It had been sitting on the top shelf, angled toward the doorway.

I picked it up, expecting it to be light and empty.

It felt surprisingly heavy.

I turned the plastic bear over in my hands, looking at the base.

The battery compartment was sealed with electrical tape, but a tiny green light was blinking inside the seam.

It was connected to a power outlet behind the changing table by a thin, hidden wire.

My breath caught in my throat.

This wasn’t a standard baby monitor.

I pulled a small penknife from my pocket and carefully sliced through the black tape.

The plastic backing popped loose, revealing a high-definition lens and a micro-transmitter.

It was a hidden camera.

It was positioned perfectly to capture the entire room, including the antique writing desk in the corner.

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my chest as I looked at the desk.

That was the desk where Jared kept his private files before he remodeled his main study.

I looked back at the tiny blinking green light of the camera.