The Contracted Stripper

The tension in the hospital room hung heavy as Iris took a deep breath and prepared to explain everything.

The faces of those around her-Jessica, Ryan, Kendrick, and Ivy-were etched with a mixture of concern, curiosity, and shock. Ryan, especially, seemed anxious, as though every word Iris spoke would shift the very foundation of what he believed to be true.

“I found out I was pregnant,” Iris began slowly, her voice steady but filled with emotion, “on the same day that Mrs. Rose asked to see me. She called me out of the blue and said she needed to talk. I thought it was something important about the family, but when I got there…” She paused, her gaze shifting to Ryan before continuing.

“She told me to leave you, Ryan. She wanted me gone so you could be with Bella.”Ryan’s jaw clenched at the mention of his mother’s betrayal, but he remained silent, allowing Iris to continue.”I was devastated,” Iris admitted, her voice cracking slightly. “I didn’t know what to do, and on my way back to the hospital, I wasn’t paying attention. I wasn’t looking where I was going because I was so lost in my thoughts. That’s when it happened.”

“Happened?” Ivy asked, leaning forward, her voice filled with concern.”I was hit by a car,” Iris said quietly. “The man who hit me-he rushed me to the hospital. I was in pain, but it wasn’t until they ran some tests that the nurse came in and told me the news.”

“What news?” Jessica asked, her voice soft, but filled with dread.”That I was already three weeks pregnant,” Iris said, her eyes locking with Jessica’s, who gasped in surprise.

Jessica’s hand flew to her mouth, a mixture of shock and disbelief crossing her features. Ryan, too, seemed to have been caught off guard, his brows furrowing as he processed what Iris had just said.”Iris, why didn’t you tell me?” Ryan asked, his voice tinged with a mix of hurt and confusion.”I was about to,” Iris replied quickly, her gaze softening as she looked at him.

“I was on my way to tell you when… when everything changed. Before I could say anything, I was kidnapped.”Jessica’s eyes widened as she took a step toward her daughter.

“Kidnapped? By who?”Iris sighed, the weight of the memory pressing down on her. “Bella,” she said, her voice filled with a mix of bitterness and sadness. “Bella was behind it all. After I was taken, I didn’t see anyone except the people who kept me captive. I didn’t know where I was or how long I’d been there.

But I gave birth days ago, in that horrible place. And as soon as I did, Bella took my child away.”Gasps filled the room as everyone tried to comprehend the depth of Bella’s betrayal.”She took your baby?” Ivy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s… that’s monstrous.”Yes,” Iris nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “She didn’t even let me hold him. She just… she just took him and left me there, alone and bleeding. If it weren’t for Ryan and Luca, I don’t know if I’d even be standing here right now.”

Ryan’s face hardened with a mix of rage and regret. He ran his hands through his hair and stepped toward Iris. “Iris… I had no idea,” he said softly, his voice thick with emotion.

“If I had known-if I had any clue what Bella was capable of-I would have never let her anywhere near you. I’m sorry. I failed you.”Iris shook her head, reaching out to gently grasp Ryan’s hand.

“It’s not your fault, Ryan. None of us knew. Bella hid her true self from all of us. But now… now, all that matters is that our child is safe. Thanks to you.”

Jessica, who had remained silent throughout Iris’s story, now stood with tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders shook as she cried quietly, overwhelmed by the gravity of everything her daughter had endured.

“Mom?” Iris called softly, noticing the change in her mother’s expression.

Jessica wiped her tears with trembling hands. “Iris,” she whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and guilt.

“I’m so happy that I have a grandson. But I’m devastated that you had to go through all of this. The pain, the torture, the stress… all because of my past mistakes. If I hadn’t left you with the Kendricks, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”

“No, Mom,” Iris said firmly, stepping forward to embrace Jessica. “Don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault. None of this is. You were trying to protect us, and I know that. What’s important now is that we move forward.”

As the mother and daughter held each other in a tight embrace, the door to the room creaked open, and a doctor in a white coat stepped in, holding a clipboard. His expression was serious as he approached Mr. Kendrick’s bedside.

“Mr. Kendrick,” the doctor began, flipping through the pages on his clipboard. “I have the results of your tests.”Kendrick, who had been silent up until this point, sat up straighter, his face growing grim.

“What did you find?” he asked. The doctor glanced around the room, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “It appears that a harmful substance was found in your system.

Based on our tests, this substance had been administered slowly over time, almost as if someone intended to poison you gradually.”

A collective gasp echoed around the room, and Kendrick’s expression darkened. “I knew it,” he muttered under his breath. “It was Rose and Parker. They tried to kill me.”The doctor nodded gravely. “It’s possible. The substance you were exposed to could have easily gone undetected, especially with the doses being so small. It nearly shuts down your organs. You’re lucky we caught it in time.”

Kendrick clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he remembered the night he overheard Rose’s conversation. “I heard her,” he said bitterly. “Rose didn’t know I was awake when she called Parker. She thought I was unconscious, but I heard her say that Ryan had taken me to another hospital. They were going to finish the job.”

Ryan’s face twisted with fury, and he slammed his fist into the nearby wall. “That woman,” he growled. “How could she? How could my mother be so heartless?”The doctor continued, his tone calm but urgent.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

“We’re doing everything we can to ensure the substance doesn’t spread further or cause any lasting damage, Mr. Kendrick. But it’s going to take time for your body to recover.”Kendrick nodded slowly, his eyes filled with resolve. “Thank you, doctor.”

As the doctor excused himself and left the room, the air in the room grew heavier. Everyone was processing the gravity of what had just been revealed. Mr. Kendrick had been poisoned, Rose and Parker were responsible, and Bella had stolen Iris’s child. Jessica, who had been standing in silence, finally spoke.

“It’s all over the news,” she said softly, pulling out her phone and scrolling through the headlines.

“What is?” Ivy asked, stepping closer to look at the screen. Jessica handed the phone to her daughter, her hands still shaking.

“The arrests. Rose Kendrick and her lover, Dr. Parker, have been arrested. It’s everywhere-kidnapping attempted murder, and more. They’ve finally been exposed.”

The room fell into a stunned silence as everyone absorbed the news. Ryan, still reeling from the betrayal of his mother, felt a hollow ache settle in his chest.

He knew Rose was twisted, but seeing her downfall splashed across every major headline made it all the more real. Kendrick sighed deeply, his face lined with exhaustion.

“It’s over,” he whispered, though there was little relief in his voice. “They’re going to pay for what they did.”Ivy scrolled through the article, her eyes scanning the details before she suddenly froze. Her fingers hovered over the screen, and her face paled.

“What is it?” Iris asked, noticing the sudden change in her sister’s expression.”I… I think there’s something else,” Ivy said slowly, her voice trembling.

Everyone’s attention snapped to Ivy as she turned the phone toward them. The headline of a new article had just been updated, and the words sent a shiver down Iris’s spine.

“Authorities investigate possible accomplices in Kendrick conspiracy,” the headline read.

Iris’s heart sank. “Accomplices?” she echoed, her voice barely audible. Ryan’s brows furrowed as he moved closer to read the article.

“It says they’re investigating other people who may have been involved in the conspiracy,” he explained. “They believe Rose and Parker weren’t working alone.”A cold dread settled over the room as everyone exchanged uneasy glances. If there were more people involved, then this nightmare was far from over.

“Who could it be?” Jessica asked, her voice trembling. “Who else could have had a hand in all of this?”Ryan’s jaw tightened, his mind racing through the possibilities. “We need to stay on guard,” he said firmly.

“Until we know who else was involved, none of us are safe.”Iris clutched her baby tighter to her chest, her heart pounding with fear. After everything they had been through, the thought that someone else was out there, plotting in the shadows, was terrifying.

But as the tension in the room grew, a soft knock came at the door. Everyone froze, their eyes locked on the door as it slowly creaked open.