The discovery of the hidden camera sent a jolt of controlled fury through President Sterling. His White House, his sanctuary, had been infiltrated. And Ellie, his unconventional cleaner, was clearly the target. He had his security team sweep the area immediately, discreetly extracting the device without arousing suspicion. The footage, he knew, would be invaluable.
He called Ellie to his private study again, late that night. She found him looking grim, the weariness evident in his eyes.
"The camera was confirmed, Miss Chen," he stated, his voice devoid of his usual playful banter. "It was positioned to capture the sofa area, where we often have our conversations. It seems your intuition was correct."
Ellie shivered. "What did it show, sir?"
He sighed. "Mostly you cleaning, bless your diligent heart. And our discussions. About the Ambassador, about Xanadu... even about the Hammy incident." A faint, dry smile touched his lips. "They now know you are connected to me, and that I'm looking into your past. This makes you a prime target, Miss Chen. And it makes this White House, regrettably, less safe for you."
"So... I'm fired?" Ellie asked, a familiar dread creeping in.
"No!" he countered, his voice firm. "Absolutely not. Firing you would be exactly what they want. It would make you vulnerable. Instead, we're going to use this. We're going to set a trap. A sting operation."
Ellie's eyes widened. A sting operation? Her?
"They know you have information," Sterling continued, "or at least that I'm giving you information. They want to know what you know, and perhaps even retrieve the original USB drive. We're going to let them think they can get it." He paused, then looked at her directly. "This is dangerous, Miss Chen. It will require your full cooperation. And it will require you to play a part."
"What kind of part, Mr. President?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"The part of an unsuspecting, slightly overwhelmed cleaner, who accidentally stumbles upon something far too big for her. Someone who might be coaxed into making a mistake. Someone who might seek 'help' from the wrong person." He then outlined a daring, intricate plan. They would plant a decoy USB drive, seemingly containing highly sensitive information, in a location Ellie would "discover" during her cleaning rounds. Then, they would leak subtle information, through carefully monitored channels, suggesting Ellie might be looking for "help" or feeling overwhelmed by the "secret" she carried. Their goal: to flush out the agent or agents working for Minister Chen inside the White House.
"But who would I go to?" Ellie asked, her mind racing. "Who would 'help' me?"
President Sterling's eyes narrowed. "That's what we need to find out. We'll be watching closely. And you, Miss Chen, will be our bait. It will be risky. But it's the fastest way to expose them." He then pointed to a figure standing silently by the door, having entered without Ellie noticing.
It was Agent Miller. His face was, as always, unreadable.
"Agent Miller here," President Sterling said, his voice firm, "will be your primary point of contact for this operation. He is one of my most trusted agents. He will be watching you, discreetly. Protecting you. And guiding you through this."
Ellie looked at Agent Miller. The man who had seemed like a shadow, a potential threat, was now being introduced as her unexpected ally. His presence felt less like a threat and more like a pillar of quiet strength. For the first time, his impassive gaze seemed to hold a flicker of reassurance.
"He's the best we have, Miss Chen," Sterling added, seeing her hesitation. "And he's fully briefed. You can trust him."
Agent Miller simply nodded once, a subtle acknowledgement.
Ellie looked from the President's resolute face to Agent Miller's stoic demeanor. Her life, once defined by dusting and accidental spills, was now entwined with international espionage. She, Eleanor Chen, the clumsy cleaner, was about to become the centerpiece of a White House sting operation. It was terrifying. It was exhilarating. And with the President and Agent Miller by her side, she felt a strange, burgeoning confidence. The "shadows" were real, but so was the light of protection gathering around her. The game had just escalated.