Chapter 13 - Jonathan’s Game
Jonathan Price was found next morning at attorney’s office.
He denied blackmail.
Then evidence dismantled denial.
Courier payments traced through phone compromise?
He had deliberately infected own phone to create false trail.
Cyber-forensic logs showed malware activated after anonymous packages already sent.
Prepaid card?
He instructed Rachel buy it.
Fake paternity PDF?
Created on virtual machine later connected to Jonathan’s home router.
Service-code entries?
One was Margaret.
One unknown.
Third:
Jonathan himself.
Security image’s square ring was costume.
Recovered from his car.
Why?
To resemble Margaret.
Jonathan had built rotating suspicion.
Eleanor.
Adrian.
Margaret.
Nathan.
Claire.
Each had enough secrets to look guilty.
Why?
Money.
But not simple theft.
In 2017 Charles Bennett discovered Jonathan’s undisclosed financial relationship with Hawthorne parent company.
Jonathan had approved Bennett Foundation grants to Hawthorne-affiliated community clinics while privately receiving consulting payments.
Some work legitimate.
Conflict undisclosed.
Charles planned remove him.
Jonathan persuaded Charles delay until independent review.
Then Charles became ill.
After death Eleanor never completed review because she didn’t know full scope.
Jonathan retired with reputation intact.
Years later Hawthorne parent company faced sale.
Old conflict records could trigger clawbacks and professional sanctions.
Jonathan needed Bennett archives discredited before transaction.
How?
Create scandal showing Bennett family itself manipulated genetic and paternity records.
If records looked contaminated by Eleanor’s secret actions, Jonathan could argue 2017 files unreliable.
He used Claire’s pregnancy because emotional impact guaranteed family chaos.
Why Adrian?
Claire’s former fiancé.
His mother Margaret had Hawthorne history.
Perfect believable alternative father.
Why fake paternity report?
To make Adrian confront Claire.
Why let him into mansion?
Jonathan blackmailed Eleanor into granting access.
Why target Eleanor?
Her controlling secrecy made her predictable.
Why prime Lily?
Jonathan overheard Lily tell nanny weeks earlier:
“Mr. Adrian says baby is his.”
He realized child had witnessed confrontation.
At ballroom he asked Lily whether she was brave enough to tell truth.
He did not tell her what to say.
But he intentionally triggered public explosion.
Why?
He wanted Ethan confront Claire publicly.
Eleanor would panic.
Adrian was invited anonymously.
Jonathan expected chaos to discredit everyone.
Then why did Eleanor know which man?
Because Jonathan had been blackmailing her and she knew Adrian was pawn.
Her final glance was toward Jonathan, not Adrian.
That was key visual twist.
But was Jonathan alone?
He denied creating first anonymous package.
Catherine Shaw’s warning had preceded his scheme.
He intercepted later communications after learning she reopened father’s files.
So Catherine accidentally triggered Jonathan panic.
He then turned her warning into elaborate misinformation campaign.
Could one man do all?
He used one private cyber contractor for document spoofing.
Contractor believed it was litigation simulation.
Jonathan misrepresented purpose.
No sprawling conspiracy.
Then Claire asked:
“Did you ever alter medical samples?”
“No.”
Forensics supported.
“Did you use Ethan’s stored sample?”
“No.”
“Did Margaret?”
No evidence.
“Is Ethan father?”
Independent test yes.
Then Adrian asked:
“Did you forge report claiming I was?”
Jonathan finally admitted.
“Yes.”
Claire’s hand tightened over belly.
“You made my daughter think I betrayed her father.”
Jonathan looked down.
“I never intended Lily—”
Ethan cut him off.
“You spoke to her.”
Jonathan had no answer.
Then Eleanor asked:
“Why tell me ‘you failed to protect Charles’s line once’?”
Jonathan smiled faintly.
“To make you think there was another secret.”
There wasn’t?
Regarding pregnancy, no.
Phrase was psychological manipulation based on Eleanor’s fear of family legacy.
Then investigators searched Jonathan archive.
They found original Hawthorne conflict files.
One folder remained sealed:
B-17 CORRECTION.
Ethan frowned.
Jonathan said:
“That has nothing to do with Claire’s baby.”
“What does it concern?”
“Your father.”
Charles.
Ethan reached for it.
Then stopped.
He had learned something.
May you like
“Not yet.”
First finish current story.
