The Contracted Stripper

Luca and Ryan exchanged tense glances after the call ended abruptly. The voice on the other end of the line had answered with a simple “Hello,” but they had said nothing, too unsure of how to proceed without a plan.

Now the silence felt heavier as the realization settled: they needed to act fast if they were going to get to the bottom of this.”We can’t let this slip,” Ryan said, breaking the silence. “Whoever that was, he’s involved. We need to get him talking.”Luca nodded.

“But we can’t just call him back without a plan. He’ll get suspicious. And we need to stay on the call long enough to trace it.”Ryan exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

“So, what do we do? It’s not like we can just ask him who he is. We need leverage.”Luca thought for a moment, pacing the room. “We need to make him think he’s talking to someone he knows. We’ll use what we’ve learned from Bella’s texts, drop hints, and see if he bites.”Ryan frowned, still unconvinced. “And if he doesn’t? We’ll blow our only shot.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Luca said. “We just need a distraction, something to keep him on the line.”Ryan nodded. “Do it. But be careful.”Luca prepared to call the number back when Ryan’s phone buzzed, interrupting the tense moment. He glanced down and saw Ivy’s name on the screen. She had been distant lately, and he hadn’t seen her much since Bella’s scheming came to light.”Ivy,” Ryan muttered. “What does she want?”Luca glanced over. “What’s up?”

“Ivy’s calling. She’s been avoiding everyone since her designs were stolen. She probably wants to talk.”Luca raised an eyebrow. “That’s good. Maybe she knows something useful.”Ryan tapped the phone.

“Hey, Ivy. Everything alright?”Her voice came through soft, almost hesitant. “Ryan, can I talk to you later? I’m actually on my way to see Luca now. I need someone to talk to, and he’s been… good to me lately.”Ryan was taken aback for a second. “You’re heading to Luca’s? You two have been hanging out a lot, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, he’s been a good friend,” Ivy replied, a little more assured now. “It’s been hard, you know? With everything falling apart.”Ryan softened. He understood Ivy’s frustration, and part of him felt guilty for being so wrapped up in his problems. “I get it. Talk to Luca. Just stay safe, alright?”

“I will.” Ivy hung up, leaving Ryan staring at the phone for a moment longer.”You’ve got company coming,” Ryan said, glancing at Luca. “Ivy’s on her way.”Luca nodded, his expression serious. “Good. Maybe she’ll give us some insight into Bella’s moves. She’s been hurt the most by all of this.”

“Yeah,” Ryan agreed, “but I don’t want Ivy getting too close to this. Bella’s ruthless, and she’ll go after anyone who gets in her way.”Luca’s expression darkened. “I’ll keep her safe, Ryan. Trust me.”A few minutes later, Ivy pulled up to Luca’s house. She sat in her car for a moment, staring at the front door.

Her mind was racing with all the things she wanted to say, but part of her didn’t even know where to start. Bella had taken everything from her-her designs, her career, her future-and her family was crumbling under the weight of it all. She got out of the car and made her way to the front door, knocking softly. Luca opened it, his face serious but warm. He motioned for her to come inside.

“You okay?” he asked as she stepped in. Ivy shook her head. “No. Not really.”They went to sit in the living room, the weight of her exhaustion evident in every step she took. Luca could see the strain in her eyes, the way her shoulders sagged as though the burden she carried was too much to bear.”I’m sorry for barging in like this,” Ivy said softly, avoiding his gaze.

“I just… I don’t know who else to talk to. Everything’s falling apart, and I don’t know where to begin.”Luca leaned forward, his eyes focused on her. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m here for you, Ivy. Talk to me. What’s going on?”Ivy took a deep breath, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

“It’s Bella. She’s behind all of this-I just know it. She stole my designs, ruined my career, and now… now she’s tearing my family apart. I can’t even look at my mother anymore. She let Bella into our lives, and now everything’s a mess.”Luca nodded, his expression serious. “I know. We’re starting to put the pieces together.

Bella’s got her hands in a lot of things, and it’s worse than we thought.”Ivy glanced up, her eyes filled with anger and frustration. “Why did we let her get this far? Why didn’t anyone see it coming?”Luca frowned.

“People like Bella are good at hiding their true intentions. She knew exactly how to manipulate everyone around her. But we’re onto her now, Ivy. We’re going to stop her.”Ivy’s hands clenched into fists.

“I want to help. I want to bring her down for what she’s done.”Luca hesitated. “This isn’t going to be easy, Ivy. Bella’s dangerous. She’s already hurt so many people, and she won’t stop until she’s got everything she wants.”

“I don’t care,” Ivy said, her voice trembling with resolve. “She’s taken everything from me, Luca. I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”Luca leaned back, studying her carefully. “Alright. But if you’re serious about this, you need to know what you’re getting into. Bella won’t hesitate to come after you if she thinks you’re a threat.”

“I’m not scared of her,” Ivy replied, her voice steady. “I’m done being afraid. I’m done letting her walk all over us.”Luca nodded. “Okay. But we have to be smart about this. If we’re going to take her down, we need evidence. We need proof that she’s behind everything.”Ivy took a deep breath.

“Then let’s find it.”As they sat together in the living room, Ivy began to open up about everything that had been weighing on her. She talked about her frustration with her mother and how guilty she felt for letting Bella get so close. She admitted to Luca how lost she felt, how her career seemed ruined, and how she didn’t even know where to start picking up the pieces.”

I thought I had it all figured out,” Ivy said, shaking her head. “I worked so hard on my designs, and then Bella just… destroyed everything.”Luca’s eyes softened.

“Ivy, you’re talented. Bella can’t take that away from you. This is just a setback.”NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

“It doesn’t feel like just a setback,” Ivy muttered. “It feels like the end.”Luca placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice low and comforting. “It’s not the end. You’ll bounce back from this. And when we bring Bella down, you’ll get everything you deserve.”Ivy looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude.

“Thanks, Luca. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”Luca smiled softly, but before he could respond, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen and his expression immediately grew serious.”It’s time,” Luca said, picking up the phone. “I’m calling the number back. We need to know who this man is.”Ivy looked concerned.

“What’s going on? Who are you calling?”Luca quickly explained the situation with Bella’s phone and the mysterious man they had tried to contact earlier. Ivy’s eyes widened as she listened.”So, you think this man is involved with Bella?” Ivy asked.”Yes,” Luca said, nodding.

“We need to keep him on the line long enough to trace the call.”Ivy’s expression turned determined. “Then let’s do it.”Luca dialed the number again, putting the phone on speaker. The line rang once, twice, and then a gruff voice answered.”Hello?”Luca kept his voice steady. “We need to talk.”The voice on the other end hesitated. “Who is this?”

“Does it matter?” Luca replied, glancing at Ryan, who had just entered the room and was listening intently. “We know what you’re doing with Bella. We know about the pregnant woman. And we know you’ve been watching her.”There was a long pause on the other end of the line before the man spoke again, his voice tense. “You don’t know anything.”

“We know enough,” Luca said calmly, trying to keep the man talking. “And if you don’t want everything to come crashing down, you’ll listen to us.”The man let out a harsh laugh. “You’re bluffing. You don’t know a damn thing.”

“We know Jessica’s still alive,” Ryan cut in, stepping closer to the phone. “And we know Bella’s involved. So, why don’t you tell us who you are and what you’re really after?”

The silence on the other end of the line stretched on, and for a moment, Luca thought the man might hang up. But then he spoke, his voice low and dangerous.”You don’t know who you’re messing with