#FollowTheMoney gained momentum as users began posting screenshots of the original investigation.
“The fact that Sebastian likely risked everything to leak this makes the corruption even more disgusting,” posted @CitizenJournalist, accompanied by a thread breaking down the financial evidence. “Let’s make sure his father pays.” The post went viral.
The hashtag exploded with ordinary people sharing their own experiences of donating to the Hawthorne Foundation. The public narrative seamlessly blended the two stories: Sebastian was the heroic whistleblower, and his father was the villain who needed to be held accountable.
By evening, editorial boards across the political spectrum had weighed in.The Timeseditorial was particularly pointed: “His Majesty’s measured response stands in stark contrast to the theatrical attempts to weaponize family relationships. The public deserves answers about charitable fund misappropriation, not manufactured scandals about royal lineage.”
The Observerwent further: “Lord Hawthorne’s decision to expose his own son’s parentage reveals both the desperation of his position and a personal vindictiveness that has no place in public life. The corruption allegationsin The Chronicle’s reporting remain unchanged regardless of Sebastian Hawthorne’s DNA.”
The speed with which politicians abandoned the royal scandal angle was breathtaking. Any narrative of a “constitutional crisis” evaporated, replaced by overwhelming support for the two brothers. By 6 PM, the Leader of the Opposition was standing outside Parliament calling for an immediate parliamentary inquiry into the Hawthorne Foundation.
The overnight polling results were damning for Hawthorne. Alexander’s approval rating jumped five points to 77%. Sebastian, the newly minted “people’s prince,” polled at 61% favorable. Most importantly, 78% of respondents said they wanted the corruption investigation to continue.
He had tried to make his son a pariah and his scandal a smokescreen. Instead, the world had turned Sebastian into a celebrated anti-hero and shone an even brighter, angrier spotlight on his own crimes.
The internet hadn’t just canceled Lord Hawthorne. It had rebranded him—as the villain in someone else’s redemption arc.
34
Hawthorne’s Miscalculation Becomes Clear
Charles Hawthorne sat motionless behind his mahogany desk, fingers steepled, watching the silent television scroll through headlines that spelled his destruction. The room was pristine save for an empty tumbler of scotch and a manila folder positioned precisely at his right hand.
Miles stood near the window, his usual composed demeanor frayed around the edges. After fifteen years as Charles’s aide, he’d weathered many storms, but nothing like this.
“The Serious Fraud Office has announced a full criminal investigation,” Miles reported, his voice carefully neutral. “The Charity Commission has frozen the Foundation’s assets. There are calls for your immediate resignation from every board.”
Charles didn’t respond immediately. His eyes fixed on the framed photograph of Sebastian at his university graduation—young, confident, still believing his father was a man whose approval mattered.
“Bring me the Canning Street files,” Charles said quietly.
Miles hesitated. “Sir?”
“Sebastian’s signature is on seventeen different authorization forms. Offshore account transfers. Shell company registrations.” Charles openedthe manila folder with surgical precision. “He may have thought he was simply following orders, but legally speaking, he’s as culpable as I am.”
Miles’s loyalty warred visibly with his moral compass. “You can’t mean to—”
“I can and I will.” Charles’s voice remained conversational, almost pleasant. “Sebastian chose his side when he betrayed this family. Now he’ll learn what betrayal actually costs.”
He reached for his phone, scrolling through contacts with the methodical calm of a man executing a battle plan. “Gerald Slate first. He has contacts at The Telegraph.”
The phone rang twice before connecting. “Gerald, Charles Hawthorne. I need you to consider a more complete picture of this Chronicle story… Yes, I know how it looks, but Sebastian wasn’t the whistleblower—he was a willing participant who got cold feet.”
A long pause. Charles’s jaw tightened slightly.
“I see. And your decision is final?” Another pause. “I understand completely.”
He ended the call with deliberate care, then immediately dialed another number.
“Alaric Wynn’s office.” Charles’s tone remained steady, but Miles noticed his left hand had formed a fist. “Alaric, we’ve worked together for fifteen years. I’m not asking for a favor—I’m offering you the real story before anyone else gets it… I have documentary evidence of Sebastian’s involvement that—”
Charles stopped mid-sentence, his face shifting from confidence to something colder.
“I see. Yes, I’m sure you do have other commitments.”
He set the phone down with unnatural gentleness.
“Sir,” Miles ventured, his voice strained, “perhaps if we approached this differently—”