The Contracted Stripper

Mr. Kendrick sat in his dimly lit mansion, the once lively space now a suffocating prison of silence. His isolation had deepened over the past few weeks, with fewer visits from Ryan and even less from the rest of his family.

The only company he had was the television flickering in front of him, though he wasn’t paying attention. His mind was occupied with regrets, secrets, and the feeling of being slowly cut off from his own life.

As he sat there, his phone, which had been dormant for hours, suddenly buzzed with a notification.

At first, Mr. Kendrick ignored it, assuming it was another meaningless email or social media alert. However, the buzzing didn’t stop.

One notification became two, then three, then a flurry of alerts, each arriving faster than the last. His hand hovered over the phone for a moment.

Curiosity gnawed at him. What could be happening? With a shaking hand, he finally picked up the phone and unlocked it. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

His hands trembled violently, his breath becoming shallow as he scrolled through message after message, each one more alarming than the last.

His grip on the phone slackened, and he fumbled it, the device slipping from his hands and landing on the floor with a loud thud.

Panic surged through him as he reached down, but the phone seemed impossibly far away. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

Desperately, he pressed the speed dial for Ryan, his son, his only hope. The phone rang, but when Ryan answered, Mr. Kendrick’s voice failed him.

His throat constricted, and all that came out were weak, shuttering gasps. His hands shook uncontrollably, his mind in chaos.”Dad? Dad, can you hear me? What’s wrong?” Ryan’s voice was filled with alarm on the other end. But Mr. Kendrick couldn’t respond.

His words refused to form, and the phone slipped from his grasp, clattering onto the hardwood floor.”Dad? Dad! Hello! Can you hear me?”Ryan’s voice echoed in the silent room, but Mr. Kendrick could only watch in horror as the phone lay out of reach, the call still connected.

He could hear Ryan’s frantic voice, but he was powerless to respond.

In an instant, Ryan was up from his desk, rushing to grab his car keys. Bella, who was sitting nearby at the dining table, saw his sudden movements and called out, “Ryan, what’s going on?”He barely spared her a glance as he shouted, “It’s Dad! He called me, but something was wrong. He couldn’t talk. I have to go to the house now.”Bella’s eyes widened in mock concern. “Oh my God, Ryan! Let me come with you.”

Ryan shook his head, already halfway out the door. “No, don’t worry, honey. Just get ready for work and head there. I’ll call you when I know more. I need to get to him fast.”As soon as the front door slammed shut, Bella’s expression changed.

The faux concern disappeared, replaced with a sly, satisfied smile. She sauntered around the room, humming to herself, before breaking into a slow, exaggerated twirl.

Her body moved awkwardly in the so-called ‘dance,’ but in her head, she was celebrating.”I told you, Mr. Kendrick,” Bella muttered to herself, dancing with exaggerated delight.

“You wouldn’t last long once I got my hands on things.”She giggled softly, twirling around once more, her eyes alight with the prospect of finally cementing her control over the company and the family’s fortune.

As she continued her little celebration, her phone buzzed on the table, pulling her out of her reverie. It was a message from her brother, informing her that the next phase of their plan was about to begin.

Everything was falling into place. Meanwhile, Ryan was speeding through the city streets, his heart racing. Something was deeply wrong-he could feel it. His father wasn’t a man who panicked easily, and for him to call without being able to speak… It gnawed at Ryan’s gut.

The man he had once looked up to, strong and capable, was now weak, a shadow of his former self. Without wasting a moment, Ryan quickly dialed Ivy’s number. She picked up after the second ring.

“Ryan? What’s going on?” Ivy’s voice was filled with concern.”It’s Dad. He called me, but something’s seriously wrong. He couldn’t speak. I’m heading to the house now. I need you to meet me there.”Ivy hesitated. “Do you think he’s hurt?”

“I don’t know. Just get there, Ivy. We need to figure this out.”

“I’m on my way.”As soon as Ivy hung up, Ryan called Luca next. “Luca, I need you to meet me at my dad’s place. I think something’s seriously wrong. It could be connected to everything we’ve been uncovering about Bella and her schemes.”Luca’s voice was steady and calm. “I’m on it. I’ll meet you there in fifteen.”

Finally, Ryan took a deep breath before calling his mother. Despite everything, she needed to know.”Ryan, what is it? I was in the middle of something,” Mrs. Rose’s voice sounded irritated as if she were busy with something far more important.”It’s Dad,”

Ryan said, his voice clipped. “He called, but he couldn’t speak. Something’s seriously wrong. I’m heading to the house now, and I think you should too.”Mrs. Rose hesitated on the other end of the line.

“Oh… I see. Well, I suppose I should-” Now, Mom,” Ryan snapped, unable to hide his frustration. “This is serious.”

“Fine,” she replied, her voice filled with reluctance. “I’ll be there shortly.”Ryan hung up, pressing his foot harder on the gas as he navigated through traffic.

His mind raced as he thought about all the things that had been happening recently. Bella’s sudden moves in the company, his father’s isolation, and now this. What was going on? What was the connection? He had to get to the bottom of it.

As Ryan pulled up to the mansion, the imposing gates creaked open slowly, a chilling reminder of the once-grand estate that now felt more like a tomb. He rushed inside, his pulse racing, calling out for his father.”Dad! Dad, where are you?”

There was no response. Ryan’s footsteps echoed through the empty hallways as he rushed to his father’s study.

When he found Mr. Kendrick, he was slumped in his chair, pale and trembling, his phone still lying on the floor.”Dad!”

Ryan rushed to his side, shaking him gently. “Dad, can you hear me?”Mr. Kendrick’s eyes flickered open, his breathing shallow and labored. “Ryan… you have to… stop her…”

“Stop who? Bella?” Ryan’s voice was urgent, but he struggled to keep his panic under control. Mr. Kendrick’s hand weakly gestured toward the phone on the floor. “She’s… destroying everything… It’s… it’s all falling apart.”

Ryan quickly picked up the phone and glanced at the messages his father had been bombarded with earlier. His heart sank as he saw the emails and alerts about massive financial transfers, suspicious transactions draining the company’s accounts, and encrypted messages that hinted at Bella’s role in orchestrating the collapse.

“Bella’s behind all of this,” Ryan muttered under his breath, his jaw clenched. “I knew she was up to something, but this… this is worse than I thought.”

Mr. Kendrick grabbed Ryan’s wrist, his grip surprisingly strong despite his frail state. “You have to stop her, Ryan… before it’s too late. She… she’s going to ruin everything.”Ryan nodded, determination hardening in his chest.

“I will, Dad. I’ll stop her.”Just as Ryan was about to help his father to his feet, Ivy and Luca burst into the room, their faces filled with concern.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“Ryan! What’s going on?” Ivy asked, rushing to their father’s side.”It’s Bella,” Ryan said, his voice steely. “She’s been sabotaging the company from the inside. I think she’s about to pull off something huge. We need to act fast.”

Luca’s face darkened. “I knew something was off. What’s the plan?”Ryan glanced down at his father, then back to Luca and Ivy. “We’re going to confront Bella. Right now. We can’t give her any more time.”Just as they were about to leave the room, Mr. Kendrick’s phone buzzed again.

Ryan glanced at it, and his eyes widened in disbelief. It was another message-this time from Bella herself.

The message read: I hope you’re enjoying the show. It’s almost over. Say goodbye to Kendrick Enterprises. Ryan’s hands clenched into fists as he stared at the screen.”It’s a trap,” he muttered.

But before anyone could respond, the lights in the mansion flickered ominously. A loud crash sounded from the other side of the house, followed by the unmistakable sound of glass shattering.

Luca tensed, his instincts kicking in. “We’re not alone.”