The Contracted Stripper

Mrs. Rose paced outside Mr. Kendrick’s hospital room, anxiety biting at her.

She watched Ivy from a distance, her mind racing with everything that had been spiraling out of control since Ryan’s accident.

Bella, of all people, was now claiming to be in charge of the Kendrick empire.

She couldn’t believe it.

The idea made her stomach churn with disgust.

“Ivy,” Mrs. Rose called out softly, gesturing for her daughter to come over.

Ivy glanced up from her tablet, hesitating for a moment, then followed her mother into the quiet hallway.

“What is it, Mom?” Ivy asked, her tone cautious.

Mrs. Rose took a deep breath. “I heard from the staff that Bella is in the company. She’s been acting like she owns the place. Is it true?”Ivy’s face tightened. “Yeah, Mom, it’s true.

She’s in Dad’s office as we speak. She and some new faces are practically running things now.”

Mrs. Rose’s heart sank. Betrayal burned through her chest. “I knew she was ambitious, but this… this is something else. How could she do this after everything I did for her?”

“I hope you haven’t told your father about any of this?” Mrs. Rose’s voice wavered, suddenly filled with panic.

“Not yet,” Ivy replied quickly. “But I almost did.” She pulled out her tablet and handed it to her mother.

“I was going to show him this.”

Mrs. Rose looked down at the screen. Her eyes widened as she scanned the headline:

“Kendrick Enterprises Linked to Major Political Scandal: Corruption and Conspiracy Unveiled.”

“What were you thinking, Ivy?” Mrs. Rose whispered harshly. “You can’t show this to your father. He’s already dealing with so much. You know how fragile his health is.”

“I just thought he had a right to know,” Ivy mumbled, folding her arms defensively.

“And what would that accomplish?” Mrs. Rose shot back, exasperated. “It could kill him.”Mrs. Rose felt the weight of the betrayal presses down on her.

Bella had wormed her way into their lives and manipulated everyone around her, and now she was after the entire empire.

Rage bubbled inside her. Without another word, she stormed down the hallway

.”Mom, where are you going?” Ivy called out, her voice anxious.

“Stay here,” Mrs. Rose replied firmly. “Look after your father and brother. I need to deal with this.”

The drive to Kendrick Enterprises felt longer than ever. Mrs. Rose’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as her thoughts raced. She had never felt so humiliated.

After everything she had done for Bella – standing up for her when no one else would, ensuring she married Ryan – and this was how she was repaid?

Her fingers tightened as anger coursed through her. When she arrived at the company, she didn’t bother greeting anyone. She walked straight through the lobby, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

She knew exactly where she was going.

As she reached Mr. Kendrick’s office, two large men stood in front of the door. They eyed her suspiciously as she approached.”Let me through,” Mrs. Rose demanded.

“Sorry, ma’am, no one’s allowed inside,” one of the men said, stepping in her path.

Mrs. Rose’s face twisted with fury. “I don’t care who you are. That’s my husband’s office, and I have every right to be in there!”

The men exchanged glances, but Mrs. Rose wasn’t in the mood to be stopped.

She shoved past them with surprising force and stormed into the office.

There, sitting comfortably in Mr. Kendrick’s leather chair, was Bella. She was flipping through a stack of papers, her expression calm and collected, as if she owned the place.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Mrs. Rose’s blood boiled. “How dare you?”Bella looked up slowly, her lips curling into a smug smile. “Ah, Mrs. Rose, I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Mrs. Rose’s voice trembled with rage. “How dare you come into this company and act like you own it? How dare you try to take what’s not yours? After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?”

Bella leaned back in the chair, a look of mock surprise on her face. “Oh, come now, Mrs. Rose. Don’t act like you didn’t see this coming. You made sure I ended up with Ryan, didn’t you? But you were always so easy to manipulate because you were so busy manipulating everyone else.”

“You… you don’t belong here,” Mrs. Rose stammered, her chest heaving. “You will pick up your things and get out of this office. Now.”

Bella laughed, a cold, sharp sound that echoed through the room. She stood up and walked over to Mrs. Rose, her eyes glittering with amusement.

“You think you’re still in control, don’t you? Poor, naive Mrs. Rose.”Mrs. Rose took a step back, but Bella moved closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“You’d better accept defeat, or else… well, let’s just say your husband might find out about that little affair you’ve been having with Dr. Parker.”

Mrs. Rose froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Her eyes widened in horror.

“You… you wouldn’t.”

Bella smiled sweetly. “Oh, I would.

And it would be so much more fun if the world got to see the real you, don’t you think? The faithful wife who’s been cheating on her husband with his best friend? The mother who’s been lying to her children for years? I wonder how Mr. Kendrick would react if he knew the truth…”

Mrs. Rose tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She stood there, trembling, her world crashing down around her. Bella had her completely cornered.

“You’re going to leave quietly now,” Bella said, her voice firm. “And you’re never going to come back. This company is mine now, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it.”She snapped her fingers, and the guards who had been standing outside entered the room.

“Escort Mrs. Rose out, please. And make sure she understands that she’s no longer welcome here.”

The guards grabbed Mrs. Rose by the arms, but before they could lead her out, Bella spoke one last time.”Oh, and Mrs. Rose,” Bella called out, her voice dripping with malice. “I’ll be visiting Ryan soon. We’ll make sure that the wedding still holds. I wouldn’t want him to miss out on marrying me.”Mrs. Rose’s heart sank as the guards led her away.

She knew Bella was serious. And for the first time in a long time, she had no idea what to do next.

As she was dragged through the doors, Mrs. Rose’s mind raced. If Bella was willing to expose her affair with Dr. Parker, what else was she capable of?

Could she be stopped, or had Bella already won? The last thing she heard before the doors closed behind her was Bella’s laughter echoing through the office, a sound that sent chills down her spine.

The game had changed, and Mrs. Rose knew she was dangerously close to losing everything.

As Mrs. Rose stepped out into the cold night air, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her hands shook as she dialed a number she hadn’t used in years.

The phone rang once, twice, then a familiar voice answered on the other end.”It’s me,” Mrs. Rose whispered. “We need to talk. It’s urgent.”