Chapter 38: Blackmail

With it being a weekend, we all slept in. My phone rang and there was a text message from Uncle that made my body freeze. 'Wade, urgently come to my room.'

Getting slowly out of bed so as not to wake Vaughn up, I rushed to the shower and a few minutes later I was strolling through the villa, headed to the west part of Uncle Malkiel's room.

When I approached the wing, he was pacing up and down outside his door. I increased my steps and when he saw me, pulled me into the room and locked it.

He paced by the couch and then said, "Wade, we have a huge problem. One of my friends from the congress party called me. Yesterday Sam met with some members, and he discredited the Malkiels. He said he had evidence to bring us down and that we should not be trusted. I suspect that is why Gideon left immediately after dinner because he accused the Secretary of State of supporting Beth Everette. The way his tone sounded in the accusation led to everyone believing that Mayor Beth and the Secretary of