The Bug Inside His Tie

Chapter 5 - The Tie He Never Replaced

Andrew Hale was charged with corporate espionage, fraud, conspiracy and crimes connected to the altered medication.

Mercer Strategies denied authorizing the illegal surveillance.

Investigators later found enough evidence to prove several executives had knowingly purchased stolen information.

The scandal spread far beyond the Hale family.

Victor survived it.

So did the company.

But the mansion changed.

Every room was searched.

Every contractor independently verified.

No employee entered private areas simply because someone with the Hale surname told them to.

Victor also made another change.

He stopped treating household staff as invisible parts of the building.

Elena noticed.

"You know you don't have to personally ask every cleaner how their day is going."

Victor looked serious.

"I've apparently been underestimating people for years."

"You're overcorrecting."

"Probably."

She smiled.

Lily had a different concern.

"Are you still mad about the tie?"

Victor looked down at her.

It had been three months.

"No."

"You looked really mad."

"I was."

"Mom said rich people shouldn't get that angry about clothes."

Elena nearly dropped the tray she was holding.

"Lily."

Victor started laughing.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He crouched.

"You were right to cut it."

Lily nodded proudly.

"I know."

Elena sighed.

"Please don't encourage her to cut strangers' clothing."

"Fair."

Victor reached into a drawer.

He removed the severed purple tie.

Evidence technicians had returned it after the investigation.

The tiny hole in the lining was still visible.

Lily touched it.

"Are you going to fix it?"

"No."

"Why?"

Victor thought.

"Because I want to remember it."

"Remember what?"

He looked at Elena.

Then at Lily.

"That sometimes the person everyone thinks is causing trouble is actually the one paying attention."

Lily seemed satisfied.

Months later, Victor attended another major investor dinner.

His assistant offered several ties.

Victor chose none.

He wore an open collar instead.

Elena saw him before he left.

"No tie?"

"I'm traumatized."

She laughed.

"By Lily?"

"By tailoring."

He smiled.

Then became more serious.

"Come with me."

Elena looked surprised.

"To the dinner?"

"Yes."

"As what?"

Victor paused.

This mattered.

Not employee.

Not maid.

Not some woman hidden from the world because their relationship could become complicated.

"As Elena."

She studied him.

"That's dangerously vague."

"As the woman I'm in love with."

Silence.

Victor immediately looked less confident than he had facing federal investigators.

Elena crossed her arms.

"You took a long time to say that."

"I had a difficult year."

"Not an excuse."

"No."

She let him suffer for another second.

Then smiled.

"I'll get my coat."

Lily appeared behind her.

"Can I come?"

Victor looked at Elena.

Elena looked at Victor.

"No," they said together.

Lily sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

Then she pointed at his collar.

"Check your shirt."

Victor instinctively looked down.

Lily burst out laughing.

Elena joined her.

Victor shook his head.

For the first time, the memory didn't feel frightening.

A small girl had cut through an expensive tie.

Inside, she found a device intended to steal secrets.

But what she really exposed was much larger.

A brother's betrayal.

A plot for control.

And Victor's habit of noticing powerful people while overlooking everyone else.

After that day, he never made that mistake again.