The Contracted Stripper

Ivy hesitated for a moment, the words on the tip of her tongue, but her emotions kept holding her back. She glanced at Iris, whose face was already filled with shock and pain from all she had learned.

How could she add more to that? Just as she was about to speak, the door to the hospital room swung open, and a nurse wheeled in Mrs. Jessica.

Jessica looked frail but alert, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Iris. Her expression softened, and she gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.

“My daughter,” Jessica whispered, her voice breaking. “My sweet, sweet Iris.”At that moment, everything else faded away. Ivy’s confession stalled in her throat as Jessica reached out her hand toward Iris, trembling.

The reunion was so overwhelming that even Ivy, who had built up a wall around her heart, felt the warmth of the moment as tears pricked her eyes.”Mom?” Iris whispered, her voice fragile, a mix of joy and disbelief.

Jessica reached out her hand, her fingers brushing Iris’s cheek. “Oh, Iris… I never thought I’d see you again. I’m so sorry, my darling. I’m so, so sorry.”Tears streamed down Iris’s face as she stepped closer, kneeling beside Jessica’s wheelchair. She took her mother’s hand, pressing it to her cheek, her lips quivering.

“I missed you so much, Mom. I thought I’d lost you forever.”Jessica let out a choked sob, stroking Iris’s hair. “I missed you too. Every single day, I dreamed of holding you again.” Her voice broke as she spoke, the years of separation weighing heavily on her soul.

“You were taken from me, but I never stopped looking for you.”Iris closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of her mother’s touch, the pain of her past momentarily easing in this reunion.

She gently caressed her mother’s face, as if confirming she was real. “I’m here, Mom. I’m here now.”They embraced, their arms wrapped around each other, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Iris felt whole.

The room was filled with their shared tears, and even Ryan and Ivy stood silently, giving them this moment. It was a reunion that had been long overdue.

As they held each other, Jessica’s eyes shifted toward Ivy, who stood a few feet away, watching with a mix of emotions on her face. Jessica extended her other hand toward Ivy. “Come here, Ivy. Don’t stand there like a stranger.

“Ivy hesitated for a split second before stepping forward. She kneeled beside Iris and Jessica, her heart racing. When Jessica wrapped her arm around her, pulling her into the hug, Ivy felt a warmth she hadn’t felt in years.

Tears streamed down her face as she joined the embrace.”I’ve missed both my daughters,” Jessica said, her voice thick with emotion. Iris’s head jerked up, her eyes wide with confusion.

“Both… daughters?” she asked, pulling back slightly from the hug and looking between Jessica and Ivy.

Ivy glanced at her mother nervously. This was the moment she had been trying to explain earlier.

Jessica, seeing the confusion and disbelief in Iris’s eyes, knew it was time to reveal the truth.”Yes, Iris,” Jessica said softly, her hand still holding hers. “There’s something you need to know… something I should have told you a long time ago.”

“What do you mean, Mom?” Iris asked, her voice shaky, her eyes flickering between her mother and Ivy. “What are you talking about?”Jessica took a deep breath, her grip tightening on Iris’s hand. “Iris, Ivy isn’t just someone you know. She isn’t just part of the Kendrick family. She’s your sister… your twin sister.”

The words hit Iris like a tidal wave. She pulled back completely, standing up and taking a step away from both Jessica and Ivy. Her mind raced, trying to process what she had just heard. “What… no, that can’t be true.”

“Iris,” Ivy said, her voice filled with emotion. “I’m your twin. I only found out recently. I didn’t know, I swear.”Iris shook her head, backing up even further, her heart pounding. “No. This can’t be happening. How is that even possible? You’re a Kendrick. I’m… I’m…”

Jessica reached out toward her, tears streaming down her face. “I gave birth to both of you, Iris. But after you were born, you were taken from me. I was forced to leave you behind. The Kendricks… they took Ivy, and I had to leave. But I never stopped searching for you. I never stopped thinking about you.”

Iris felt dizzy, her legs threatening to give out. She stumbled backward, reaching out to steady herself on the bed. “This… this is insane. I don’t understand.”Ryan stepped closer, placing a hand on her back to steady her. “Iris, take a deep breath. We’ll figure this out.”

“How could you have kept this from me?” Iris demanded, her voice rising, the betrayal clear in her tone as she looked at her mother. “All these years and you never told me? You let me live thinking I was alone?”

“I couldn’t tell you, Iris,” Jessica pleaded, her voice trembling. “It was too dangerous. If I had come forward, they would have hurt you. They would have killed you. I had to protect you. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you.”

Ivy stepped forward cautiously, her voice gentle. “Iris, please believe her. None of us knew the full truth. I didn’t know about you until recently, either.”Iris turned to Ivy, her face a mix of disbelief and pain.

“And now you expect me to just accept this? To accept that we’re sisters? Twins?”

“I know it’s a lot,” Ivy said softly. “But it’s the truth.”Jessica nodded, wiping away her tears. “I know it’s overwhelming, Iris. But you need to understand that everything I did was to keep you safe. Both of you.”

Iris was silent for a moment, her mind spinning. The weight of the revelations crushed her, and for a moment, it felt like the walls were closing in. She looked at her mother, at Ivy, and then back at Ryan. She didn’t know how to feel. She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

“I need to sit down,” Iris muttered, sinking into the chair beside her. Ryan sat down next to her, his arm around her shoulders. “I’m here, Iris. Whatever you need.”Iris’s heart pounded in her chest. She stared at the floor, her fingers nervously twisting in her lap.

“This can’t be real. This feels like a nightmare.”Jessica rolled her wheelchair closer to Iris, taking her hand again. “I wish I could have told you sooner. But I thought I was protecting you.”

“Protecting me?” Iris whispered bitterly. “You were protecting me by keeping me away from my sister?”Jessica’s face crumpled. “I thought it was the only way, Iris. Please try to understand. I had no choice.”Iris shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“And what about Ivy? How come she got to live in a rich family while I was… out there, alone?”Iris, please,” Ivy said, her voice cracking. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know you even existed until recently. If I had known… I would have tried to find you.”Iris looked up at Ivy, her eyes filled with hurt.

“You grew up with everything, Ivy. Everything I didn’t have. You had our mother, you had the Kendricks… I had nothing. How is that fair?”

“Iris, I didn’t know,” Ivy pleaded. “I swear I didn’t. And when I did find out, I wanted to make things right.”Iris looked away, wiping her tears, the flood of emotions too overwhelming. She felt betrayed, lost, and angry all at once.

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive either of you.”Ryan squeezed her shoulder, his heart breaking for her. “Iris, we’ll figure this out, okay? You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a police officer entered the room. The tension in the room heightened as everyone turned to look at him.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the officer said, looking directly at Ryan. “But we’ve located Bella. And there’s more-there’s information about the child.”

Iris’s heart skipped a beat. “My daughter?” she whispered, her voice trembling. The officer nodded grimly. “We’ve tracked down the buyer. We’re moving in now. But there’s something else you need to know… Bella’s been talking. She’s implicated more people.”Iris felt her blood run cold. “What do you mean? Who else is involved?”

The officer hesitated, glancing at Ryan before speaking. “Victor.”Ryan’s eyes darkened at the mention of the name. “Victor?”The officer nodded. “Bella confessed that Victor was the one pulling the strings. He’s been involved in the Kendrick Empire’s dealings for years, and he orchestrated the kidnapping.

We believe he’s the one holding your child.”Iris gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. “Victor has my baby?”The officer nodded.

“We’re moving in to apprehend him now. But you need to be prepared-this isn’t going to be easy.”Ryan stood up, his jaw clenched. “We’re coming with you.”Iris’s eyes filled with fear.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.