The Contracted Stripper

Luca quietly opened the door to the guest bedroom in his house, his eyes falling on Mrs. Jessica, who was lying on the bed, looking pale but conscious.

Her injuries were healing, but the scars of her captivity were evident. She stirred when she heard the door, slowly sitting up as Luca entered the room.

“How are you feeling today?” Luca asked, pulling up a chair beside the bed.”Better, thanks to you,” Jessica replied softly. Her voice was hoarse, and her eyes carried the weight of someone who had been through unimaginable pain.

“But… Luca, I need to know about my daughter. You promised to tell me more about Iris.”Luca sighed, running a hand through his hair.

This wasn’t the first time she’d asked about Iris, and he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the whole truth. “Iris is fine, Mrs. Jessica,” he assured her, leaning forward. “She can’t come to see you right now because… well, she’s being watched closely.

We have to be careful.”Jessica’s face was etched with worry. “But I need to see her, Luca. I’ve been away from her for so long. Does she even know that I’m alive?”

“She knows,” Luca said quickly. “She knows, but right now, it’s too dangerous. I promise you, once things settle down, you’ll be able to see her. Just focus on getting better for now.”Jessica gave a small nod, though the lines of concern didn’t leave her face. Luca knew she wasn’t fully convinced, but what else could he do?

There were so many unanswered questions, so many things he needed to understand himself-about Jessica, about her connection to Iris, and about why Mrs. Rose was so determined to keep her out of the picture.

He stood up, giving her a small smile. “I’ll bring you something to eat, alright? Rest for now.”As he turned to leave, Jessica’s voice stopped him.

“Luca… I know you’re hiding something from me. Please, when you’re ready, tell me everything. I deserve to know what’s going on.”Luca paused, his hand resting on the doorframe. He glanced back at her, the guilt gnawing at him. “Soon, Mrs. Jessica. I promise.”

Meanwhile, in another part of the city… Ivy paced back and forth in her bedroom, her phone pressed against her ear as she waited for Luca to pick up.

It had been days since they’d spoken properly, and the distance between them was starting to eat at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that Luca was hiding something from her.

Finally, he answered. “Ivy, hey.”

“Are you ignoring me?” Ivy blurted out, not bothering with pleasantries. “Did I do something wrong?”Luca sighed on the other end of the line.

“No, Ivy, it’s not that. I’ve just… I’ve been busy with stuff. A lot of things are going on right now.”Ivy frowned, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “Busy with what? I thought we were a thing, Luca. You’ve been so distant, and you’re not telling me anything.”Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

There was a pause before Luca spoke again. “We are a thing, Ivy. But trust me, a lot is going on that I can’t explain right now. You’ll understand soon, I promise.”

“That’s not good enough, Luca!” Ivy snapped. “You keep pushing me away, and I don’t even know why. How am I supposed to trust you when you’re keeping things from me?”

Luca’s voice softened. “Ivy, it’s not like that. Please, just be patient. You’ll know everything soon. I just… I need more time.”

Before Ivy could respond, Luca hung up the phone, leaving her standing there in stunned silence. She stared at her phone, her heart racing with a mixture of anger and confusion.

What is he hiding? Ivy wondered, her mind racing. And why wouldn’t he trust her enough to tell her?

At the Kendrick Mansion… Ryan sat at the edge of the bed, watching Bella as she moved through the room, her every action deliberate and calculated.

She was preparing for another day of running the empire, her expression sharp and focused. But to Ryan, every move she made only fueled his disgust.

How did I end up with her? he thought bitterly, his jaw clenching. The memories of everything she’d done flooded his mind. The lies, the manipulation, the false pregnancy-he now knew it had all been a part of her plan. She had never cared about him. It had always been about power, about taking over the Kendrick Empire.

His hands itched with the urge to confront her, to demand answers. But he knew he had to be patient. If he showed his cards too soon, she would only find a way to slip through his fingers again. He couldn’t afford that. Not this time.

“I haven’t seen my mom or dad in a while,” Ryan said, breaking the silence. “I’d like to visit them. I need to check on my dad’s health.”

Bella paused, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Just call them. You can talk to them on the phone.”Ryan shook his head, his voice steady. “I can’t talk to Dad on the phone, remember? He’s not doing well. I need to see him in person.”

Bella narrowed her eyes, studying him for a moment before sighing. “Alright. I’ll ask the driver to take you.”

“Just the driver is fine,” Ryan said quickly, standing up. “I’ll be fine on my own.”Bella’s gaze lingered on him, suspicion flickering in her eyes, but she nodded. “Okay. But be careful.

And I’ll have one of the guards follow behind you, just to be safe.”Ryan forced a smile. “Sure, whatever makes you comfortable.”As Bella returned to her routine, Ryan clenched his fists. He had to get out of the house without raising too much suspicion.

He needed to meet Luca, needed to figure out their next move. But Bella’s control over him was suffocating. Every step he took felt like walking on a tightrope, and one wrong move could send everything crashing down.

An Hour Later… Ryan stepped into the car, feeling the weight of Bella’s eyes on him as he pulled the door shut.

The driver, a man Ryan barely recognized, nodded to him through the rearview mirror before pulling out of the driveway.

Ryan’s mind was racing as the car sped through the city streets. He could see the guard’s car following a few cars behind, just as Bella had instructed.

He needed to lose the tail if he wanted to meet with Luca without Bella finding out. As they approached an intersection, Ryan leaned forward.

“Hey, pull over up ahead. I need to grab something from a store real quick.”The driver hesitated but eventually nodded, pulling over to the side of the road.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Ryan hopped out, quickly ducking into a nearby alley. He moved swiftly, using the narrow alleyways to lose the guard that was tailing him.

Once he was sure he was in the clear, Ryan pulled out his phone and dialed Luca’s number. “I’m on my way. Meet me at the usual spot.”Later, at the Meeting Spot… Luca was already waiting when Ryan arrived, leaning against the hood of his car.

When he saw Ryan approaching, he straightened up, his expression serious.”Everything okay?” Luca asked as Ryan stepped out of the shadows.

Ryan nodded. “I managed to slip away, but we don’t have much time. Bella’s going to get suspicious soon.”Luca crossed his arms, his eyes scanning Ryan’s face. “You still remembering everything?”

“Every detail,” Ryan replied. “And I’m starting to put the pieces together. But we need to move fast, Luca. Bella’s planning something, and I don’t know how long I can keep pretending.”Luca’s face darkened.

“What do you want to do?”Ryan took a deep breath, his mind racing. “We need to find Iris. If we can find her, we’ll have leverage against Bella. I’m sure of it. She’s the key to everything.”

Luca hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll help you find her, Ryan. But there’s something you need to know.”Ryan frowned. “What is it?”Luca’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ve been hiding Jessica. She’s alive, Ryan.

And she knows more than we thought.”Ryan’s eyes widened, shock flooding his system. “Jessica… alive? Where is she?”

“She’s safe,” Luca replied quickly. “But we can’t let Bella know. Not yet. We need to figure out our next move carefully.”

Before Ryan could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, his heart stopping when he saw the caller ID. It was Bella.