The Contracted Stripper

The door to Ivy’s suite slammed shut behind her as Bella followed her inside, her eyes glinting with cold determination.

Ivy’s heels clicked against the marble floor, her steps quicker than usual, her mind racing with frustration and disbelief at Bella’s audacity.

She had barely made it halfway to the living room when Bella’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and mocking.

“You’re not going to walk away from this conversation, Ivy,” Bella hissed, her arms crossed over her chest. “We need to talk.”Ivy turned on her heel, fury flashing in her eyes.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Bella. I’m done playing your little game.” Her voice was steady, but there was an underlying anger that simmered just beneath the surface.

Bella raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Oh, I think there’s plenty to talk about.

You’ll want to hear every word I have to say.”Ivy scoffed, folding her arms tightly across her chest. “You’re delusional if you think I’m going to keep up with this charade any longer.

“Ryan already starting to question things, and it’s only a matter of time before your lies catch up with you.”

Bella took a step closer, her eyes narrowing as she dropped her voice to a low, threatening tone.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Ivy. Do you think you can just expose me and walk away unscathed? Do you honestly believe I haven’t prepared for that? If you even think about crossing me, I’ll make sure your entire world crumbles.”

Ivy tilted her head, unimpressed by the threat. “What, you think you can scare me with empty threats? You’re just a desperate, conniving….”

“You listen to me,” Bella snapped, cutting Ivy off mid-sentence. She stepped forward, her face inches away from Ivy’s, her voice dripping with venom. “I know more about your father than you think. All the dirty little secrets he’s been hiding, the deals he’s made, the drugs that have been funneled through the company for years. I know it all.

And if you don’t cooperate with me, if you so much as hint at the truth about Iris, I’ll make sure your father ends up behind bars for the rest of his life.”Ivy’s breath hitched, the air around her suddenly feeling suffocating. She blinked in disbelief, her mind reeling.

“You… you’re lying,” she stammered, though the uncertainty in her voice betrayed her lack of conviction. Bella’s grin widened, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Am I? Do you want to take that risk, Ivy? Go ahead, expose me. Tell Ryan and everyone else that I’m not Iris. But know this: once the authorities dig into Kendrick Enterprises, once they follow the trail your father has been covering up for decades, there will be nothing left for you.

Your precious family empire will crumble, your father will rot in a cell, and you will lose everything.”Ivy’s mouth went dry, her pulse quickening as Bella’s words sunk in. She had heard whispers over the years, rumors about the shady dealings her father might have been involved in, but she had always dismissed them.

Her father was a businessman, ruthless at times, but this? This was beyond anything she could have imagined. Seeing the doubt flicker across Ivy’s face, Bella pressed on, her voice like silk wrapping around Ivy’s resolve.

“And once your father’s gone, guess who the company will fall to? Me. I’ll be the one in control, and you and your precious brother will be at my mercy.”Ivy clenched her fists, anger bubbling up inside her, but it was mixed with something else-fear.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she spat, though her voice wavered. Bella took another step forward, her expression smug. “I would. And I will. Unless, of course, you decide to play along. Cooperate with me, Ivy, and everything stays the way it is. Your father stays free, the company remains intact, and we all live happily ever after.”

Ivy’s jaw tightened as she stared at Bella, hatred boiling in her veins. She had always known Bella was manipulative, but this? This was a level of cruelty and cunning she hadn’t expected.

Yet, as much as she despised the thought of bending to Bella’s will, the stakes were too high. Her family was everything to her, and if what Bella said was true, exposing her could destroy them all.

“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?” Ivy said bitterly, her voice low.

Bella smiled, the triumph evident in her eyes. “I always do.”For a moment, the room fell silent, the tension between them thick and suffocating.

Ivy’s mind raced, trying to find a way out of the web Bella had spun, but every avenue led back to the same conclusion: she was trapped.

“So, what now?” Ivy finally asked, her voice laced with resentment.

Bella took a step back, her demeanor calming now that she knew she had won. “Now, you play your part. You’re going to keep your mouth shut about Iris, and you’re going to help me maintain this illusion. If you do that, your father’s secrets stay buried, and Kendrick Enterprises remains in the family.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “And what happens to Iris? The real Iris?”Bella’s smile faded slightly, her eyes hardening. “Iris is gone. She’s not coming back.”

Ivy took a step closer, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “You’re going to make sure of that, aren’t you?”

Bella didn’t flinch and didn’t break eye contact. “If I have to,” she said coldly.

Ivy felt a chill run down her spine at the finality in Bella’s voice. She had suspected for a while that Bella had something to do with Iris’s disappearance, but now she knew.

Bella wasn’t just playing a game-she was willing to go to any lengths to secure her place in the Kendrick empire. Ivy’s mind raced, torn between protecting her family and finding a way to bring down the monster standing in front of her.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

But for now, she knew she had no choice but to bide her time. Bella held all the cards, and one wrong move could destroy everything.

“Fine,” Ivy said through gritted teeth, her voice low. “I’ll go along with it. But don’t think for a second that I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this for my family.”

Bella’s smirk returned, satisfied with Ivy’s submission. “Of course, darling. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”Ivy glared at her, resisting the urge to lash out.

Instead, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She needed time to think, to figure out how to navigate the dangerous game Bella had set in motion.

Bella watched her go, a smile still playing on her lips as she took a seat on the sofa, crossing her legs elegantly.

She had won this battle, but she knew the war was far from over. Ivy was stubborn and defiant, and while she had managed to pull her into line for now, she couldn’t let her guard down.

Ivy would be watching, waiting for the right moment to strike. But Bella wasn’t worried. She had played this game far too long to let a spoiled, impulsive girl like Ivy ruin her plans.

As far as she was concerned, the Kendrick empire was already hers. All she had to do was make sure it stayed that way.

Ivy stormed through the hallways of the mansion, her fists clenched as she struggled to contain the rage boiling inside her. Bella thought she had won, thought she had Ivy backed into a corner, but Ivy wasn’t done yet.

She had to protect her family, but she wasn’t going to let Bella walk all over her. As she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with Luca, who was on his way back from a meeting with the legal team. He noticed the stormy look on her face and raised an eyebrow. “Ivy? What’s going on?”Ivy stopped in her tracks, her mind racing.

Luca. He was the one person who might be able to help her, someone who wasn’t caught up in the tangled web of lies and manipulation.

Maybe, just maybe, he could help her find a way out of this mess.”Luca,” she said, her voice quieter than she intended, but filled with urgency.

“I need your help.”Luca frowned, his expression serious as he studied her face. “What’s going on, Ivy? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Ivy glanced over her shoulder, making sure they were alone before lowering her voice. “It’s Bella. She’s not who she says she is. She’s been blackmailing me, threatening to expose my father’s past unless I help her keep up the lie that she’s Iris.”

Luca’s eyes widened in shock, but he quickly composed himself. “Wait… what are you saying? Bella’s pretending to be Iris?”Ivy nodded, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. “Yes. And if we don’t stop her, she’s going to ruin everything. She’s already got Ryan wrapped around her finger, and now she’s threatening to take the company.”Luca’s expression hardened, his jaw clenched.

“What do you need me to do?”Ivy hesitated for a moment, knowing that involving Luca could put him in danger too. But she had no other choice. She couldn’t take down Bella alone.