Between The Lines Of Power

Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Dean pov

(Few hours back).

"Son, you wanted to see me. Make whatever you have to say quick. I'm busy," my father's voice came out cold and detached as usual.

I leaned my back comfortably on the chair. I wasn't here to ask for his permission I just wanted to let him know.

"I'm having a baby."

He didn’t flinch. That strict look was still on his face. He didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at me.

"Dean, what do you mean by you're having a baby?" A hint of annoyance was in his voice.

"My campaign manager got pregnant, and I'm taking responsibility."

"No, you're not," he said, taking a drink from his glass. His response didn’t surprise me I had expected exactly that.

"I am responsible for that child, Father, and I make the decisions."

"Dean..." He called my name, tapping his hand in his lap rhythmically. "How sure are you that the child is even yours? What if that little tramp is just trying to pin you down with a baby?"

"Do not insult the mother of my child,I took her virginity, I think that makes me very responsible."

"Do you even think about what this news would do to your chances of becoming president if it gets out?"

"I don't care."

I wasn’t going to bring a child into the world and end up abandoning him because of some stupid political position.

"Why do you want to disgrace your family? Your grandfather was once the Vice President of the United States. This is your time to make this family proud and become the President."

"I am not denying my child."

"You are not taking responsibility for that child," he said, his voice laced with so much anger.

He stood up, pacing behind his desk, the ice in his glass clinking softly as he swirled it around. His jaw was tight, his eyes narrowed with a kind of fury that had long since lost the ability to shake me.

"You’re throwing everything away for a mistake Dean."

"It wasn't a mistake" I said calmly, meeting his stare. "It was real. And even if it wasn't, it still happened. There's a life growing now, and I'm not going to pretend it doesn’t matter just to protect a damn image."

"You think the world cares about your sense of nobility? You’ll be crucified in the media. Do you have any idea what this will do to our donors? To the campaign?"

"I'm not hiding my child to please a room full of people who only care about their pockets. If they want a perfect puppet, they can go find someone else."

His glare hardened. "That woman what’s her name again?"

"Alice."

"Right. Alice. You’ve known her how long? And you expect me to believe this isn't some trap?"

"You can believe whatever you want. But I'm going to be there for my child. I’m not asking for your support. I just thought you deserved to know."

He exhaled slowly, lowering himself back into the chair like the weight of my words had taken something from him. For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

"You really mean this," he said finally, the edge in his voice now quieter but no less cold.

"I do."

He stared at me, then let out a bitter chuckle. "Just like your mother. Always choosing chaos over legacy."

I stood up. "Then maybe legacy isn’t worth as much as you think."

He didn’t respond. He just looked away, sipping his drink like it might somehow drown the disappointment he wore like armor.

I turned toward the door.

"Dean."

I paused, hand on the knob, waiting.

"If you walk out that door and go through with this, you’re on your own. Don’t expect my support from the up coming election ."

I looked over my shoulder, my voice steady. "I wasn't counting on it."

And with that, I walked out

I wasn’t going to allow my child to have the same kind of upbringing I had. I was going to do better than my father ever did.

I sat at the campaign meeting, constantly looking at the clock. I had to go meet Alice, and this meeting was taking up so much time I just kept staring at my wristwatch.

I still couldn’t believe I was going to be a father. I never thought fatherhood was meant for someone as broken as me, but Alice changed that.

My child would have the best life, filled with love. Since I never got to experience that kind of love, I’d make sure my child got all of it.

I couldn’t wait any longer I just got up and left the meeting. It was already getting late. I rushed to my car, and within seconds, the engine started, and I was on my way.

When I was almost at Alice’s place, I saw an ambulance there. What the hell happened?

I pulled over and got out of the car. I walked straight to the ambulance, not minding the person trying to stop me.

“What happened?” I asked one of the paramedics.

She studied me for a moment before excitement spread across her face. “You’re Mr. Dark oh my God, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency.”

I gave her a small smile. “Can you tell me what happened here?”

Her expression shifted. “It’s bad. An Alice Westfield was brutally beaten. We’re about to take her to the hospital.”

“What?”

“Uhmm... do you... know her?”

I quickly took the document from her hand and scanned it. She was severely injured and bruised, and she had lost a lot of blood.

“How did this happen? What’s going on?” I ran a hand through my hair.

“Which hospital are you taking her to?” I asked.

“St. Peter’s.”

Once the ambulance started moving, I followed behind them.

When we got to the hospital, I watched as Alice’s unconscious body was moved out of the ambulance and onto a stretcher.

Even after the paramedics cleaned her up, I could still see it her entire face swollen.

I paced through the waiting room while she was in surgery. How did this happen?

Was it a political opposition that did this?

No… no.

But that didn’t make any sense. Why would someone want to hurt Alice?

The doctor walked toward me, her expression unreadable.

“Mr. Dark, who is Alice to you?” she asked “ you've been here for close to five hours."

“Alice is my campaign manager.”

She took off her glasses. “Well, Mr. Dark… Miss Alice was pregnant. We did all we could to save her, but she lost the child.”