Chapter 1

Marcus's POV

I stood before the crowd, blinded by the flashes of cameras, but their attention did not occupy my mind. It was the woman beside me, Lillian, who captured my focus.

Every movement she made, every shift of her weight, revealed her discomfort. Her trembling hands and forced smile displayed her unease with our position. Sensing her discomfort, I instinctively moved away, creating a distance between us.

Lillian turned her head towards me, relief evident in her eyes. I gazed intently at her face, but she quickly averted her eyes, focusing on the crowd instead. I let out a deep breath and shifted my gaze away as well, scanning the audience. While everyone celebrated this moment, it was Alexander Montgomery who caught my attention. His dark gaze was fixed on Lillian, but when his eyes met mine, his expression changed. He smiled and nodded, acknowledging my presence, and I reciprocated the gesture.

"Marcus, come. I will introduce you to Vice President Montgomery," Gabriel said, prompting me to nod and follow him.

I trailed behind Gabriel until we reached the vice president's table.

"Marcus, this is my vice president and friend, Alexander Montgomery. Alexander, my son, Atty. Marcus Sullivan," Gabriel introduced us to each other, and I extended my hand for a quick handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you, Vice President Montgomery. Congratulations on winning the election," I said.

Alexander smiled at me and took my hand.

"Just as Gabriel mentioned, you are such a polite young man," he said.

"Do you have any plans to enter politics, Marcus?" Alexander asked.

"Politics is a complicated field, Vice President. I don't believe it suits me," I replied.

Alexander laughed at my statement, finding it entertaining.

"You are smart, Marcus. You have an impressive record. I am sure you would fit well in politics," Gabriel interjected, and I simply smiled, concealing the disgust I felt toward their conversation.

These people, Hawthorne and Montgomery, have been leading this country for decades. Not out of love for the people or a genuine desire to serve, but because politics grants them the two things every greedy person desires: money and power.

I sipped my wine, turning my gaze towards the stage where my mother stood, happily answering questions from the media. Then, I shifted my attention to Lillian, who smiled for the camera. But when her eyes met mine, her smile faded. I witnessed her rolling her eyes, and I couldn't help but smile, amused by her annoyance despite my innocence in the matter.

"You should consider joining politics, Marcus. As Gabriel's son, being part of the Hawthorne household means assuming a significant position in society," Alexander suggested.

I turned to him, offering a smile before nodding my head.

"I will think about it, Mr. Vice President," I politely responded.

Alexander smiled, but it soon faded as he looked at me darkly. I chose to ignore it.

When the party concluded, the White House fell into silence, interrupted only by the sound of servers cleaning. I was about to leave when Gabriel called me to his office.

I knocked on his door and entered upon his invitation. Gabriel sat in his swivel chair, a smile gracing his face.

"I am glad you came, Marcus," he said.

I nodded and stood before his desk.

"I couldn't reject an invitation from the President," I replied, prompting him to laugh.

"Please, have a seat, Marcus," he gestured, and I took the chair in front of him.

I adjusted my glasses and awaited Gabriel's next words.

"I am appointing you as my Attorney General, Marcus," he stated, meeting my gaze directly.

"That is a significant responsibility, Mr. President," I remarked.

"That's precisely why I am entrusting it to you. I have faith in you, Marcus," he responded, smiling.

I observed him intently before nodding my head.

Gabriel's smile widened. He extended his hand, and I shook it, expecting a simple handshake. To my surprise, he pulled me into a quick embrace and then looked at my face.

"Thank you for accepting my offer, and please, call me Dad," he said.

I smiled and nodded once again.

"Okay... Dad," I said. Uttering those words proved difficult, but it was a necessary sacrifice.

If Gabriel knew what was transpiring in my mind at that moment, he would likely throw me out. I despised him. I resented my mother for loving a man like him. Out of all the men in the world, why did she choose to love a man who abuses power?

I knew the Hawthornes too well. They were willing to commit horrendous acts to maintain their wealth and power. I would make my mother realize that she is marrying an evil man. I would expose Gabriel Hawthorne, no matter what it took.

"I must take my leave, Mr. President," I said, bowing slightly.

"You're welcome to stay here, Marcus. We have plenty of rooms," he offered, but I smiled and shook my head.

"I am content living in my condo unit, Dad," I replied.

Gabriel exhaled deeply, nodding his head.

"Very well, but I hope your mother can persuade you to stay with us. After all, we are family," he said.

I smiled at him one last time before departing.

"Family," I whispered, feeling no comfort, only disgust.

As I walked through the hallway, I bumped into Lillian. She smiled at me as she always did.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

"Why?" I inquired, looking directly into her eyes.

Lillian shrugged, maintaining her smile.

"I simply thought you would stay here with us," she said.

I examined her closely and detected that her words were insincere. A forced smile adorned her face, betraying her true feelings. I took a step closer, but each time I did, she would take a step backwards until her back met the wall.

Lillian swallowed hard, visibly nervous.

"What are you doing?" she stuttered, attempting to resist my gaze.

Leaning closer, our faces mere inches apart, I examined her eyes.

"You have pretty eyes," I commented, allowing my gaze to descend to her lips.

"You have luscious lips, just as they claimed," I added.

Her breathing grew heavy.

"Get off me," she pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice.

I looked into her eyes once again, then smiled.

"So, this is what it feels like to be near the President's perfect daughter," I remarked.

Lillian pushed me away as footsteps approached.

"Please, let me go," she begged, but I maintained my position.

I saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Lillian," Gabriel's voice called out after a while.

Her face turned pale, and I couldn't help but smile, revelling in her fear.

"I wonder what lies behind your mask," I said, then stepped away.

I released her and walked in the opposite direction.

Glancing back in her direction, I saw her fleeing down the hallway.

I couldn't help but feel intrigued by that woman.

Lillian had never been involved in any scandals. Her records were clean, and all I heard were praises about her. People love her for her efforts to help poor communities. The public perceived her as the epitome of perfection, a saint incapable of making mistakes. However, I doubted that. She is a Hawthorne, and I am certain she has a skeleton in her closet, just like her father.

I knew what lay behind that perfect facade; her true identity was concealed.

When Lillian vanished from my sight, I made my way to the parking lot and drove off.

I received a text from Dylan, my best friend, informing me that he is at Neon, a newly opened bar. I headed there and, upon entering, I am greeted by a loud crowd.

The air was filled with the scent of cigarettes and alcohol.

"Marcus!" Dylan called out, and I searched for him in the crowd. I spotted him sitting on a couch with two women.

"How does it feel to be the President's son?" he teased, a mischievous smile on his face.

I tossed a lemon at him, which he deflected with his hand, and then grabbed a drink from his table.

Leaning back against the couch, I closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them again, Dylan was sitting beside me, leaving his female companions.

"I can picture the disgust on your face as you spoke with those newly elected corrupt officials," he remarked, draping his arm over my shoulder and leaning closer.

"But being the President's stepson has its advantages," he continued, a teasing smile on his lips.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at Dylan.

"You have a hot stepsister," he said, and upon hearing those words, I couldn't help but laugh.

"A perfect, hot stepsister," he added.

I shook my head and took a sip of my drink.

"She seems rather ordinary to me, man," I stated, but Dylan laughed as if I had said something amusing.

"You're just saying that because you hate the Hawthornes. But without her name, Marcus, what do you truly think of Lillian?" he asked, looking directly into my eyes.

I pondered his question, imagining Lillian's appearance.

Her movements were always calculated. She wore a perpetual smile, but upon closer inspection, one could discern its falseness. Lillian possessed an angelic beauty that captivated everyone's attention effortlessly, but those qualities were insufficient for me to be drawn to her. I knew that behind her angelic facade lurked something dark.

"She's average," I responded firmly in my answer.

Dylan looked at me in disbelief, but I remained resolute.

"I know you'll eat your words sooner or later," he said, gazing at me with a meaningful expression as if he could foresee the future.