Chapter 14 - THE SON WHO BLAMED EVERYONEBlake Sutton’s attorneys released private messages to damage Marcus’s credibility.
The messages showed Marcus insulting his father, boasting about future wealth and promising investors Jonathan would approve Crown Meridian.
News networks replayed them.
Marcus became a public symbol of inherited entitlement.
A television producer offered him fifty thousand dollars for an exclusive interview.
The payment could cover years of restitution at his current rate.
Rachel advised caution.
“They want anger, not accountability.”
Marcus saw the proposed questions.
Was Jonathan emotionally abusive?
Did Eleanor manipulate him?
Was the will revenge?
The interview offered a simple path.
Blame his parents.
Collect money.
Become a victim.
Marcus accepted.
On the day of filming, he sat beneath studio lights wearing a borrowed suit.
The host began:
“Your father cut you off immediately after a family argument. Do you believe he used wealth to control you?”
Marcus looked into the camera.
A prepared answer waited.
Yes.
My father demanded perfection.
My mother enabled him.
No one taught me independence.
All of those statements contained pieces of truth.
None erased the forged signatures.
“My father used money for control sometimes,” Marcus said.
The host leaned forward.
“And that caused your behavior?”
“No.”
The producer frowned behind the camera.
Marcus continued.
“It made dependence easy. I still chose dishonesty.”
“Did your parents fail you?”
“Yes.”
The host smiled.
“But their failure did not sign my name to the loan.”
The interview no longer followed the desired story.
“Was disinheriting you cruel?”
“It felt cruel.”
“Was it?”
Marcus paused.
“No.”
The producer ended filming early.
They paid only a reduced appearance fee.
Marcus placed all of it into restitution.
Online reactions remained divided.
Some called the interview staged.
Others noticed he had not attacked Jonathan.
At the mansion, Jonathan watched alone.
Marcus said:
“I used to believe being a Reed meant I was owed the result of work I never performed.”
Jonathan switched off the television.
His eyes were wet.
He did not call.
The conditions required Marcus to change without immediate emotional reward.
At the hotel, Blake’s former associates approached Marcus.
They offered hidden account information in exchange for protection.
Marcus gave the messages to prosecutors.
The data helped recover more investor money.
His cooperation reduced the restitution amount associated with losses Blake had concealed.
Still, his personal debt remained substantial.
One evening, Marcus returned home to find an eviction warning.
His rent had increased.
He could no longer afford the apartment.
He searched for cheaper rooms.
A house-share listing offered a small bedroom near the airport.
The owner, a retired mechanic named Luis Alvarez, recognized him.
“You’re Jonathan Reed’s son.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you need a rented room?”
“Because I cannot afford an apartment.”
Luis studied him.
“At least that answer is honest.”
Marcus moved in.
The room contained a narrow bed, one desk and a closet smaller than his old penthouse bathroom.
His remaining suits barely fitted.
He donated most.
On his first night, aircraft passed overhead every few minutes.
Marcus could not sleep.
He opened Jonathan’s letter again.
The torn line remained visible.
The choice is yours.
May you like
For the first time, he wrote beneath it:
I know.
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