That evening, Theodore settled into the sofa in his study and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. Hidden cameras quietly recorded every corner of the room, just as they had with every housekeeper before Ava.

The previous employees had all failed in different ways. Some searched through drawers, others photographed confidential papers, and a few even tried opening the locked room upstairs.

Ava did none of that. She quietly noticed his untouched dinner growing cold, placed a soft blanket over his shoulders, and dimmed the bright desk lamp without making a sound.

Before leaving, she carefully picked up a family photograph that had slipped onto the floor. She dusted the frame and returned it to the shelf exactly where it belonged-