The President Fell for His White House Cleaner

The decoy USB drive was out. Ellie's every movement felt magnified, every glance from a passing staff member seemed laden with meaning. Anya, her constant shadow, remained impossibly calm, her presence a steadying anchor in Ellie's internal storm. Agent Miller's reports to the President confirmed that the bait was indeed attracting attention. Minister Chen's network was stirring.

The White House, usually a place of predictable chaos, became a stage for heightened, almost theatrical, tension. Ellie maintained her "overwhelmed cleaner" persona, dropping her dustpan with exaggerated clumsiness, sighing audibly over particularly stubborn stains, and occasionally muttering to herself in Xanadu about the immense pressures of her job. She even "accidentally" bumped into a few carefully selected White House staff members, letting slip vague, panicked remarks about "secrets" and "big trouble" before scurrying away.

Then, the contact came.

One evening, as Ellie was finishing her shift in a deserted corridor near the staff exit, a new face approached her. He was a man in his late forties, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, but with an air of calculated nonchalance. He moved with a subtle grace that reminded Ellie unsettlingly of Agent Miller, but his eyes, though polite, held a cold, assessing glint. He was not White House staff. He was too smooth, too poised. He was the bite.

"Excuse me, Miss Chen?" the man asked, his voice low, with a faint, cultivated Xanadu accent. "I understand you might be in a... difficult situation. And perhaps in need of some discreet assistance?"

Ellie's heart hammered against her ribs. This was it. The moment she had been preparing for. She forced herself to look flustered, her eyes wide with feigned nervousness. "Oh! Sir! I... I don't know what you mean! I'm just a cleaner! Very busy with... dust!"

The man offered a small, knowing smile. "My dear Miss Chen, let's not play games. My associates are aware of your... recent discoveries. The little drive. The concern for your family. We understand the pressures you must be under. We can offer you a solution. Safety. Protection. And a substantial reward, of course. All for a small exchange of information."

He pulled out a card. It was blank on one side, but on the other, written in elegant Xanadu script, was a time and a location: Midnight. Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. By the cherry blossom tree. And a single, distinct symbol: the lotus with the jagged petal.

"Think about it, Miss Chen," the man said, his voice soft but firm. "We understand your dilemma. A simple choice: cooperate, and find peace. Resist, and face... consequences. My name is Mr. Han. I await your decision." He then nodded curtly and vanished into the evening shadows.

Ellie stood there, trembling. It was terrifyingly real. A direct, explicit threat, masked as an offer. And the symbol. It confirmed everything. This was Minister Chen's direct representative.

She immediately relayed the encounter to Agent Miller, who had been observing from a discreet distance. His face remained impassive, but his eyes held a steely glint.

Later, in a rushed, hushed meeting with President Sterling, Agent Miller, and Ambassador Li Mei, Ellie recounted every detail of the encounter. President Sterling listened intently, his expression grim.

"Mr. Han," Ambassador Li Mei murmured, her voice tight. "Minister Chen's most trusted enforcer. Ruthless. Highly intelligent. His presence confirms they're taking this seriously. And they believe the decoy is genuine."

"He wants to meet you alone, Miss Chen," President Sterling stated, his gaze fixed on her. "Midnight. Lincoln Memorial. Highly dangerous. But also, our greatest opportunity." He paused, then looked at Agent Miller. "Agent Miller, prepare the area. Set up a perimeter. But do not engage unless Miss Chen is in direct, immediate danger. We need to see who else Mr. Han brings. Who else is part of this network."

He then looked at Ellie, his eyes holding a profound seriousness. "Miss Chen, this is it. The culmination of everything. You will go. You will carry the decoy. And you will play your part perfectly. Can you do it?"

Ellie took a deep breath. Fear warred with a fierce determination. For her father. For the truth. And for the trust this powerful man had placed in her. "Yes, Mr. President," she said, her voice steady. "I can." She was no longer just the cleaner. She was the bait. And she was ready for the midnight meeting.