The Contracted Stripper

Bella paced around her room, her phone still in her hand after the unknown caller hung up. She stared at the screen, trying to piece together what the cryptic message meant.”Ryan, Ivy, and Luca together?” she muttered to herself, frustration simmering beneath the surface.

“What could they possibly be up to? It can’t be good…”She threw the phone onto her bed and stood by the window, her mind racing. She didn’t like being kept in the dark, especially when it came to Ryan.

Things had spiraled out of control since Ryan’s supposed memory loss, and Bella was starting to wonder if she was being played. Her mind shifted to the Kendrick Empire, now within her grasp, but Ryan’s recent behavior was unsettling.

She needed to figure out what they were doing-whatever their plan was, Bella wasn’t going to let them ruin everything she had worked for.”Guess I’ll have to do some digging myself,” she muttered, grabbing her purse and keys, determined to find out more.

Downstairs, Rose Kendrick glided across the polished floor, a satisfied smile on her face. She had just served Mr. Kendrick his tea, carefully laced with the poison Parker had given her.

It was all going according to plan-soon, the empire would be hers, free from her husband’s control. She was already imagining her life as the head of the Kendrick fortune, with Parker by her side.

She entered the kitchen and rummaged through the pantry, quickly grabbing the honey jar as Mr. Kendrick had requested.

As she headed back upstairs, her mind wandered to the day Parker had first suggested the plan.

At first, it seemed like a drastic measure, but after years of feeling stifled under Kendrick’s thumb, it had begun to make sense.

This was her chance at freedom-and she wasn’t about to let it slip away. When she returned to the living room, Mr. Kendrick was holding the cup up to his lips, his face scrunched in an expression of distaste.

“Ugh, this tastes awful,” Mr. Kendrick complained, his voice hoarse as he forced a smile. Rose chuckled her laugh light and teasing. “It’s not that bad, honey. You know, it’s supposed to help you get better.”Mr. Kendrick lowered the cup, still holding the bitter expression on his face.

“Bitter as ever…”She took the cup from him, giving him a sweet smile as she gathered the rest of the dishes on the tray. Her heart fluttered with excitement-he had drunk the poison. It was only a matter of time now.”Sorry about that, dear,” she said, chuckling as she placed the dishes onto the tray. “But trust me, you’ll be feeling better in no time.

“With that, Rose turned and left the room, humming to herself, the image of her victory dancing in her mind. She felt light as if the weight of her miserable marriage was finally being lifted. Soon, all her problems would be solved.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Mr. Kendrick’s forced smile disappeared. He quickly took out his phone, his hands trembling slightly. It was time to make his move.

He typed a message carefully, checking over it before sending it to a trusted contact. Once it was sent, he immediately deleted it, ensuring there would be no trace left behind. He slid his phone back into his pocket, his mind racing.

Rose thought she was clever, but Kendrick had been onto her for a while now. He had suspected something was wrong when his health started deteriorating mysteriously, and now he had proof.

All he needed was time-time to gather more evidence and time to outsmart Rose and Parker. He wasn’t going to let her take everything from him.

Meanwhile, Bella had made her way to Luca’s neighborhood. She parked her car a little further down the street, hoping to remain unnoticed. Peeking out from her window, she could just make out Ryan, Ivy, and Luca talking outside Luca’s house.

She leaned forward, trying to eavesdrop from the distance, but it was impossible to hear their conversation.”Why are they here together?” she muttered.

“This doesn’t make sense.”Her phone buzzed suddenly, and she glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number again. Hesitating for a moment, she picked up the call.

“You really shouldn’t be sneaking around like that,” the voice on the other end said, sending a chill down Bella’s spine.

Her heart raced as she sat up straight, scanning the area around her. “Who is this?” she demanded, her voice sharp.”Let’s just say I’m someone who knows more than you think,” the voice replied smoothly.

“And if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from whatever Ryan, Ivy, and Luca are planning. It’s not going to end well for you.”

Bella’s grip tightened on the phone, her knuckles turning white. “You don’t know anything about me,” she hissed. “If they’re planning something, I’ll be the one to stop it.”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a low, menacing laugh. “Oh, Bella. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

Before she could respond, the line went dead. Bella stared at the phone, her mind swirling with questions. Who was that? And how did they know about her?

She glanced back toward Luca’s house, watching as the three of them continued talking. Whatever was going on, Bella knew one thing for sure-she needed to find out.

Back at the Kendrick mansion, Rose made her way to her bedroom, the satisfaction of her plan still fresh in her mind.

As she entered, she saw her phone buzzing on the nightstand. It was Parker. She answered with a sly smile, her voice soft. “Everything’s going smoothly.”NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

“I take it he drank the tea?” Parker’s voice came through, calm but filled with anticipation. Rose chuckled lightly. “Yes. Everything is right on track.”

“Good,” Parker said, his tone turning more serious. “But be careful. If Kendrick suspects anything-”

“He doesn’t,” Rose cut him off confidently. “He’s none the wiser. Trust me, Parker. We’re almost there. Soon, we’ll have everything.”

Parker paused on the other end, a trace of uncertainty in his voice. “Just make sure nothing goes wrong. If anyone finds out what we’ve done…”

“They won’t,” Rose reassured him, her tone laced with certainty. “We’ve covered our tracks. Kendrick won’t be around long enough to cause any problems.

“With that, Rose hung up the call, her eyes gleaming with determination. Soon, everything she had ever dreamed of would be hers. There was no turning back now.

Later that evening, Mr. Kendrick wheeled himself into his private study, making sure the door was securely locked behind him.

His hands shook as he reached for the drawer where he kept the hidden stash of medication, pills that he had been secretly taking to counteract the effects of Rose’s poison. He had known for weeks that something was off with the tea she had been serving him.

The taste had been slightly different, bitter in a way that made his suspicions grow. After some discreet testing, he had confirmed his worst fears-Rose was slowly poisoning him.

Now, it was a game of survival, a silent war between husband and wife. But Kendrick wasn’t going down without a fight. He swallowed the pills quickly, washing them down with water, his mind already racing through his next move.

He had sent the message earlier to a trusted ally-someone he knew he could rely on to help him escape Rose’s deadly plan.

But time was running out, and Kendrick needed to act fast.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a reply. He quickly opened the message, reading the words carefully:

“I’m ready. We move tomorrow.”Kendrick breathed a sigh of relief. The plan was in motion. All he had to do now was survive another night in the house of vipers.

Meanwhile, Bella drove back to the city, her mind consumed with thoughts of Ryan, Ivy, and Luca. The unknown caller’s warning echoed in her head, but she refused to let it deter her.

She needed to find out what they were planning. Arriving at her penthouse, Bella was greeted by the sight of a familiar figure waiting in the lobby-her brother, Marcus. He looked up as she entered, a grim expression on his face.”Marcus?” Bella said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard something disturbing today,” Marcus replied, his voice low as he stepped toward her. “Something about Ryan, Ivy, and Luca. I think you need to hear this.”Bella’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you know?”Marcus glanced around cautiously before lowering his voice.

“They’re planning something big, Bella. And I think it involves the Kendrick fortune.”Bella’s eyes widened as she felt a cold dread settle in her chest. “What do you mean?”

“I overheard some men talking,” Marcus continued.

“They mentioned Ryan’s memory coming back-and how he’s been playing everyone for a fool.”Bella’s mind reeled at the revelation. “So, Ryan’s memory… it’s back?”Marcus nodded grimly. “And it’s worse than that. He’s been working with Luca and Ivy behind the scenes. They’re planning to take everything.”

Bella felt her blood run cold. She had suspected Ryan was hiding something, but this was worse than she had imagined. If they were plotting to take the Kendrick Empire from her, she had to act-and fast.

“We can’t let that happen,” Bella said, her voice steely with resolve. “We’ll take them down before they get the chance