The Contracted Stripper

Ivy stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock as she watched her brother standing in Luca’s living room. The tension in the air was palpable as both of them faced each other, neither quite ready to break the silence that had fallen between them.

Ryan’s casual entrance had now turned into an unexpected confrontation, and he knew he was caught.

“Ivy…” Ryan said slowly, running his hands through his hair, a nervous habit he had when trying to gather his thoughts. “What are you doing here?”Ivy folded her arms, her gaze narrowing. “I should be asking you that, Ryan. So, let me get this straight-you were faking your memory loss all along, huh? Because you recognize me now.”

Ryan sighed deeply, realizing there was no point in lying anymore. “No, Ivy, I wasn’t faking it. I did lose my memory after the accident. But… it came back a few weeks ago.”Ivy’s expression shifted from anger to confusion.

“A few weeks ago? And you didn’t tell anyone? Not me? Not Luca? What the hell, Ryan?”Luca, who had been standing quietly to the side, watching the tense exchange between the siblings, stepped forward.

“Ryan, man, you could’ve told me. We’ve been working so hard trying to piece everything together. I had no idea your memory was back.”Ryan ran a hand over his face, frustration creeping into his voice.

“I know, I know. I just… I didn’t know how to explain it to anyone. It’s not like I woke up one day and everything came flooding back. It’s been bits and pieces, fragments of memories coming back slowly. I was trying to make sense of it all before I told anyone.”Ivy stepped closer to Ryan, her eyes scanning his face for any sign of dishonesty.

“So, you just kept quiet? Even when things were falling apart, even when Bella was making her move on the company?”Ryan’s jaw tightened at the mention of Bella. He hadn’t wanted to think about her, much less talk about what she’d been doing. “I didn’t expect things to escalate the way they did. By the time I realized Bella was trying to take control, it was already too late to act without blowing my cover.”Luca interjected, his voice firm but calm.

“You should’ve trusted us, Ryan. We could’ve helped. Now everything’s a mess, and Bella’s got her claws deeper into the Kendrick Empire than ever.”

Ryan let out a low growl of frustration. “I didn’t have a choice! Do you think I wanted this to happen? I was trying to figure out what Bella’s endgame was. I thought I could stop her before she made her move, but she’s smarter than I gave her credit for.”Ivy shook her head, her voice rising with anger.

“Smarter? Ryan, Bella is dangerous. She’s been playing us all, and you-of all people-should’ve seen that. But instead, you let her get close. And now look where we are!”Ryan’s eyes flashed with guilt and regret. “I know, Ivy. Trust me, I know. But right now, none of that matters. We have bigger problems.”Luca nodded, his arms crossed. “You mean Iris.”Ivy blinked, suddenly remembering the mention of Iris when Ryan had barged into the house.

“Wait-what about Iris? What’s going on?”Ryan hesitated for a moment, clearly torn between sharing the truth and trying to protect his sister from the chaos that had consumed their lives.”I’ve been tracking her,” Ryan finally said, his voice low.

“She disappeared shortly after the accident, and I’ve been trying to find her ever since. There are men-dangerous men-who are connected to her somehow. I don’t know all the details, but I’ve been trying to follow the trail.”Luca frowned. “And these men? Have they contacted you?”Ryan nodded.

“They’ve been giving me bits of information. I think they’re playing me, but I’ve got no other leads. They’re the only ones who seem to know where she is. But it’s like a game to them-every time I get close, they pull back.”Ivy’s face paled as she processed Ryan’s words.

“And you didn’t think to tell me this? My twin sister is missing, and you’re out here playing detective on your own? What the hell, Ryan?””I didn’t want to drag you into this,” Ryan shot back.

“These men are dangerous, Ivy. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt.”Ivy’s eyes flashed with anger. “I’m not a child, Ryan! I have a right to know what’s happening with my sister!”Luca, sensing the situation escalating further, raised a hand to calm them both.

“Okay, let’s take a step back. We’re all on the same side here. The goal is to find Iris and figure out what these men want.”Ryan turned to Luca, his face strained. “That’s the problem. I don’t know what they want.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

All they’ve done is dangle clues in front of me, and I’m running out of time. Every time I get close, they pull me back. And now… I don’t know if I’ll ever find her.

“Ivy’s anger began to simmer down, replaced by concern. “Ryan… if Iris is in danger, we need to work together. You can’t do this alone.”Ryan’s shoulders sagged, the weight of everything pressing down on him. “I know, Ivy. I just… I didn’t want to put anyone else at risk. But I can’t do this without you both.”

Luca nodded in agreement. “We’ll figure this out. But first, we need to focus on what we know.”Just as Luca finished speaking, they all heard movement from the hallway.

The three of them turned, and Ivy gasped when she saw Mrs. Jessica standing there, weak but awake.”Mrs. Jessica!” Ivy cried, rushing toward her. Mrs. Jessica gave a faint smile, her voice soft but steady.

“Ivy… Luca. It’s good to see you both.”Luca quickly stepped forward, supporting Mrs. Jessica as she slowly made her way to the couch. “You should be resting,” he said gently.”I’ve rested enough,” Mrs. Jessica replied, though her voice still held a tired edge.

“There’s too much at stake for me to stay in bed.”Ivy knelt beside her, tears welling up in her eyes. “You’re alive… I thought… we thought you were gone.”Mrs. Jessica reached out and took Ivy’s hand, her grip weak but reassuring. “I’m here, Ivy.

Thanks to Luca, I’m here.”Ryan, standing a few feet away, watched the emotional reunion in silence. He hadn’t expected this-hadn’t known Mrs. Jessica was still alive. His mind raced as he pieced together everything that had just unfolded. Ivy turned to Ryan, her voice thick with emotion.

“Did you know about this? Did you know she was alive?”Ryan shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “No… I had no idea.”Luca looked at Ryan, his expression serious. “I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure who to trust. Mrs. Jessica was in bad shape when I found her.

The people who had her were planning to move her to another location. I had to act fast.”Mrs. Jessica’s eyes flickered with pain as she recalled her captivity. “They were holding me… using me as leverage.

But I don’t know why. I don’t know what they wanted from me.”Ryan stepped forward, his voice filled with urgency. “Mrs. Jessica, do you know anything about Iris? Have they said anything about her?”Mrs. Jessica shook her head slowly, her expression sorrowful.

“No. I wish I could help, but they never mentioned her to me. All I know is that they’re dangerous, and they’re not going to stop until they get what they want.”Ivy looked at her mother, her voice trembling.

“But what do they want? Why are they doing this?”Mrs. Jessica’s eyes met Ivy’s, filled with an emotion Ivy couldn’t quite place. “I don’t know, Ivy. But I have a feeling it’s connected to something much bigger than we realize.

“Before anyone could respond, Luca’s phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. His face went pale as he read the message.”What is it?”

Ryan asked, noticing the change in Luca’s expression. Luca swallowed hard, his voice tense. “It’s from one of the men. They’ve given us a location. They want us to come alone.”Ryan’s heart pounded in his chest. “Do you think they’ll have Iris?”

“I don’t know,” Luca replied, his mind racing. “But we don’t have a choice. We have to go.”Ivy stood up, her determination clear. “Then let’s go. We can’t waste any more time.”Ryan grabbed his jacket, his mind already racing with plans. But as they all prepared to leave, Mrs. Jessica’s weak voice called out to them.”Wait…”

They turned to look at her, confusion written on their faces.”There’s something I need to tell you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Something that could change everything.”The room fell silent as they waited for her to continue.

But before Mrs. Jessica could speak another word, the sound of glass shattering from the front door filled the room, followed by heavy footsteps.

Luca, Ryan, and Ivy exchanged panicked glances, knowing that whatever was coming next could ruin everything.