The Bug Inside His Tie

Chapter 2 - The Room Nobody Entered

Victor canceled the dinner.

Nobody left the mansion.

The guests who had already arrived were moved into the library while security searched the building.

Elena wanted to take Lily to the servants' quarters.

Victor stopped them.

"No."

Elena immediately became defensive.

"She didn't do anything."

"I know."

That surprised her.

Victor crouched in front of Lily.

"Where did you see another device?"

Lily pointed toward the upper floor.

"Your office."

Victor stood.

Nobody entered his private office without authorization.

Not even Elena.

"Show me."

They went upstairs.

Lily walked directly toward a large leather chair beside Victor's desk.

She crouched.

Then pointed beneath the wooden frame.

Security removed a second listening device.

Victor's face turned cold.

"When did you see this?"

"Yesterday."

"Why were you in here?"

Lily looked guilty.

Elena spoke quickly.

"I sent her to find me. I was cleaning the guest rooms."

Lily shook her head.

"No. The nice man brought me."

Victor looked at her.

"What nice man?"

"The one with glasses."

Elena's expression changed.

Victor only knew one man who regularly wore thin silver-framed glasses inside the house.

Andrew Hale.

His younger brother.

Andrew had been living in the mansion for three months after returning from London.

Victor stood very still.

"What did Uncle Andrew tell you?"

Lily thought.

"He said he lost something."

"What?"

"A little key."

Victor and Elena exchanged a glance.

Andrew did not have a key to Victor's office.

At least, he wasn't supposed to.

Then Lily added:

"He said if I found anything black, I shouldn't touch it."

Victor's security chief, Marcus, arrived.

"We found three more."

"Where?"

"Conference room. Study. Your car."

Victor stared at him.

Every important conversation he had held during the past month could have been recorded.

Board strategy.

Acquisition negotiations.

Legal disputes.

Even discussions about his father's estate.

Marcus lowered his voice.

"Someone has been building an intelligence operation inside your home."

Victor looked toward Lily.

A six-year-old child had discovered it because adults had stopped noticing small things.

But another question remained.

Why had Lily recognized the device in the tie?

She gave them the answer herself.

"The tailor showed me one."

Victor frowned.

"He showed it to you?"

Lily nodded.

"He dropped it."

Elena suddenly remembered.

That morning, while the new suit was being delivered, Lily had been playing near the service hallway.

The tailor had knelt to pick up a tiny black object.

He caught Lily staring.

Then smiled and told her it was "nothing important."

Victor's expression darkened.

"He wasn't worried because a child saw him."

Marcus nodded.

"He assumed she wouldn't understand."

Victor looked at Lily.

That mistake might have saved his company.

Or his life.