The Contracted Stripper

The atmosphere in the room was tense as they gathered around Luca, who had just pulled out a stack of recordings and pictures from his investigators.

His face was grim, and the weight of the evidence in his hands seemed to carry the burden of the truth that was about to be unveiled.

Ryan and Ivy sat across from him, their eyes wide with disbelief. Mrs. Jessica, still recovering from her emotional reunion with Ivy, watched from the side, her face pale but determined.”I can’t believe this,” Ivy muttered, her voice barely audible as she stared at the damning evidence laid out before them.

“All these years, we’ve been living with a deceiving woman…”Ryan’s jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the table.

“Mrs. Rose… my mother. How could she?”Luca placed the photographs in front of them-pictures of Parker and Mrs. Rose meeting secretly, exchanging envelopes, and whispering in the shadows.

The recordings played softly in the background, Parker’s voice clear as day, discussing underhanded deals and schemes.”She’s been manipulating us all,” Luca said, his voice low and filled with anger.

“Everything she’s done, every lie she’s told-it all makes sense now.”Ryan’s eyes burned with fury as he leaned forward. “Mrs. Jessica, did you know any of this? Did you know what she was capable of?”Mrs. Jessica shook her head, tears filling her eyes as she recalled her torment.

“I didn’t know how deep her betrayal went… until recently.”Ivy’s gaze softened as she turned to Mrs. Jessica. “What do you mean?”Mrs. Jessica took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she began to recount the horrors she had endured. “I don’t know how Mrs.

Rose found me after all these years, but she did. She had me kidnapped at the hospital. I was held hostage for weeks, maybe months… I lost track of time.

And one day, she came to see me.”Ryan’s face darkened. “She came to you? What did she say?”Mrs. Jessica’s voice wavered.

“She told me she was going to end me and my daughter-both of us. She didn’t mention where Iris was, or where she kept her, but she was confident that no one would find out.”Ivy’s breath caught in her throat, and her eyes filled with tears.

“She wanted to kill Iris?”Mrs. Jessica nodded, her hands shaking. “Yes. But she was also careless. She let things slip.

The men who kept me hostage-they weren’t subtle.

They would bring girls to the hideout, treating them terribly.

They never touched me, but I overheard enough to know what they were doing. I’m sorry I couldn’t find out more…”

There was a long pause, the room filled with heavy silence as they all digested the gravity of Mrs. Rose’s actions. Ivy wiped away a tear, her hands trembling as she looked at Ryan.”What do we do now?” she whispered. Suddenly, Ryan sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing in thought.

“Wait a minute. Remember the number we found on Bella’s phone? The one we couldn’t trace?”Luca raised an eyebrow, his mind already working through the possibilities. “Yeah, the one that seemed like it belonged to someone important. Why?”

“I have an idea,” Ryan said, a flicker of determination crossing his face. “If we can connect that number to the people who were keeping Mrs. Jessica hostage, maybe we can find Iris.

The guys Mrs. Jessica mentioned-they must be connected to that phone number.”Mrs. Jessica looked at Ryan, her heart racing with hope. “You think it might lead to where Iris is being held?”Ryan nodded, already reaching for his phone.

“It’s worth a shot. We need to track that number and find out who’s behind it. Whoever it is might lead us to the people Mrs. Rose has been working with.”

Luca leaned forward, his eyes sharpening as he began to form a plan. “I can have my team trace the number and figure out its connections. If this person is important enough to have been in contact with Bella, they’ll have a link to Mrs. Rose and Parker’s operations.”

Ivy’s heart pounded in her chest, the sudden surge of hope almost too much to bear. She had promised Mrs. Jessica that she would find her twin, and now it seemed like they were closer than ever. “If we can find this guy, we might be able to rescue Iris.”Ryan nodded, determination clear on his face.

“We’ll track him down and get her back. Whatever it takes.”Luca quickly began dialing his contacts, issuing rapid instructions to trace the phone number they had retrieved from Bella’s phone. “I’ll get this sorted as fast as I can.

In the meantime, we need to stay one step ahead of Mrs. Rose and Parker. They can’t know we’re onto them.”Ryan turned to Mrs. Jessica, his expression softening slightly. “Thank you for telling us what you know. I know it must have been difficult to relive all of that.”Mrs. Jessica nodded, her voice thick with emotion.

“I just want to see my daughters safe… both of them.”Ivy reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing her hand gently on Mrs. Jessica’s. “We’ll find her. I promise.”

Hours passed, the tension in the room rising as Luca’s team worked tirelessly to trace the number. Ryan paced back and forth, his mind racing as he thought of all the ways this could go wrong.

Ivy sat beside Mrs. Jessica, her heart pounding with worry for her sister, while Luca remained focused on his phone.

Finally, Luca’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his eyes narrowing as he read the message.”I’ve got something,” he said, his voice filled with urgency. Ryan rushed over to him.

“What is it?”Luca held up his phone, showing the address that had been traced back to the number. “It’s a private estate just outside of town. Whoever owns it has connections to some shady business dealings. It looks like this is our guy.”Ivy’s heart skipped a beat.

“That’s where Iris could be?”Luca nodded. “It’s possible. We won’t know for sure until we get there.”Ryan grabbed his jacket, determination in his eyes.

“We’re not waiting. We’re going now.”Ivy stood, her hands trembling as she tried to steady herself. “I’m coming with you.”Ryan turned to her, his expression serious. “It’s dangerous, Ivy. We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

“I don’t care,” Ivy said firmly. “I’m not staying behind while you go after my sister.”Luca stepped in. “She has a point. If Iris is there, Ivy should be with us. But we need to be careful. This isn’t going to be easy.”

Mrs. Jessica looked at her daughter, fear and hope warring in her eyes. “Please… be careful.”Ivy hugged her tightly. “I will. I’ll bring her back. I promise.”

With that, they set out, the tension mounting with each passing minute as they drove toward the location Luca had uncovered.

The estate loomed in the distance, a dark and imposing structure hidden away from prying eyes. The air grew heavy with the weight of what they were about to face.

As they approached the gates, Luca turned to the others. “We need to stay quiet. We can’t let them know we’re here until we’re ready to move.”Ryan nodded, his face grim as he gripped the wheel. “Let’s do this.”

They slipped through the gates, moving silently as they made their way toward the main building. The night was eerily quiet, the only sound the rustle of leaves in the wind. Luca led the way, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, a faint cry echoed from the building.

Ivy froze, her heart skipping a beat.”Did you hear that?” she whispered. Ryan nodded, his eyes narrowing. “That’s her.”Without another word, they moved quickly toward the sound.

As they reached the entrance, Luca held up a hand, signaling them to stop. “Wait. We don’t know how many people are inside. We need to be smart about this.”Ryan’s jaw clenched. “We don’t have time. Iris is in there.”

Before Luca could respond, the door creaked open, and a figure stepped out into the darkness. Ivy’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the man standing before them, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

“Looking for someone?” he sneered. Ryan tensed, ready to fight, but the man raised a hand, his smile widening.”You’re too late,” he said softly. “She’s already gone.”Ivy’s heart dropped as the man’s words sank in.

Ryan lunged forward, but the man disappeared into the shadows, leaving them standing in the cold, empty night.

Luca cursed under his breath. “Damn it! He knew we were coming.”Ryan punched the wall in frustration.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“Where did they take her?”Ivy stood frozen, her mind racing. They had been so close-so close to finding Iris, and now she was gone again. Her hands trembled as she whispered, “We’re going to find her. We have to.”

But deep down, a sinking feeling told her that this was only the beginning of their fight to bring Iris back. And time was running out.