Chapter 60

Annette's POV.

"Mom, get ready quickly. The award ceremony will start soon." I shouted fixing Meghan's hair.

"Your grandfather just wants us to go there to annoy Benjamin and Damien." My mother shouted. "By the way who is Elijah going with to prom?"

"One of his girlfriends. All the girls at school asked him but he told them he will give an answer on his birthday but he never did after what happened with Oliver. He didn't even have a birthday party mom and you know he loves to party." I replied.

"So when will I meet your partner Eros. I don't think I'll like the boy if Elijah hates him."

"Mommy, Eros is hot but Elijah is hotter. I also don't like Eros because Eli doesn't like him." Meghan said angry and my mother giggled.

"You Elijah's number one fan Meghan." My mother mumbled. "Annette you sure your dress isn't tight on you?" My mother asked and I shook her. "You both look beautiful my ginger and blonde. Let's go now before your dad starts saying you take after me."

****

My phone started peeping but my mother took it away from me. This will definitely be as boring as all the other awards ceremonies. I don't understand why I'm forced to always come here.

"Follow me." Elijah whispered in my ear and I looked at him confused. I wish I let Meghan sit next to him. "Don't keep me waiting sister." He quickly got up and I tried to get up too but my grandfather caught my hand.

"Where are you going?" He whispered.

"Bathroom." He quickly let my hand go.

I walked through the hall and looked for Elijah everywhere but I couldn't find him.

Someone grabbed me and pulled me into a room.

"You took your time sister." Elijah complained. "Now tell me sister, what on earth are you wearing? How many times must I tell you people will mistake you as something else."

"Eli, please stop it. Grandpa will look for me now if I don't go back. I told him I wanted the bathroom and I never lie." I tried to change the subject.

"What must I do with you sister? You never listen to me when I tell you to stop wearing short tight dress." He tried to ignore him and leave the room but he grabbed my hand. "You are changing Annette." He pinned me on the wall.

"Eli, please let me go." I couldn't meet his eyes. I love him a lot but my life is complicated. I lost hope in him, loving me more than just a sister.

"Fine. I'll stop talking about your dress." He mumbled. "Don't you think it would be a good idea if we go to prom together?" He asked and my heart stopped beating. Is he trying to ask me to be his partner? "Anne, you are my sister and if you go with me than it will be great. You won't have to go alone, you know if a girl goes alone to prom they make it a big thing."

"I already have a partner Elijah." I finally gained the strength to tell him and he started laughing. "I'm not joking, I'm going with Eros."

"Who is Eros? The guy who you smacked me for? The same person you helped to ruin my birthday last year."

"I thought you forgave me for what happened last year." I said.

"I did." He started. "But don't forget you the reason I don't believe in love. Annette you drugged my girlfriend last year and she cheated on me. You ruined my birthday and smacked me after I had a fight with Eros. What's so special about him anyways? When I broke my leg you went to Russia to celebrate the fact I broke a leg but when Eros broke his hand and I laughed you humiliated me in front of everyone. And today you choosing him over me again. I won't let that happen." He shouted. "You can go with him to prom Annette."

"Eli, what are you going to do if I go with him?" I questioned shaking. I know him very well and I know he will do something he will regret.

"Annette, I promised my little brother I would take you to prom and I never break a promise to my baby brother. He always did and will always come before you so I'm sorry sister but if you go with Eros than I will never call you sister nor contact you."

"Eli why are you doing this? I won't even go to prom if you don't want me to. I'll stay at home that night."

"Then why can't you go with me? What is so special about Eros?" How can I tell him I love him and not Eros. How can I tell him that I heard his conversation with Oliver at the hospital that is why I asked Eros to be my partner. I'm scared Elijah will find out I have feelings for him if I go to the farewell with him.

"Nothing. I love you only." He looked at me confused and I shook my head. "You are my brother Eli and I'll always choose you over Eros."

"So that means you will go with me?" He asked and I nodded my head. "Finally Anne, I thought we would argue the whole night about this. Anyways I'll send a designer tomorrow to your house. She's going to just measure you because I already chose a design for you. It's a dress with long sleeves and beautiful and your whole body will be covered. Now let's go before we miss my father losing the best business man of the year." He grabbed my hand before I could say anything. I won't even be able to wear his dress because I love my dress and mom would be angry if she hears Elijah wants me to wear a dress of his choice.

Elijah's POV.

"Eli you almost missed it." Oliver said as I sit next to him. I wonder where Annette went when she was just behind me.

"Don't worry Ollie, I always have great timing." I replied.

"There is no best business man of the year this year." The speaker said. "But there are three business men that deserve this trophy and it is none other than Benjamin Carson, Damien Knight and our youngest business man Cameron Valentino." Everyone started clapping their hands but I couldn't help but think about the man called Cameron. The second the speaker called his name I felt like I found a new clue to help me find my uncle.

"Why is there no drama today?" A boy sitting in front of me mumbled.

"Why don't we fight, I'm also bored." I replied and he turned to me. "Whole shit, you look like—"

"You seem cool." He said interrupting me and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He looks exactly like my father and Uncle.

"Is he your father?" I questioned pointing at my father on the stage and he nodded his head.

"I'm Elliot Adrian Valentino and you are?" He asked stretching his hand for me to shake.

"Elijah Carson Valentines Black and for a second I thought you were my brother." I mumbled shaking his hand.

"You have my brother's middle name as a first name." He said smiling at me. "And you have blue eyes just like my sister." I smiled at him and he turned around.

I saw Mom Anna sneaking out of the place with a man so I followed her leaving the hall.

"Theo stop." She kept shouting after him. "You seem like you don't care about my family anymore."

"You chose the Carson's don't forget that." He replied turning to face her. "You didn't even think about me and what your decision made me go through. Anna you were my best friend, my first wife the person who always put me first in her life. You made sure I got married to Summer when you found out I love her. You divorced me even though our parent's forced us to marry each other. But you not that Anna anymore."

"Theo, ten years is a long time. So many things have changed and I thought you would forget about everything that happened." Mom Anna started to cry. I swear I would beat him up if Mom Anna would let me.

"Forget everything? You want me to forget the fact the Carson's killed my sister. Anna you don't know how it feels to lose a sister. You were always your parents only child. You never cared about anyone besides your father. Everyone else means nothing to you."

"Stop it Theo. You of all people shouldn't judge me. I lost one of my best friends, my brother-in-law and not ones did I blame someone else. But you Theo, you always told me I'll be your friend and my children will always be like your own children."

"That was before my sister was murdered. That was before you chose the Carson's over me." He shouted. "I know I always said I would take a bullet for Meghan and Annette but Anna you shouldn't be surprised if I pull the trigger that kills your precious daughters."

"I never thought my Theo would turn to be a heartless man." Mom Anna said leaving.

If only one of them could mention something about my uncle than I wouldn't have been standing in the cold for no reason.

I was on my way back inside when I heard my dad shouting.

I turned to my right and saw him arguing with a women. I wouldn't be surprised if she's a Russo.

I walked closer to them until I could hear everything they were saying.

"Benjamin you gave me false hope. I collected as much evidence for you to win that court case that day but you never showed up. I was ready to but my marriage on the line for you to have a right to see your daughter but you never came. She waited for you Benjamin. She would be the first one to wake up in the morning and the last one to sleep because she didn't want to miss a chance to see her father. She cried day and night Benjamin but you were living a happy life with your other family. Alison was left broken so one day she decided to give up. Benjamin she stopped eating and talking. She only wanted you, her father."

"Lisa—"

"No Benjamin." Lisa shouted. "You the person I blame for everything. Our little Alison stopped talking because of you. She never wanted anyone Benjamin except her father. Our baby Alison became mute." She started crying and dad tried to hug her but she pushed him away. "You ruined her life Benjamin. Even though she knows you not her real father she still wants you."

"Who told her I'm not her father?" My Dad said angry.

"She found out a few weeks ago when she turned nineteen. She wanted to escape—"

"Did Theo lock her up Lisa? Is that way she wanted to escape." Dad asked interrupting her.

"I locked her up." She shouted. "I was the one that came up with that idea because she always wanted to hurt herself because of you Benjamin. She always said you would come to the hospital if she was ill so she thought of cutting herself." She continued. "Benjamin even though Theo and Nick hate you a lot they would never hurt Alison and tell her the fact you not her father but we had no choice that night. Alison kept trying to run away and we kept catching her but than one night she drugged us all except Theo and Theo got angry. You know he loves her more than anything." Lisa wiped her tears. "Benjamin when he caught her in action that night and she told him she wants to live with her father he got angry and told her the truth about you. But that still didn't stop her she still wants to meet you." Alison really seems to love my father more than I love him.

"How did she take the news?" My father questioned.

"I don't know. I really don't know how to answer your question. Benjamin she asked me if you chose your other children over her because she is not your biological daughter and I couldn't even answer her question because I don't think I know you well anymore."

"How can you even think I love my other children more than her. Lisa I love all my children equally."

"Then why didn't you fight for her in court."

"I didn't want her to go through so much just after she lost her mother. Theo is her real uncle and he is the one her mother choice to take care of her if anything happens to her so how could I fight in court Lisa. The media would've ruined her too. They would label her as my illegitimate child."

"Elijah and Oliver are also your illegitimate son's but the media never said that about them so why did you think about Alison."

"Do you really believe I love Elijah and Oliver more than my daughter Alison? Tell me Lisa." Father shouted.

"Benjamin just stay away from my family. Theo won't like it if he finds out about this." She tried to leave but my father grabbed her hand. "Benjamin let go of my hand."

"Answer my question Lisa. You always said I'm your brother and Charlotte is like a baby sister to you now tell me something do you really believe I love Elijah more than Alison?" Why did dad choose to compare me with Alison. He definitely loves all his children more than me that's why he always compares me with someone. I'll definitely get you back father.

"As much as I hate you I know you love them equally."

"Now do me a favor and let me speak to Alison please." My father begged and she shook her head.

"Don't think I forgave you for what you made me go through." She mumbled hugging him.

This is getting too boring for me.

I went back to the wall and a man stepped on my foot. Sometimes I wonder if everyone can't see me. Last year I got hit on the head and this year he stepped on my foot.

"I'm so sorry." The man apologized.

"It's fine Cameron Valentino." I wasn't sure what to call him so I used his first name.

"I'm just a year or two younger than your father so call me uncle." He replied stretching his hand for me to shake.

"Nice to finally meet a man that ruined my father’s mood at every award ceremony." I mumbled shaking his hand and he started to laugh. I couldn't help but feel like I had shaken this hand before. "I thought you were in a hurry." I added and he nodded his head before leaving.

Everywhere you go you will be one going away from me. You will pass me and you won't even know it's me. You will see me but you won't recognize me Elijah. You will feel my presence but you won't think too much of it. You will talk to me but you won't even know it's me. Remember those words whenever you take a step my boy.

I remembered his words but where can I find a clue to find him!