Chapter 17

Laura's heart was pounding as she walked into her father's house, where she found her mom, dad, and the lawyer, Mr. Anderson, waiting for her. She greeted them with a smile and sat down, trying to hide her worries.

"What's going on?" she asked anxiously.

Mr. Anderson explained the evidence against her brother Bryan and how he had denied the charges against him. But Laura was convinced that her brother was innocent, despite his troubled past.

"I know my brother has made mistakes, but he would never do something like this," she said firmly.

The lawyer nodded sympathetically. "We need to prove his innocence, Laura. We have to find out who really did it."

As they discussed the case, Laura's anxiety grew. She couldn't bear the thought of her brother spending years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. But then Mr. Anderson dropped a bombshell: Bryan would be released tomorrow, and he had a plan to clear his name.

Laura felt a glimmer of hope. But then the lawyer turned to her with a seri