The Contracted Stripper

Ryan rushed his father into the emergency room, barely taking a moment to breathe as the doctors immediately attended to Mr. Kendrick. His father was pale, weak, and barely conscious, and the sight of him in that condition twisted Ryan’s stomach into knots.

He paced the waiting room, checking his phone for updates, and trying to keep a level head despite the whirlwind of emotions crashing over him. Moments later, his phone rang-it was his mother, Mrs. Rose, and Ivy.

“Ryan, where are you? We can’t find you or Dad!” Mrs. Rose’s voice sounded frantic. Ryan clenched his jaw. He knew this would be coming.

“I took him to another hospital, Mom. Dr. Parker’s hospital.

“There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a sharp intake of breath from Mrs. Rose. “Dr. Parker’s hospital? Why would you take him there, Ryan?”Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to keep calm.

“I didn’t know he was our family doctor, Mom. I’m still… struggling with some of my memory, remember?”Mrs. Rose let out a soft “oh” as the realization hit her.

“Right… I forgot about that. We’ll be there soon.”Ryan gave them the address and, after hanging up the phone, continued his pacing. He hadn’t expected to bring his father here, of all places.

Dr. Parker’s hospital had been a point of contention in their family for years, especially with his mother’s affair. But now, it was the closest, and he wasn’t about to risk waiting any longer just to satisfy his mother’s feelings.

When Mrs. Rose and Ivy finally arrived, Mrs. Rose’s eyes went wide with horror as she saw her husband’s condition. She rushed to Mr. Kendrick’s side, her hands trembling as she touched his frail form.”Charles…” Her voice broke, tears streaming down her face as she held his hand.

“What happened to you?”Ryan stood by the door, watching his mother cry over the man who had once been the head of their family. It was hard to see his father like this, but the sight of his mother’s tears stirred something in him-something close to anger.

Mrs. Rose turned to Ryan, wiping her tears as best as she could, though they still flowed freely. “Why did you bring him here, Ryan? You should have taken him somewhere else, anywhere but here!”

“I told you, Mom, I didn’t know this was Dr. Parker’s hospital,” Ryan replied, trying to keep his voice calm. “I didn’t do this on purpose.”Mrs. Rose’s gaze softened slightly as she realized Ryan still hadn’t regained all of his memories.

She looked over to Ivy, her eyes red from crying. “Ivy, how are you holding up?”Ivy, who had been standing quietly by the side, arms crossed, gave her mother a cold stare. “How do you think I’m holding up?” she replied, her tone icy.

“This whole thing is a disaster.”Mrs. Rose flinched slightly at Ivy’s coldness but didn’t say anything further. Instead, she turned her attention back to her husband, holding his hand tightly as tears continued to fall from her eyes. She stroked his hair softly, whispering to him, though he was too weak to respond.

Ivy stood off to the side, disgusted by her mother’s act. She didn’t say it out loud, but her expression made it clear-she wasn’t buying her mother’s crocodile tears. Ryan’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.

Luca entered the room, his eyes scanning the tense scene. He nodded at Ryan in acknowledgment before glancing toward Ivy, who gave him a small, forced smile.”How’s Mr. Kendrick doing?” Luca asked quietly, his voice measured as he kept his distance.”Not good,” Ryan replied, running a hand through his hair.

“They’re still running tests. I’m waiting for the doctor.”Luca frowned. “I can’t believe this is happening. And Bella’s out there… God knows what she’s planning next.”Ryan clenched his fists at the mention of Bella.

“I’m going to deal with her. I don’t care what it takes, Luca.”Luca nodded, his expression hardening. “We’ll take her down, Ryan. One way or another.”

Just then, a doctor appeared in the doorway, glancing around the room before locking eyes with Ryan.” Mr. Kendrick?” the doctor called. Ryan stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest.

“That’s me.”The doctor gestured toward his office. “Can we speak privately for a moment?”Ivy immediately stepped forward. “I’m coming too.”Mrs. Rose, still by her husband’s side, looked up, her eyes wide with concern. “I’m coming as well.”Ryan shook his head firmly.

“Mom, stay here with Dad. We’ll be back soon.”Mrs. Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Ryan held up his hand, his tone firm. “Please, Mom. Stay with Dad. I need you to keep an eye on him.”Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.

Reluctantly, Mrs. Rose nodded, wiping away her tears as Ryan and Ivy followed the doctor down the hall and into his office.

As soon as the door closed behind them, the atmosphere shifted to something much more serious. The doctor motioned for them to sit, but Ryan and Ivy both remained standing, their expressions tense.

“What’s going on, doctor?” Ivy demanded, her arms crossed over her chest. The doctor sighed, glancing at the file in his hands. “Your father’s condition is serious. He’s stable for now, but he’s suffered significant stress, both physically and mentally. His heart is under immense strain.”

Ryan’s heart sank as the doctor’s words settled in. “What can be done?”

“We’re doing everything we can to stabilize him, but given his age and the state of his health, he’s in a very delicate condition. Any additional stress could be dangerous.”Ivy narrowed her eyes. “So what are you saying? Is he going to be okay, or not?”

The doctor hesitated, his expression somber. “It’s too soon to say for certain. We’ll have to monitor him closely over the next few days. But I need to stress that any further emotional or physical strain could lead to a more severe event. He needs rest and calm.”Ryan exchanged a worried glance with Ivy.

Bella’s schemes were the last thing their father needed right now, but there was no avoiding it. They couldn’t let her destroy the company, and they couldn’t let her manipulate their family any further. But could they risk pushing their father’s fragile health?

Ivy, clearly frustrated, pressed on. “We’re not going to just sit around while Bella takes everything from us. There has to be something we can do without stressing out Dad.”

Ryan nodded in agreement. “We’ll have to find a way to keep this from him for now. Deal with Bella quietly.”The doctor raised an eyebrow.

“Whatever you do, I would advise you to keep him out of it. Any news of upheaval could send him into another episode, and that might be something he doesn’t recover from.”Ryan swallowed hard, his mind racing.

“Thank you, doctor. We’ll keep that in mind.”As they left the office, Ivy turned to Ryan, her expression determined.

“We need to deal with Bella. Now. She’s already torn this family apart, and Dad… he can’t handle any more of this.”Ryan nodded, his jaw clenched.

“We will, Ivy. But we have to be smart about it. No more rushing in without a plan.”Ivy rolled her eyes. “Don’t start lecturing me, Ryan. I know how serious this is. I’ve been dealing with Bella’s crap for weeks now.”Ryan gave her a hard look.

“I’m not lecturing you. I just want us to be on the same page. Bella’s dangerous, and if we’re not careful, she’ll win.”Ivy sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Fine. I’ll follow your lead. But we need to move fast.”

As they re-entered their father’s room, Mrs. Rose was still by his side, her face streaked with tears. She looked up at them as they entered, her eyes filled with worry.”Well?” Mrs. Rose asked, her voice shaky. Ryan forced a small smile.

“He’s stable for now, but he needs rest. We’ll know more in the next few days.”Mrs. Rose let out a shaky breath of relief and turned her attention back to Mr. Kendrick. She held his hand tightly, her tears falling silently.

Ivy leaned toward Ryan, her voice a low whisper. “What are we going to do about Bella?”Ryan’s eyes darkened, his mind already working on a plan.

“We’re going to end this. Once and for all.”Just as they were about to leave, Luca returned to the room, his expression tense. “Ryan, I’ve been doing some digging.

There’s something you need to see.”Ryan exchanged a glance with Ivy before following Luca out of the room.

They stepped into the hallway, and Luca handed Ryan his phone. Ryan’s eyes widened as he scrolled through the information Luca had uncovered. It was worse than they had imagined.

“She’s moving fast,” Luca said quietly. “If we don’t act now, there won’t be anything left of Kendrick Enterprises.”Ryan’s heart pounded in his chest. “We need to confront her.

Now.”Ivy, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “Let’s finish this.”Ryan clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. It was time to face Bella once and for all, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the final confrontation