Chapter 143
Lora sat in her car outside the Bennett estate gates at three in the morning, watching the security cameras sweep back and forth across the empty driveway. Her hands trembled as she touched the cold metal hidden beneath her jacket - a kitchen knife she had taken from the Caldwell mansion. The weight of it pressed against her ribs like a promise.
"This is my house," she whispered to herself, staring at the sprawling mansion beyond the iron gates. "My birthright. My inheritance."
Three weeks of surveillance had taught her the security patterns. Guards changed shifts at midnight and six AM. The cameras had blind spots near the service entrance. And most importantly, she knew someone who could get her inside.
Maria Santos had worked as a housekeeper for the Bennett family for fifteen years before being laid off last month due to budget cuts. Lora had found her through social media, tracked her down to a small apartment in East Boston, and spent two days convincing her to help.
