The Contracted Stripper

Luca, on his way out, dialed Ryan’s number. As soon as Ryan picked up, Luca informed him, “I just left the house. Ivy’s okay now. I talked to her, and she’s had something to eat.” Ryan, surprised, let out a sigh of relief.

“How did you manage that, man? She’s been locked up in there for days, refusing to talk to anyone. I tried reaching out, but she wouldn’t even answer the door.”

“Well,” Luca chuckled, “let’s just say I’ve got some magic touch.” Ryan laughed. “Man, if that’s magic, then I need to learn some of it. Anyway, thanks a lot. I owe you one.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Luca replied. “I’ll catch you later. I’m heading home now.” “Alright, take care, man,” Ryan said as he hung up. Luca put his phone back in his pocket and took a deep breath as he walked toward his car, feeling a strange sense of relief and concern all at once.

Meanwhile, back at Ryan’s place, Bella appeared from behind him as he was about to leave the room. “You seem to be bonding quite well with Luca lately,” she said with a subtle smirk. Ryan turned around, surprised.

“Oh, Bella, I didn’t hear you coming.” Bella raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, Luca told me that we were best friends, but I can’t remember much of him. Ryan said. “He’s cool, you know?” Bella’s smile faded a little, and she tilted her head.

“Well, let’s just say Luca might not be as ‘cool’ as you think,” she said, emphasizing the word ‘cool’ with an air of skepticism. Ryan frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Bella waved her hand dismissively. “I’m just looking out for you, honey. But I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Ryan shrugged, brushing off her concern. “Yeah, I’ll be alright.” Bella smiled again and walked towards the door. “I’m heading out for a bit. I’ll be back soon, okay?” Ryan nodded absentmindedly.

“Sure. Take care.” Before Bella left, she leaned in and kissed Ryan gently on the head. “See you later, honey.” After she left, Ryan stood there for a moment, then noticed something on the bed-Bella’s phone.

“Honey, you forgot your phone!” he called out, but there was no answer. His curiosity got the better of him. He picked up the phone and hesitated for a moment before unlocking it. Ryan wasn’t usually the type to invade someone’s privacy, but something about Bella had been off lately, and his instincts were screaming at him.

He scrolled through her call logs and saw several numbers that weren’t saved in her contacts. Frowning, he navigated to her inbox and started reading her messages. The first one made his blood run cold.

Message 1: “I have information the blogs would love. Ivy’s designs aren’t hers; she stole them.”Ryan’s heart pounded in his chest as he moved to the next text.

Message 2: “Ma, the lady is almost due for delivery. Just thought to remind you.” Reply: “Is she in her 9th month?”

Sender: “She’s in her 8th month.” Reply: “Keep a close watch on her. Let me know of any latest developments.” Ryan’s hands shook as he stared at the screen. Who was this woman? And why was Bella keeping tabs on her? Before he could read further, he heard Bella’s voice calling from downstairs.

“Ryan? Where are you?” Panic surged through him. He quickly tossed her phone back onto the bed and dashed into the bathroom, turning on the shower to cover his tracks.

“I’m in the shower!” he yelled, hoping his voice sounded natural. “Oh, okay. I just came back for my phone,” Bella called out from the doorway. Ryan’s heart raced as he watched the door through the steam from the running shower.

“Have you found it?” he asked, trying to keep his tone casual. “Yeah, it was on the bed,” she replied. “See you later, honey.”He heard her footsteps retreat, followed by the sound of the front door closing.

Ryan stood there, drenched in sweat, despite the cool water from the shower. His mind raced with a thousand different thoughts. What was Bella up to? And who was the pregnant woman? After waiting a few minutes to make sure Bella was gone, Ryan turned off the shower and stepped out.

He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, his heart still pounding in his chest. He needed answers, but rushing would get him nowhere.

As the sound of Bella’s car faded from the driveway, he grabbed a towel and stared at himself in the mirror. What was Bella up to? His mind was flooded with possibilities. Was Bella plotting against Ivy? Why would she target her? And more importantly, who was this pregnant woman? Ryan wiped his face and decided he needed a strategy.

But first, he had to act normal around Bella. He couldn’t raise any suspicions. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Bella was hiding something-something big. Ryan sat on the edge of the bed, trying to process what he had just seen.

Ivy’s designs stolen? Is a mysterious pregnant woman being watched? Nothing made sense. And why would Bella be involved in something so underhanded? He needed answers, but confronting Bella wasn’t an option-not yet.

He needed more information first, something concrete that he could use against her if it came to that. Ryan picked up his phone and dialed Luca’s number again. “Yo, Luca, you still free?” “Yeah, what’s up?” Luca answered.”I need your help with something,” Ryan said, his voice tense.

” Everything alright, man?” Luca asked, sensing the urgency. Ryan hesitated. “Not really. I think Bella’s hiding something from me. I just found some… weird stuff on her phone. Can you meet up?” Luca was silent for a moment before he replied, “Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?”

“I’m home. Come over.” “Got it. I’ll see you there.” Ryan hung up the phone and took a deep breath. He couldn’t believe what he was about to do. Bella, the woman he thought he knew, was turning out to be a complete mystery.

Thirty minutes later, Ryan sat in his library room, nervously tapping his fingers on the table. Luca walked in, making his way to the library. “What’s going on, man?” Luca asked as he sat down. Ryan glanced around to make sure no one was listening before leaning in.

“I think Bella’s up to something. I found these messages on her phone.”He explained what he had read, about the texts involving Ivy’s designs and the mysterious pregnant woman. Luca’s eyes widened.

“Man, that sounds bad. You sure about this?”Ryan nodded grimly. “I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t know what to make of it, but something’s off.”Luca leaned back in his chair, processing everything. “If Bella’s behind this, then we need to figure out what her endgame is. You think she’s trying to sabotage Ivy?”

Ryan shrugged, frustrated. “I don’t know. She could be. But who’s this pregnant woman? And why is Bella so concerned with her?” Luca frowned. “That part doesn’t add up. It could be anyone. Do you think it’s someone connected to you or your family?” “I have no idea,”

Ryan muttered, rubbing his temples. “That’s the problem. I don’t know where to start.” “Well, first things first,” Luca said.

“You need to be careful. Don’t let Bella know you’re onto her. If she’s involved in something shady, we don’t want to tip her off too soon.”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll play it cool for now.”Luca leaned forward. “Let’s do some digging on our own. I’ve got a couple of contacts who might be able to help us find out more about Bella’s connections. We can figure this out.”

Ryan looked at Luca, grateful for his support. “Thanks, man. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Luca smiled. “Hey, that’s what friends are for. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.” “Alright, man. I’ve got your back. But be careful. Bella’s not one to mess with lightly. You know she’s got claws.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ryan muttered. “Just… keep your eyes open, okay? I’ll figure out what’s going on.” Later that evening, Bella returned home, a faint smile on her face as she walked through the door.

Ryan watched her carefully, forcing a smile to hide his suspicion. “Hey, honey,” Bella greeted him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Ryan lied, holding her close but feeling nothing but the distance between them. “How about yours?”Bella pulled back, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Amazing! I got some news today… about the Kendrick empire. Some new developments.”Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he played dumb. “Oh? What kind of developments?”

Bella gave him a sly smile. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just… be patient.” She kissed him on the cheek and moved past him, heading upstairs. Ryan’s mind was in overdrive. Bella was planning something big, and whatever it was, it involved the Kendrick family.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

He had to act fast before things spiraled out of control. That night, Ryan couldn’t sleep. His mind kept circling back to the messages he had found. He had no doubt now that Bella was up to something serious. But the question remained: how far would she go?