The Contracted Stripper

The cold, sterile air of the hospital was suffocating. The relentless beeping of machines filled the silence, echoing in the hallways.

Mr. Kendrick sat in the waiting area, his eyes fixed on the clock, watching the minutes tick by.

He had just received the devastating news. His son, Ryan, had woken up, but something was terribly wrong. Memory loss.

The words lingered in his mind like a curse. How could this happen? How could his son wake up from the coma and not remember his father, his own life? It was all too much.

The company was crumbling, Bella and her brother were taking over, and now Ryan-his one and only son-was lost in a fog of amnesia.

The door to the waiting room creaked open, and Parker stepped in, his expression as grim as ever. He had been Mr. Kendrick’s trusted friend and family doctor for years, but even he couldn’t mask the concern etched on his face.”

Mr. Kendrick, we need to talk,” Parker said, his voice low, almost hesitant.

Mr. Kendrick didn’t respond. His gaze remained fixed on the floor, his fists clenched tightly on his knees.

Parker stepped closer, his tone more urgent.

“Ryan’s condition is… well, it’s complicated. The memory loss is unpredictable. He remembers fragments-faces, places-but not everything. He doesn’t remember the company, and most importantly, he doesn’t remember-”

“-me,” Mr. Kendrick finished, his voice barely above a whisper, filled with bitterness.

Parker nodded slowly. “Yes. And that’s why we need to take it slow. Rushing things could cause more harm than good.”Mr. Kendrick finally looked up, his eyes bloodshot and brimming with anger. “Slow? My company is being taken over by strangers, Parker. Strangers! Bella and her brother are sitting in my office, signing my papers, controlling my legacy, and you want me to take it slow?”Parker sighed, his shoulders heavy with the weight of the situation.

“I understand, but Ryan’s health is the priority. You can’t fix everything overnight.”

“I don’t care about the company right now,” Mr. Kendrick spat, his voice rising. “I care about my son. I care about the fact that he doesn’t even recognize his father. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

There was a long, tense silence as Parker chose his words carefully. “We will help him recover. But it will take time. For now, we need to focus on his well-being.”

Mr. Kendrick stood weakly the chair scraping against the tiled floor. He turned toward the door, his body feeble and wobbly, trembling with rage and grief as his wheelchair was rushed to him.

“Get us discharged.”Parker’s eyes widened in alarm. “Mr. Kendrick, that’s not advisable. Ryan needs to stay here under observation, and you need a close watch, too. His memory-”

“-I don’t care!” Mr. Kendrick shouted, cutting him off. His voice echoed in the small room, filled with a desperation Parker hadn’t seen in him before. “I don’t care about your damn procedures, Parker! I want him home. I want him with me.”

Parker stepped forward, lowering his voice to try and calm his friend. “This isn’t safe. If Ryan leaves now, it could make things worse. We need to give him time-”

“There’s no time, Parker!” Mr. Kendrick’s voice broke, and for the first time, Parker saw the tears in his eyes. “They’re tearing everything apart. If I lose Ryan too, what do I have left?”

Parker was silent for a long moment, torn between medical duty and loyalty to his friend. “I’ll start the discharge papers,” he finally said softly, knowing that arguing further was futile.

As Parker left the room, Mr. Kendrick leaned back into the wheelchair, burying his face in his hands.

Everything was slipping through his fingers. The company, his son, and his entire legacy. He couldn’t control any of it.

Meanwhile, at the Kendrick Mansion… Bella leaned back in the luxurious leather chair, her legs crossed elegantly as she swirled the glass of red wine in her hand.

She had never felt so powerful. She and her brother were now officially in control of Kendrick Enterprises, and no one could stop them.

Ryan was still in the hospital, battling his demons, and with the news of his memory loss spreading, Bella knew the time was perfect to make her move.

Her brother, standing by the window, stared out at the sprawling estate, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

“It’s ours,” he said, his voice filled with triumph. “All of it.”Bella took a sip of her wine, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

“Yes. And once the dust settles, we’ll make sure the Kendricks are nothing more than a distant memory.

This company-this empire-belongs to us now.”Her brother turned to face her, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“What do you think about Ivy?”Bella shrugged, her smirk widening. “Ivy’s too busy being her naive little self. She might suspect something’s wrong, but she doesn’t have the guts to do anything about it. And as for Mr. Kendrick… well, he’s too focused on his poor son to even notice what’s happening right under his nose.”

“Good. Then we’re in the clear,” her brother said, taking a seat across from her. “But we have to be careful. Luca’s still around, and he’s not as easily fooled.”Bella’s eyes darkened at the mention of Luca. She knew he had always been loyal to Ryan, and if anyone were to figure out the truth, it would be him.

“Don’t worry about Luca. I’ll handle him.”

Back at the Hospital… Luca raced through the hospital corridors, his heart pounding in his chest. He had just received the call-Ryan was awake.

After weeks of uncertainty, his best friend was finally conscious, but the news of the memory loss hit him like a punch to the gut.

How much had Ryan forgotten? Would he remember anything about what happened before the accident?

As Luca reached Ryan’s room, he stopped for a moment to compose himself before pushing the door open.

Inside, Ryan lay in bed, his face pale and his eyes distant, staring blankly at the ceiling.”Ryan?” Luca’s voice was filled with a mix of relief and concern as he stepped closer to the bed.

Ryan turned his head slowly, his eyes landing on Luca.

For a moment, there was no recognition, only confusion. “Do I know you?” Ryan asked, his voice hoarse and weak.

Luca’s chest tightened. “It’s me, Luca. Your best friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”Ryan’s brow furrowed as he struggled to remember, but there was only a blank space where the memories should have been. “I… I don’t remember.”

Luca swallowed hard, forcing a smile despite the ache in his chest. “It’s okay, man. We’ll figure this out. Just take it easy.”Ryan nodded slowly, but his expression remained distant.

“I… I need to go home,” he muttered, his voice barely audible.

Luca shook his head. “You can’t go home yet, Ryan.

The doctors…”

“I don’t care about the doctors,” Ryan interrupted, his voice rising slightly. “I just need to get out of here. I need to…”He trailed off, his gaze becoming unfocused again, lost in the fog of his fractured mind.

Luca glanced at Parker, who stood in the corner of the room, watching the exchange with a heavy heart. “We can’t let him leave,” Luca said quietly. “He’s not ready.”

Parker sighed, his face etched with worry. “Mr. Kendrick has already ordered the discharge. There’s nothing we can do.”

Luca’s jaw tightened in frustration, but he knew arguing was pointless. Mr. Kendrick was as stubborn as they came, and once his mind was made up, there was no changing it.

Later, at the Kendrick Mansion… Mr. Kendrick sat in the back of the car as it pulled into the long driveway of the mansion.

The journey had been silent, save for the occasional exchange between the driver and Parker. As the car came to a stop, Mr. Kendrick didn’t wait for assistance.

He stepped out, his legs heavy as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him.

He ignored Parker’s protests about staying at the hospital and was wheeled into the house, heading straight for his study.

Once inside, he locked the door behind him and collapsed into his chair, his hands trembling as he poured himself a drink.

His gaze fell on the family portrait on the wall-him, Ryan, and his late wife, all smiling, all so happy.

The life he had built, the family he had cherished, was slipping through his fingers like sand.

He raised the glass to his lips, his thoughts dark and heavy. How had it come to this? His son was a stranger, his company stolen, and Bella-the woman who was supposed to bring peace to his family-was at the heart of the chaos.

The door rattled as someone knocked gently. “Mr. Kendrick?” It was Parker’s voice, filled with concern.

“Go away,” Mr. Kendrick muttered, his voice hoarse.

“Please, let me in,” Parker insisted. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“I said go away!” Mr. Kendrick shouted, his voice cracking with pain.

Parker hesitated but eventually stepped back, leaving Mr. Kendrick alone with his thoughts.

Alone with his grief. Alone in the silence of a house that no longer felt like home.NôvelDrama.Org content.