The Contracted Stripper

Ryan was shocked to hear that his father knew about the contract marriage. “How did you find out?” he thought.”Have you forgotten who I am? I’m your father, and I have eyes everywhere.

This is your mess, Ryan. Fix it and be a man. There will be a board meeting soon. It’s important you attend. I won’t warn you again.”Mr. Kendrick’s voice softened slightly. “Get your act together and focus on the company. I won’t tolerate any more losses or mistakes. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Dad,” Ryan said, feeling the weight of his father’s words. “But Dad, I need your help with Iris. My wife,” he added.”Your contracted wife,” Mr. Kendrick corrected.”Yes, but I need your help. Can you send your men to search for Iris and her mother? Her mother was abducted at the hospital, and Iris was taken yesterday.”

“And Bella? Where is she?” Mr. Kendrick asked.”She’s at my house. Mum asked her to move in,” Ryan replied, ruffling his hair in frustration.”I see,” Mr. Kendrick said, nodding.

“Get your act together, Ryan,” he repeated, standing up and leaving Ryan to his thoughts.

Ryan left his father’s penthouse and drove to meet Skylar. He felt overwhelmed by everything that had been said, and the weight of his responsibilities pressed heavily on him. Iris’s phone was clutched in his hand.

They had arranged to meet at a restaurant, a neutral ground where they could discuss their next steps.

Skylar spotted Ryan first and rushed to him. “Hi, Ryan. How’s Iris? I’ve been trying to reach her, but no luck.”

Ryan’s eyes were bloodshot, reflecting his lack of sleep and immense stress. He looked at Skylar, his expression bleak.”Talk to me, Ryan. What’s happening? Where’s Iris?” Skylar demanded.

Ryan took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “After taking Iris home, Bella started causing drama. Iris ran out, and before I could go after her, I got a text from her asking for help. I couldn’t find her.”

“What do you mean you couldn’t find her?” Skylar yelled, her voice laced with pain. “Did you inform the police? What is happening?”

“Calm down, Sky. We’re going to find Iris and Mrs. Jessica. I promise,” Ryan assured her, holding Skylar as she cried in his arms.

Skylar felt a deep pain, a hurt she hadn’t felt since losing her grandmother. Mrs. Jessica and Iris had been like family to her.

She remembered how Mrs. Jessica had always sent food and looked after her grandmother when she had a stroke, and how Iris was always cheerful, putting others before herself.

“We’ll find them,” Skylar said firmly. “But we need to be smart about it. Do you have any leads?”

“Just one,” Ryan said, pulling out a piece of paper with an address on it. “It’s an address we found in Bella’s file. It might be a lead.”

“Then that’s where we start,” Skylar said. “We’ll go there and see what we can find.”

Ryan and Skylar drove to the address, a rundown warehouse on the outskirts of the city. They parked a safe distance away and approached cautiously

.”This place gives me the creeps,” Skylar whispered.”Me too,” Ryan replied, scanning the area for any signs of activity. “Let’s be quick.”They entered the warehouse, the air thick with dust and the smell of mildew.

The inside was dimly lit, and the sound of dripping water echoed through the space.”Look over there,” Skylar said, pointing to a small office in the corner. “Maybe we can find something in there.”

They made their way to the office and began searching through the papers and files scattered on the desk. After several minutes, Skylar found a folder labeled “Kendrick.”

“Ryan, look at this,” she said, handing him the folder. Ryan opened it and found documents detailing transactions and communications between Bella and an unknown party.”This is it,” Ryan said, his heart racing. “This is the proof we need. Bella is involved in this.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Skylar said. “We need to take this to the police.”As they turned to leave, they heard footsteps approaching. Ryan and Skylar froze, hiding behind the desk.

The footsteps grew louder, and they could hear voices.” I told you to keep this place secure,” one voice said angrily. “We can’t afford any mistakes.”

“I did, boss,” another voice replied. “No one knows about this place.”Ryan and Skylar held their breath, praying they wouldn’t be discovered.

The voices eventually faded, and the footsteps retreated. Ryan and Skylar waited a few more minutes before cautiously emerging from their hiding spot.”Let’s go,” Ryan whispered.

They quickly made their way out of the warehouse and back to their car. Ryan drove back to the city, his mind racing with thoughts of what they had just discovered.

.”We need to get this to the police,” Ryan said. “This is the break we’ve been waiting for,” Skylar nodded. “We’ll go straight to the station. This evidence should be enough to get them to take action.”

Ryan and Skylar arrived at the police station and handed over the folder to Detective Harris, who had been assigned to the case.”This is big,” Harris said, flipping through the documents. “We’ll need to act on this immediately. Thank you for bringing this to us.”

“Just find them,” Ryan said, his voice filled with desperation. “Find Iris and her mother.”

“We’ll do everything we can,” Harris promised. As they left the station, Ryan’s phone buzzed with a new message. He opened it and his blood ran cold. The message read:

“You may have found some of the pieces, but the game isn’t over yet. Come alone to the abandoned pier at midnight if you want to see Iris alive.”Ryan showed the message to Skylar, his hands shaking. “This isn’t over,” he said, determination in his eyes.

“We have to be ready for anything.”The clock ticked down, and the sense of urgency grew.

The next move would be crucial, and Ryan knew that the stakes had never been higher. The secrets were starting to unravel, but the danger was far from over.

Ryan steeled himself for the confrontation ahead, knowing that failure was not an option. Iris’s life depended on it, and he would stop at nothing to save her.

Mrs. Jessica slowly opened her eyes, the dim light in the room barely illuminating the surroundings.

Her head throbbed, and she felt the coarse ropes binding her to the bed, restricting her movements. Panic surged through her as she called out, “Iris? Iris! Skylar!”

The door creaked open, and a shadowy figure entered the room. Mrs. Jessica weakly spoke, “Please, don’t kill me. I haven’t done any wrong. I just want to be with my daughter. You can take whatever you want, but just leave us alone.”

The figure laughed uncontrollably, a sinister sound that sent chills down her spine. “We don’t want anything from you. We want your life,” they said, laughing hard again before leaving the room and locking the door behind them.

Mrs. Jessica cried weakly, the pain from her recent operation still gnawing at her. She hadn’t eaten in days and felt extremely weak. She thought about her daughter, Iris, and how they had suffered all their lives. Her thoughts eventually lulled her into an uneasy sleep.

Meanwhile, Bella continued to stay in Ryan’s house, much to everyone’s dismay.

One afternoon, Ivy arrived, surprised to see Bella in Ryan’s House.

“Bella?” Ivy called out, astonished.

“Hi, hottest model in town,” Bella hailed. Ivy smiled weakly.

“Hi, Bella. What are you doing here?”

“Surprised? Well, I now live with your brother since we’re expecting your cousin,” Bella said, rubbing her flat stomach for effect.”Oh, I see. And where’s Ryan?” Ivy asked, her tone curious.

“He stepped out,” Bella replied nonchalantly.”To where?” Ivy pressed.”I don’t know. He didn’t tell me where he was going,” Bella said, attempting to appear unconcerned.

“And you said you both live together? He left the house without telling you?” Ivy’s skepticism was evident.”Uhmm, don’t mind your brother. You know how he can be. But I’m sure he’ll be back home soon,” Bella replied, trying to sound confident.

Ivy nodded, her eyes fixed on Bella’s stomach. “Why isn’t your stomach protruding yet?”

“What? Come on, it is. The doctor said I’m doing just fine. You should start seeing it by next month. I’m still at the early stage,” Bella said defensively.”Oh, I see. Well, I haven’t been pregnant before, so what do I know?” Ivy smiled as she walked past Bella and headed upstairs.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“Has anyone told you you look so much like Iris, or is it just me?” Bella asked, attempting to be conversational.

Ivy stopped midway up the stairs and turned to look at Bella. “Well, this is the first time I’ve heard it, and I don’t think that’s a good thing to say,” she replied with a fake smile before continuing upstairs.