Chapter 28 – The Real Georgia's Last Flight

Sharon was reviewing the Lazarus Protocol files late into the night when her black phone buzzed.

A message flashed on the encrypted screen:

Check the flight logs. Private jet. No landing. Urgent.

Sharon's pulse quickened. She opened a secure database James had instructed her to use - passenger manifests, air traffic logs, and private aviation schedules.

Her fingers trembled as she traced the entries. There it was:

• Georgia Laurent

• Boarded: 03:42, Private Jet, Zurich Airport

• Destination: Unknown

• Status: No landing recorded

Her stomach churned.

Somebody had erased the flight's arrival. Or it had never landed.

Sharon began cross-referencing flight data with surveillance logs she had secretly downloaded from Zurich airport.

• Security footage showed Georgia Laurent leaving the terminal, assisted by two men in dark suits.

• Boarding pass scanned. Jet taxied. Wheels lifted.

• After that - nothing. No landing. No flight path recorded on official trackers.

Questions clawed at her mind.

• Had Georgia Laurent been kidnapped?

• Had she faked her own disappearance?

• Or had something far worse occurred mid-flight?

Sharon's hand trembled as she realized: if Georgia were alive, she might be hiding somewhere, orchestrating her own plan.

If she were dead... then the network controlling Laurent Global had likely silenced her. Permanently.

Sharon felt the weight of the Lazarus Protocol pressing down on her. Every discovery she had made - offshore accounts, shell companies, Isabelle Laurent - now had to be considered in light of Georgia's disappearance.

Someone wanted Sharon to act as the public face of Georgia Laurent while the real heiress vanished into the unknown.

Her phone buzzed again. Another warning:

Stop digging into flight details. Your life depends on obedience.

The words chilled her.

But Sharon's instincts screamed that she couldn't stop. The answers might be buried in the last flight.

She began mapping potential flight paths, private airstrips, and international airfields where an untracked jet could land.

The night stretched long, shadows creeping along the walls of her safehouse. Every noise outside made her flinch - footsteps, car engines, distant sirens.

Sharon realized the truth: the real Georgia Laurent had vanished for a reason.

And finding out why could either save Sharon's life... or end it.

Chapter 29 – The Lie Goes Public

Sharon's morning started like any other, but her phone buzzed relentlessly with notifications.

Social media feeds were aflame. Gossip blogs, finance forums, and international news outlets were all running with the same story:

"Billionaire Heiress Georgia Laurent Behaving Strangely at Public Events - What's Going On?"

Sharon froze. Her hands trembled as she scrolled.

Comments ranged from speculative to vicious:

• "Is she under stress? Or hiding something?"

• "Could this be a public stunt for Laurent Global?"

• "Something's off... I've never seen her like this."

Sharon realized immediately: the public had noticed subtle inconsistencies in her impersonation. Subtle hesitation, a different inflection, the way she held herself - all of it was being scrutinized.

Her pulse raced. Every lie she had maintained - every carefully rehearsed gesture - was now under the microscope.

James Barnett appeared at the mansion, exuding calm control. But Sharon could see the tension behind his eyes.

"Ms. Laurent," he said, "rumors spread quickly. The media never sleeps. You must maintain your image. Smile. Nod. Engage. Answer nothing beyond what is scripted."

Sharon swallowed hard. She had survived financial traps, threats, and even a DNA test - but this was different. The public perception of Georgia Laurent could no longer be fully managed.

The board called an emergency meeting. Sharon sat at the head of the table, her heart pounding, answering carefully scripted questions while investors scrutinized every nuance.

Every wrong word, every slight hesitation, could unravel everything.

And Sharon knew: someone - or multiple parties - had already noticed that the heiress in public was not the real Georgia Laurent.

By evening, the rumors had spread internationally. Tabloids, social media influencers, and finance watchdogs were all speculating about Georgia's behavior, raising questions about mental health, corporate judgment, and even the sudden disappearance of key Laurent executives.

Sharon's black phone buzzed with a new encrypted message:

They are watching your reactions online. One slip, one deviation, and your life ends. Obey, or be exposed.

The warning sent a chill down her spine.

She realized the truth: the lie was no longer contained. The world was watching. Every post, comment, and article became a weapon pointed at her.

Sharon understood that she had two choices: continue playing Georgia Laurent flawlessly, or risk revealing the truth - a truth that could destroy her and anyone connected to the heiress's secrets.

As the night stretched on, Sharon stared at the reflection of herself in the mirror.

She had become Georgia Laurent, in the eyes of the world.

But somewhere in the shadows, the real Georgia Laurent's fate hung in the balance, and the consequences of the lie she embodied were growing more dangerous by the hour.

The line between impersonation and survival had never been thinner.

Chapter 30 – The First Attempt

Sharon stepped into the sleek glass elevator of the Laurent Global headquarters. She had just finished a high-stakes meeting, her hands still trembling from the constant scrutiny and the social media backlash from the public rumors.

The doors slid shut with a whisper. Alone, except for her thoughts.

Her black phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it - something in her gut told her to focus.

Suddenly, the elevator shuddered violently. The lights flickered.

A low, mechanical groan echoed through the cabin.

Sharon's pulse skyrocketed.

She pressed the emergency button. Nothing.

The elevator jerked again, tilting ever so slightly, enough to make her stumble against the mirrored wall.

It wasn't just a malfunction. Sharon knew that instinctively.

Over the past weeks, she had learned to read subtle cues, to anticipate threats. The elevators in this building were state-of-the-art. They didn't just "malfunction."

Her mind raced.

• Was this James testing her?

• Or had someone finally moved from threats to action?

• The Lazarus Protocol, the fake DNA, the rumors online - had they decided she was now expendable?

She recalled the missing attorney, Michael Grayson, whose body had turned up in the harbor.

Her chest tightened.

This could be her fate, right here, suspended in a tiny shaft between floors.

The lights went out completely. Darkness swallowed the cabin.

A faint hissing noise came from above - the cables? Or something more sinister?

Sharon's training, both in impersonation and in self-preservation, kicked in.

She moved to the corner, pressing herself against the side panels. Every second felt stretched into minutes. Her hand sought the edge of the emergency hatch.

The elevator jolted violently, then slid abruptly to one side. A metallic screech filled the shaft.

Sharon held her breath as the doors began to creak open just a few inches - enough to see the empty hallway beyond.

Her heart raced. Whoever had orchestrated this had made it look like an accident. A mechanical failure, a chance glitch. But Sharon knew better: it had been targeted.

The doors slid fully open. She stumbled out, knees weak, trying to steady her breathing.

In the lobby, everything looked normal - lights on, staff going about their business. Nothing to indicate the life-threatening trap she had just survived.

She realized the terrifying truth: in Laurent Global's world, appearances were never reliable.

Someone had wanted her dead.

And they would try again.