The Contracted Stripper

Ryan sat at the head of his father’s old mahogany desk, tapping a pen absently on the table.

The fire crackling in the nearby fireplace did little to ease the chill in his veins. The room felt colder, darker, ever since his father had fallen ill and Bella had begun tightening her grip on the Kendrick empire.

Victor Empire now, he thought bitterly. The name change had been swift, too swift for his liking.

He knew Bella and her brother, Victor, had plans of their own, but something about their rise to power, their sudden control, didn’t sit right with him.

Ryan wasn’t blind-he had seen the signs and heard the whispers within the company.

Bella and Victor were playing a dangerous game, and he intended to find out exactly what that game was. His phone buzzed on the desk, pulling him out of his thoughts.

It was Luca. Luca: “I have something. Meet me in 30 minutes. “Ryan stared at the message for a moment, feeling his heart rate spike. Luca had been helping him dig into Bella’s past for weeks now. So far, they had turned up nothing solid.

But this message… it felt different. Ryan stood up, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door. It was time to get some answers. Ryan pulled up to the small, secluded cafe where he had agreed to meet Luca.

It was late, the streets nearly empty, and the quietness of the night only amplified his growing unease. Luca was already waiting at a corner table, his eyes scanning the room cautiously.

When Ryan approached, Luca leaned in, lowering his voice immediately. “You won’t believe what I found,” Luca began, pulling out a folder from his jacket and sliding it across the table to Ryan. Ryan opened the folder, his eyes narrowing as he took in the documents inside.

Financial records, offshore accounts, and shell companies are all linked back to Victor D’Amato.

“Victor?” Ryan asked, his voice a sharp whisper. “What is all of this?” Luca nodded grimly. “Victor D’Amato isn’t just Bella’s brother.

He’s been running scams for years. Before he got involved with the company, he was laundering money for some big players. That’s why they rebranded so quickly. They’re funneling Kendrick assets into his shell companies.” Ryan felt a chill run down his spine as the weight of Luca’s words sank in.

“They’re using Vector as a front?”Luca nodded. “And it gets worse. I looked into Bella’s past, too. She’s not who she says she is. She’s been in and out of shady business dealings her whole life. ”

Ryan felt like the ground had shifted beneath him. His mind raced as he processed the information. “Why would she do this? What’s the endgame?”Luca leaned in closer, his eyes intense.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“Money and power. That’s the endgame. She and Victor are positioning themselves to take full control of the empire, drain it dry, and disappear.” Ryan clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.

“I knew something was off with Bella, but this… this is worse than I imagined. We have to stop them before they destroy the company.” Luca glanced around nervously. “We have to be careful. If they find out we’re onto them, they’ll come after us.”

Ryan nodded grimly. “We need more proof. Something concrete we can take to the board.” Luca smirked and pulled out a USB drive from his pocket.

“Already ahead of you. I hacked into Bella’s private emails. There’s a lot in there. Emails to Victor’s plans for siphoning company funds, discussions with offshore bankers… enough to bury them both.”

Ryan took the USB drive, his hands steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside him. “This is it. This is what we need.”Luca glanced at his watch. “We can’t move too fast. We need to gather everything and hit them when they least expect it.” Ryan agreed.

“We’ll play it smart. But first, I need to confront Bella. I want to see how far she’s willing to go.”

Later that night, Ryan returned to the mansion, the USB drive burning a hole in his pockets. He found Bella sitting in the living room, a glass of red wine in her hand, her eyes fixed on the fire.

She looked calm, almost too calm, as if she had everything under control.

But Ryan knew better now.”Bella,” he said as he entered the room. She looked up, smiling softly. “Ryan, you’re home late. Everything okay?”

Ryan sat across from her, his gaze steady, searching. “We need to talk.”Bella’s smile faltered just slightly, but she maintained her composure.

“What’s on your mind?”Ryan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You’ve been busy lately. I haven’t seen much of you since the rebranding.” Bella took a sip of her wine, her expression unreadable.

“There’s been a lot to manage with the company. You know that. I’m just trying to make sure everything runs smoothly.” Ryan nodded slowly.

Bella’s phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced at it, and a sinister smile spread across her face. But something was different today.

As she busied herself, Ryan noticed her occasionally glance toward a particular drawer in the hallway.

A look of uncertainty flickered across her face every time she passed it. Curiosity gnawed at him. What was in that drawer that made her so anxious?” How’s everything at the company?” he asked, trying to sound casual. “You’ve been working so hard lately.”

Bella paused for a moment, then smiled. “Everything’s fine. Just a lot of paperwork and meetings with investors. We’re planning a big rebranding launch next month. It’s going to be a huge event.”

As Bella turned and headed for the kitchen, Ryan’s eyes drifted back to the drawer in the hallway. His gut told him that whatever was inside could hold answers-answers Bella didn’t want him to have.

Later that night, after Bella had fallen asleep, Ryan slipped out of bed quietly. He crept down the hall, careful not to make a sound.

The house was dark, except for the faint glow of moonlight streaming through the windows. He reached the drawer Bella had been eyeing earlier and hesitated for a moment, his heart pounding.

What if he found something he didn’t want to see? What if Bella was right, and his mind was protecting him from something worse? But the doubt in his mind had become too loud to ignore. Slowly, he pulled the drawer open.

At first, it appeared to be filled with ordinary papers but tucked beneath them was a small, leather-bound journal. His hands trembled as he lifted it out. He flipped through the pages, his eyes widening as he read the entries.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, and Ryan quickly shoved the journal back into the drawer, his heart pounding.”Ryan?” Bella’s voice called softly. He turned around, forcing a calm smile. “Yeah?”

Bella appeared at the end of the hallway, her eyes narrowing slightly. “What are you doing out here?” “Just couldn’t sleep,” Ryan said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“I was getting some water.” Bella’s gaze flickered to the drawer, but she said nothing. Instead, she smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Come back to bed, love. You need your rest.”Ryan nodded, following her back down the hallway, but his mind was already racing ahead.

The journal had cracked open a door to a past he didn’t fully remember, but now, more than ever, he needed answers. As Bella climbed into bed beside him, Ryan lay awake, staring at the ceiling. If Bella had been lying about Iris, what else had she lied about?

He couldn’t confront her yet, not without more proof. But the doubt had taken root, and there was no going back now. The next morning, Ryan woke up early, determined to start uncovering the truth.

But as he got dressed, Bella stepped into the room, her eyes sharp.”Ryan, where are you going?” she asked, her tone suspicious. Ryan forced a smile. “I was thinking maybe I could come to the office today. Help out a little.”

Bella’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, there was a flash of something cold in her gaze. “I told you, Ryan, you’re not ready for that.” Ryan nodded slowly, but the seed of doubt had already grown.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, though his mind was already racing with plans. Bella smiled, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. “You’ll thank me later.”

As Bella left for the office, Ryan sat back down, his mind buzzing with questions. He needed to know the truth. And he wasn’t going to stop until he uncovered it.

Ryan rushed to the window, watching as Bella’s car pulled away from the mansion. His mind raced, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He knew now that Bella and Victor were moving faster than he’d anticipated.

He couldn’t wait any longer. But just as he turned to make a call, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was Luca. Luca: “Ryan, we’ve got a problem. We need to meet. Now.”

Ryan’s blood ran cold. Bella had just left, but Luca’s message confirmed his worst fear. Bella and Victor weren’t just planning to take over the company-they were planning something much, much worse. And Ryan was running out of time.