Laura was finally free. The dress fitting had only taken a quarter of an hour, but it had been much more than that. The accessories had to selected, and it took sometime to get in touch with the designers appointed to each piece. It had been a delight when the attendant told her everything was taken care of and that she was to come back that Thursday for the last fitting before the ball.

In the backseat of the Rolls Royce that served as her transportation, she finished planning her own birthday gift: a trip to Dubai. Her jet would leave the afternoon after the ball, and she was scheduled to stay at the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite for five days and four nights. The hotel was considered the most luxurious in the world, the price of a night costing $18,716. Since she was to gain access to her father's fortune that day before her trip, the budget would be unlimited. Laura planned to go all-out on herself.

Once she had arrived home, Laura hurried to her bedroom. She threw herself on the king bed like a child, where she remained for a few minutes before reaching for the gold iPad on her nightstand. Her father's e-mail was marked as a priority on her inbox. She opened it and scanned through it. Laura downloaded all of the attached files, and made a call to the kitchen staff to send someone with a snack. The young woman waited until her maid had brought her some Amedei Porcelana chocolate mousse before she focused her attention back to the ball plans.