here before. You're new aren't you?" He asked and she nodded.

I saw Leo beside me drop the cup he collected from me in the tray a ball server was carrying and it caught the attention of the attendee to see the crack in the cup, he glanced at us immediately but kept moving the other way.

I turned back in that direction, and what I saw made me lose focus, they were both smiling at each other. I couldn't believe I felt a pang of jealousy as they chatted. The scenario is fabricated but seeing them together stirred up emotions I never knew that I had. What were his hands doing on her waist? I watched the way he was going quite easy on her like an egg. Then I heard him ask her for a dance. I watched as they both joined the other dancers and from what I was seeing, she was really enjoying her company with him. I nearly growled.

"Keep calm, Let's focus on the bigger picture," Leo said to me with ease in his voice. He is right, I thought. I watched as Elena engaged Derek in conversations, her smile was so convincing that even I would have been trapped by the beauty if I didn't know her so well. Derek seemed intrigued, fixating all his attention on her.

"It's working" Leo said to me, making me release my thoughts. "And it's only a matter of time before we drag him down." "Yes, I'm determined to see this through," I replied.

"But would the plan succeed?" I asked Leo to know his thoughts. "It's a good plan, Antonio." "As long as he's intrigued by Elena he won't be able to slip through our grasp." He replied.

All I know is that I'll stop at nothing to get to the bottom of my revenge as long as I'm alive no matter the cost. I shifted my attention to Elena and Derek's discussion, I was getting sick. When will it end? I thought.

I noticed Derek's possessive stare on Elena. I knew that look because I gave Elena the look all the time. He wanted her in his bed. The thought of him thinking of her that way heightened my anger causing me to clench my fist out of fury. I was tempted to walk over there and show Derek that Elena was mine and he had no fucking right to touch her. I had to calm myself down because I was the one who sent her off with the assignment. I had to be patient. Then I saw Derek hand Elena a card. I cocked a brow. Why the hell was he handing her a card? To give him a fucking call?

"That's our cue to leave Antonio," Leo said. "It seems their discussion is coming to an end and Elena will be back to us soon." I moved behind Leo to a corner waiting desperately to see Elena back under my control.

She was coming over as soon as I turned back. "Well done," I said to her nonchalantly. She looked at me furiously and I was shocked cause I'd never seen such reactions from her before but I ignored that. "Let's get going now," I said calmly.

I moved outside the ball room followed by Elena and Leo down to the car. Elena seemed a bit cold towards me, and I thought that was new.