The President Fell for His White House Cleaner

The day after the discreet council, Ambassador Liu was officially declared persona non grata and quietly, but swiftly, deported. Her departure, disguised as a "sudden diplomatic recall," was a clear message to Minister Chen. The White House returned to a semblance of calm, but for Ellie, the tension was palpable. She was now the central figure in a dangerous deception, a performer on a stage where the stakes were her life and her father's legacy.

Her role was to amplify her usual "clumsy cleaner" persona, making her seem even more flustered, more prone to minor mishaps, but with an underlying current of nervousness. This was to subtly signal that she was overwhelmed, a potential loose end to be exploited.

"Remember, Miss Chen," Agent Miller had advised, his voice flat but precise, "your 'blunders' must appear authentic. Not exaggerated. A nervous tremor in your hand, a slight hesitation in your step. Small details convey vulnerability."

Ellie practiced. She "accidentally" left her cleaning cart in the path of a bustling aide, forcing them to detour. She "misted" a perfectly dry plant with unusual intensity, muttering to herself. She even managed to "misplace" her badge for a few agonizing minutes, causing a minor security alert that she resolved with profuse, embarrassed apologies. All of it designed to paint a picture of a woman just barely holding it together.

President Sterling himself played his part. He subtly increased his public interactions with Ellie, always under the guise of casual, presidential banter. He'd ask her about her day, seemingly oblivious to her manufactured jitters. In a televised address about White House initiatives, he even made a passing, seemingly innocuous comment about the "heavy burden of responsibility, even for those in the most humble of positions," casting a brief, almost sympathetic glance towards the staff section where Ellie was (subtly) polishing a distant railing. It was a perfectly pitched signal to Minister Chen's network: the President was aware of her, and perceived her as a potential weak link.

The decoy was prepared – a seemingly authentic USB drive filled with encrypted but ultimately false information, designed to mimic the style of the original ledger data. It was placed in a location Ellie was sure to "discover" during her rounds: tucked under a loose floorboard in a rarely used hallway connecting the East and West Wings. A location that was just public enough to be "accidentally" discovered, but private enough to suggest a secret hiding spot.

The word subtly spread through carefully manipulated channels. Whispers of a "disgruntled cleaner" who had "stumbled upon something big" and was "feeling the pressure" began to circulate through the White House grapevine, eventually finding their way to Minister Chen's remaining operatives.

Ellie felt the tension mount. Every time she rounded a corner, she half-expected to see a new face, a new "Gary," making a move. She even noticed Agent Miller and Anya Petrova's subtle shifts in position, their eyes constantly scanning, their invisible net tightening around her.

Finally, the moment came. During her designated cleaning time in the East-West connecting hallway, Ellie "discovered" the loose floorboard. With an exaggerated gasp of surprise, she pretended to notice the edge sticking up, feigning an innocent curiosity as she pushed it back down. Her fingers brushed against the hidden USB drive. She paused, looking around, feigning nervousness, before quickly, furtively, slipping it into her apron pocket. Her heart was hammering, a frantic drum against her ribs. She was playing her part, and she prayed it was convincing.

As she walked away, her hands trembling (genuinely, this time), she knew she had been observed. A brief, almost imperceptible shadow detached itself from a doorway further down the hall, then quickly blended back into the background. The bait had been taken. Now, they waited for the fish to bite. The perilous play had begun.