Chapter 338: There's a Mole
Emily fell silent for a moment, and Charles could hear her slightly rapid breathing through the phone. After a while, her voice carried a trace of lingering fear and certainty: "You're right, Charles. I had the same feeling that something was off. When I went to see Beau... that meeting, I didn't tell anyone about it, not even you, until afterward. But Kismet not only knew about it, but she also embellished the story and told Oliver. I thought it was strange at the time, and now I realize—there's no other explanation except a mole!"
Emily's meeting with Beau was extremely secretive, and if exposed, the consequences would be devastating. The fact that Kismet knew about it and used it to attack her proved just how deep her surveillance network ran.
"So we need to find this person immediately. They're right beside us, with access to core intelligence. Let's think carefully—from when Jett was captured to his release, and Ewan's hospitalization, who knew all or part of the plan?"
The two began systematically going through suspects over the phone. From Charles's core team members to security personnel, then to people around Emily... every name was examined and reexamined, analyzing their motives, behavior, and possible access to information. They ruled out those who seemed suspicious but lacked evidence, as well as those who were utterly loyal with no possibility of betrayal.
The process was extremely difficult. Every person mentioned seemed to have reasons to be trusted, yet also had barely perceptible points of suspicion.
"Wait..." Emily's voice suddenly stopped, carrying a hint of hesitation and disbelief, "Charles, are we overlooking someone?"
"Who?" Charles pressed.
"Kate." Emily's voice dropped, tinged with uncertainty, "She's been by my side, my personal bodyguard. She knows almost all my movements. Because I'm present during some of your planning sessions, she's overheard things too. We've never really guarded against her."
Charles's heart sank like a stone.
Right—Kate and Kismet had grown up together. While Kate often couldn't stand Kismet's affected mannerisms, the two had grown up together, maintaining a lukewarm but persistent relationship.
She wasn't someone who would betray the Windsor family.
But she could very well have done something wrong unintentionally.
Emily's voice carried a trace of bitterness, "You know how Kate can be—sometimes her guard is down. If people ask her about things she doesn't think are important, she might just tell them. And since she and Kismet grew up together, even though their relationship is lukewarm, if Kismet asked her things indirectly, Kate probably wouldn't realize she was being pumped for information. She still has some affection for Kismet, so she wouldn't be as defensive as she would be with a stranger."
Charles's mind instantly flashed through countless scenes: Kate reporting Emily's schedule while by her side, Kate casually mentioning Ewan's condition and which hospital he was in, Kate present when he discussed Jett's handling. If Kate was that "leak," then everything made sense!
"Jett's holding location, Ewan's hospital room, and your meeting with Beau..." Charles's voice grew increasingly cold, "Kate could have inadvertently revealed all this information during casual conversations with Kismet! Kismet knows Kate's personality too well—a few words and she could extract whatever she wanted! Kate probably doesn't even know that her casual remarks betrayed all of us!"
This conclusion hit them both like a boulder. It wasn't malicious betrayal, but careless leaks—which made it even more helpless and heartbreaking. Kate wasn't evil; she was just too naive, lacking vigilance, and had been exploited by Kismet.
Emily's voice carried exhaustion and disappointment, "She told Kismet about Jett's holding location and Ewan's hospital room, so Jett was ambushed the moment he left the safe house, and Ewan nearly... And my meeting with grandfather—she told Kismet about that too."
The truth was out, but there was no relief, only added weight. That seemingly harmless Kate, who stayed cheerfully by Emily's side every day, had become Kismet's most hidden and deadliest "eyes" planted among them.
Charles felt a surge of fury shooting straight to his head, his chest nearly exploding from the suppressed rage! He clenched his fists violently, his knuckles white from the pressure, his breathing becoming labored.
"Kate! Get her over here immediately!" he roared into the phone at Nathan, his voice blazing with fury that could ignite the air itself.
After hanging up, Charles paced restlessly in the car. Minutes later, Kate appeared before him, looking completely bewildered. Seeing Charles's face dark enough to drip water, she finally realized something might be seriously wrong.
"Mr. Windsor, you wanted to see me?"
"Jett is dead!" Charles's voice was ice-cold, slamming into Kate like a sledgehammer, "Ewan was attacked in the hospital and is still in surgery! Kate, did you tell Kismet about these things?"
Kate was startled by Charles's sudden interrogation and icy stare, instinctively stepping back.
But hearing "Kismet's" name, she seemed to relax instead, her face showing an expression of "oh, so that's what this is about." She nodded matter-of-factly: "Yeah, I told her. So what? Kismet asked me, and I figured we're all family, so there was nothing I couldn't tell her. I told her everything. She even complimented me, said I was well-informed." As she spoke, she even showed a hint of pride in seeking approval, completely unaware of the magnitude of trouble she'd caused.
"Family?" Charles laughed bitterly in rage, stepping closer and staring Kate down, his eyes filled with disappointment and fury, "Kate! Do you know what your so-called 'family' did with the information you gave her? She sent people to kill Jett! And nearly got Ewan killed too!"
"What?" Kate's smile froze instantly, her eyes widening like saucers, as if she'd heard something fantastical, "No... that can't be right? Kismet she... how could she..."
"If you hadn't told her exactly where Jett was held, when he was released, and which room Ewan was in at the hospital, how could she have struck so precisely? Kate, you absolute fool!"
Kate was completely stunned, her face turning deathly pale in an instant. She opened her mouth to say something but found her throat blocked, unable to make any sound. In her mind, she recalled Kismet's gentle tone during their phone calls, those seemingly casual questions that now transformed into sharp knives stabbing at her heart.