Chapter 45

Elsa sat at her desk and rhythmically tapped her fingers on the shiny oak table. The stakes were higher than ever, and she could feel the stress in her muscles. Now that Mr. Peter Tate's plan had failed, it was imperative that she move decisively.

"Are you still there, Elsa?" Over the phone, Mr. Peter's voice crackled with a mix of frustration and fear.

Elsa calmly and measuredly said, "Yes, Peter, I'm here," concealing the tempest that was building inside of her. "I'll have to use my own plan since your part of the plan didn't work out."

Mr. Tate let out a deep sigh. "Are you certain? That carries risk.

Elsa squinted her eyes. "There's nothing more we can do, risky or not. We must act quickly before things spiral out of control.

“Alright, Elsa. Do what you need to do. Just be careful,” Mr. Tate conceded, a note of resignation in his voice.

“I always am,” she replied, ending the call. She leaned back in her chair, her mind racing through the intricacies of her plan. She couldn’t affor