Chapter 47

Valerie

As I stepped out of the car, I immediately felt the weight of the plan resting heavily on my shoulders. My heart pounded in my chest as I approached the entrance to the mansion, my mind racing with possibilities. I had to make this work; failure was not an option.

"Ms. Laura, what are you doing here?" The guard's voice pierced the tense silence, and I knew this was the moment of truth. The part one of the plan of convincing him I was Laura, was complete. Now came the hard part—using my acting skills to persuade him further. The success of the entire operation depended on it.

"My car kind of got wrecked a bit, not too far away," I began, trying to sound as much like Laura as possible. "I had to walk in these heels for the past hour, and on top of that, my phone died too," I paused.

"Oh god, today has been a complete disaster. I'm sure Drew really won't be happy about this."

I held my breath, waiting for his response, hoping beyond hope that he would just buy my story. But