Chapter 135
Ivy’s heart raced as she stepped out of the car at the hotel where she was supposed to meet her anonymous date. Her dress clung to her figure, making her look every bit the part she needed to play, but inside, she was anxious.
The recorder taped to her inner dress was secure, and she had made sure to give Ryan and Luca the address earlier. Still, nothing could shake the sense of danger hovering over the night.
As she entered the hotel lobby, she scanned the room, searching for any signs of her contact. She spotted him leaning casually against the wall, a young bald man who looked neither familiar nor particularly friendly.
There was something about his body language that put Ivy on; perhaps it was the way he was scanning the crowd with too much intent or the sharpness in his eyes as they zeroed in on her.
“Ivy?” he asked, his voice low and rough as he walked up to her.
“Yes,” she replied with a nod, keeping her tone neutral.
“You look… different from your pictures.” His brow furrowed, clearly trying to reconcile what he expected with what stood before him.
Ivy managed a small smile. “I guess the camera doesn’t always capture the full picture.”All content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
He seemed to accept the answer, but Ivy noticed his unease. Something wasn’t adding up, and the way he studied her made her skin crawl. “Have we met before?” he asked suddenly, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Ivy shook her head calmly. “No, this is our first time meeting in person.”
“Funny,” he muttered under his breath, “because I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere.”
Ivy kept her smile in place but felt her pulse quicken. “I just have one of those faces, I guess.”
The man’s gaze lingered on her a second too long before he jerked his head toward the door. “Let’s get out of here. I know a better place.”
Before Ivy could argue, he was already guiding her outside to his car. Her instincts screamed that this was not part of the plan, but she didn’t dare make any sudden moves. Not yet.
As they drove, Ivy’s body stiffened. The man’s hand remained on the wheel, but his free hand began to wander over her thigh. She forced herself to remain still, her breath catching in her throat as his touch grew more intrusive. Every inch of her wanted to shove him away, but she knew that could blow the entire operation.
“We’re almost there,” he said, his voice a little too casual for the way his hand was roaming.
Ivy bit back her disgust, forcing a smile. “I can’t wait,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
When they pulled up to a different hotel than the one they’d initially agreed upon, Ivy’s heart dropped. She had to act fast, but she couldn’t be too obvious.
As they checked in, she followed him into the room, her stomach knotting with fear. The moment he stepped into the bathroom, she quickly grabbed her phone and texted Ryan the new address and room number. The message was barely sent before the man returned.
Ivy barely had time to drop her phone when he approached her with a predatory smile. “Come on, baby. Let’s get comfortable,” he murmured, pulling her close and pushing her onto the bed. His hands roamed her body as he started to undress.
Ivy smiled back, her mind racing, praying that Ryan, Luca, and the police would arrive soon. The seconds stretched into eternity as he undressed, his intentions clear. She tried to keep him distracted, touching his arm lightly and whispering, “Take your time, we have all night.”
But inside, her heart pounded with each passing second, knowing that every moment could be her last.
Meanwhile, at the hideout…
Bella stormed into the room, her face set in stone as she made her way to where Iris was being held. The room smelled sterile, with the faint scent of antiseptics lingering in the air. Iris was writhing on the bed, her body slick with sweat, as she screamed through her labor pains.
Bella’s face remained cold, impassive as she watched Iris struggle. She barely acknowledged the cries for help as Iris begged for some kind of relief.
“Push harder,” the nurse instructed Iris, her tone clinical and detached. “The baby’s almost out.”
Bella paced near the doorway, her patience wearing thin. She wasn’t here to comfort or care for Iris. Her mind was fixated on the next step in her plan. The baby was born, and Iris’s usefulness would come to an abrupt end. Selling the child would be the easy part. Getting rid of Iris would be even easier.
Iris screamed again, her voice hoarse as she pushed with all her strength. But even through the pain, flashes of memories bombarded her familiar faces, fragments of her past, and voices calling her name. They were disjointed and blurry, but the memories haunted her with each wave of agony.
Bella’s foot tapped impatiently against the cold tile floor. She was ready for this to be over. “Can’t you make her move any faster?” she hissed at the nurse.
“It’s labor, not a race,” the nurse replied coolly. “It’ll happen when it happens.”
Bella shot the nurse a venomous look before turning her gaze back to Iris, who was now sobbing between breaths. The nurse checked the dilation, nodding to herself. “She’s crowning. One more push.”
Iris’s body trembled violently, her energy nearly depleted. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take. But the thought of her baby, of survival, gave her the last bit of strength she needed.
With a final scream, the baby’s cry filled the room.
“There it is,” the nurse announced, pulling the newborn into her arms and wrapping it in a towel. Iris’s vision blurred with exhaustion, but she weakly reached out for the child, instinctively wanting to hold her baby.
But before she could, Bella stepped in, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She took the baby from the nurse’s hands and smiled down at the newborn. “I’ll take it from here.”
Iris, weak and delirious, could barely form the words. “No… please… my baby…”
Bella ignored her, cradling the baby as she turned to leave the room. She had bigger plans for this child, and Iris was no longer part of the picture.
As Bella walked away, Iris’s heart shattered. Her screams of desperation echoed down the hall, growing weaker with each passing second as she succumbed to unconsciousness.
Back at the hotel…
Ivy’s patience was wearing thin. The man was now undressed, inching closer with every breath, but she kept her cool, whispering sweet nothings to buy herself time. She couldn’t shake the terror building inside her chest, but she clung to the hope that Ryan and Luca would arrive any moment.
He leaned over her, his breath heavy as he whispered in her ear, “You’re even better than I imagined.”
Just as he reached for her, the sound of pounding footsteps outside the door interrupted the moment. The man’s head snapped toward the door in confusion.
Ivy’s heart leaped. Ryan. It had to be.
Before he could react, the door burst open, and Ryan, Luca, and two police officers charged in. The man barely had time to process what was happening before he was wrestled to the ground, his face slamming into the floor.
Ivy scrambled off the bed, shaking with relief as she backed away from the chaos. Ryan rushed to her side, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Ivy nodded, still catching her breath. “I’m fine… I’m fine.”
Luca turned to the man on the ground, glaring at him with disgust. “You won’t get away with this.”
The man spat on the floor, sneering. “You think you’ve won?”
Ryan tightened his grip on Ivy, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your life.”
As the police cuffed the man and led him out, Ivy leaned into Ryan’s chest, finally letting herself relax.
But deep down, she knew this was only the beginning of something far more dangerous.
At the hideout…
As Bella walked out with the baby in her arms, her phone buzzed. A message from her contact flashed across the screen.
“Everything’s in place. The buyer is ready.”
Bella smirked to herself, her next move already in motion. But little did she know, a storm was brewing that would threaten everything she had carefully planned.