The Contracted Stripper

Luca stared at his phone, disbelief washing over him as he read the message from one of the employees at Kendrick Enterprises.

Bella’s presence at the office, along with a group of new faces claiming authority, had sent a shockwave through the company.

His fingers tightened around the phone as he considered his next move.

“Something’s not right,” Luca muttered to himself.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was late, but this couldn’t wait. Grabbing his keys, he headed out the door, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was happening at the office.

As Luca drove through the quiet streets, his mind raced with questions.

How had Bella gained control so quickly?

And why hadn’t she visited Ryan in the hospital?

The pieces didn’t add up, and Luca felt a gnawing unease in his gut.

When he arrived at Kendrick Enterprises, the building was still lit up, a stark contrast to the late hour.

Luca’s footsteps echoed in the empty lobby as he made his way to the elevator, his thoughts swirling.

He had a bad feeling about what he was about to find.

The elevator doors opened to the executive floor, and Luca’s heart sank as he stepped out.

The atmosphere was different, colder as if the very air had changed. He walked down the corridor toward Mr. Kendrick’s office, the unease growing stronger with each step

. When he reached the office, the door was slightly ajar.

Luca hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.

The sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks.

Bella was sitting comfortably in Mr. Kendrick’s chair, her feet propped up on the desk as if she owned the place.

She was dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, exuding an air of confidence and authority that made Luca’s blood boil.

“Bella?” Luca’s voice was incredulous, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

“What the hell are you doing here?”Bella looked up from the papers she was reviewing, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Ah, Luca. I was wondering when you’d show up.”Luca’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing in Mr. Kendrick’s office? And what is the news about new people here, claiming they’re in charge?”

Bella leaned back in the chair, her smirk widening into a full-blown grin.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking over. The Kendrick Empire now belongs to me and my brother, of course.”

Luca’s mind reeled. “Taking over? Are you out of your mind? You have no right…..”

“No right?” Bella interrupted, laughing softly. “Oh, Luca, you’re so naive.

Haven’t you figured it out by now? Ryan’s in the hospital, the old man will die soon, and the rest of the family is too distracted with their problems to stop me.

This company is mine.”Luca took a step closer, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

“Ryan trusted you, and this is how you repay him? By swooping in like a vulture and taking what doesn’t belong to you?”

Bella’s expression hardened. “Don’t lecture me, Luca. This is business. And Ryan? He was never going to be a true leader. He’s weak, distracted by his playboy lifestyle. I’m doing what needs to be done.”

Luca’s fists clenched at his sides. “You’re not taking over anything. The Kendrick Empire belongs to the Kendricks, not you and your brother.”

Bella’s smile returned, but this time it was cold, devoid of any warmth. “We’ll see about that.

The board is already on my side. It’s only a matter of time before the name ‘Kendrick’ is a distant memory.

We’re renaming the company, restructuring everything. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”Luca’s anger flared, but he forced himself to stay calm.

He knew he had to keep his emotions in check if he was going to get through this.

“You’re making a big mistake, Bella. You think you’re in control, but this isn’t over.

The Kendricks won’t go down without a fight.”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Bella stood up, walking around the desk until she was face to face with Luca.

“Oh, I’m counting on that,” she said, her voice dripping with malice. “But trust me, Luca, by the time I’m done, there won’t be anything left to fight for.”

Luca held her gaze, refusing to back down. “I’ll make sure Ivy knows what you’re planning. She won’t let you destroy everything her family built.”

Bella’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Ivy? That little fashion-obsessed brat? She’s nothing compared to me.

By the time she realizes what’s happening, it’ll be too late.”

Without another word, Luca turned on his heel and stormed out of the office, his mind racing.

He had to warn Ivy and figure out a way to stop Bella before it was too late.

Luca’s heart pounded as he dialed Ivy’s number, his hands shaking slightly.

He needed to keep his cool, but the urgency of the situation made it difficult.

The phone rang twice before Ivy answered, her voice laced with concern.

“Luca? What’s wrong? It’s late.”

“Ivy, we have a problem,” Luca said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I just got back from the office. Bella is there, and she’s taken over. She and her brother are claiming they’re in charge now.”

“What?” Ivy’s voice was filled with disbelief. “That can’t be true. Bella wouldn’t do that, she can’t do that!”

“She’s doing it,” Luca said firmly. “She’s already got the board on her side, and she’s planning on renaming the company. She’s going to change everything, Ivy. We can’t let her get away with this.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line as Ivy processed what Luca had just told her. When she spoke again, her voice was cold and determined. “We need to stop her. If she gets control of the company, everything our father built will be destroyed.”Luca nodded, even though Ivy couldn’t see him.

“I know. We need to act fast. We have to find a way to turn the board against her and get the company back under Kendrick’s control.”

“I’ll talk to someone,” Ivy said, her mind already working on a plan.

“We’ll figure out how to neutralize Bella’s influence. She won’t get away with this, Luca. Not on my watch.”

“Good,” Luca said, feeling a surge of relief that Ivy was on board.

“But be careful, Ivy. Bella isn’t playing games. She’s ruthless, and she’ll do whatever it takes to win.

“I’m aware of that,” Ivy said, her voice hardening. “But she’s underestimating me-and that’s her biggest mistake.”

As Luca ended the call, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. He knew the battle ahead would be difficult, but he had faith in Ivy.

Together, they would find a way to stop Bella and save Kendrick’s legacy. But as he stared out at the city lights from his car, a nagging doubt crept into his mind.

Bella was dangerous, and she had already made her move. Could they stop her before it was too late?

The next morning, Ivy met Luca at a secluded cafe on the outskirts of the city. The atmosphere was tense as they sat down, each of them aware of the gravity of the situation.

“I spoke to a few board members this morning,” Ivy began, her voice low. “Some of them are already wavering in their support for Bella, but they’re scared. They think she has more power than she does.”

“Fear is a powerful weapon,” Luca said, his brow furrowed in thought. “Bella’s using it to her advantage, and she’s playing on their insecurities.

If we want to turn them against her, we need to show them that siding with the Kendricks is the safer bet.”

“We need leverage,” Luca added. “Something that will make the board question their loyalty to Bella. If we can find proof that she’s not as invincible as she seems, we can start to turn the tide.”Ivy nodded.

“I’ve been thinking about that. There’s something off about how quickly Bella’s taken control. It’s almost as if she was waiting for this opportunity like she knew it was coming.” Luca leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Are you suggesting she had inside information? That someone on the inside helped her?”

“It’s possible,” Ivy said cautiously. “I don’t have any solid proof yet, but I’m going to dig deeper. If we can find out who’s been feeding her information, we can expose them-and that could be the leverage we need.”Luca frowned, his mind racing.

“But what if she’s been planning this for a long time? If she’s been working behind the scenes, laying the groundwork for her takeover, we might be too late to stop her.”

“No,” Ivy said firmly. “It’s never too late. We just need to be smart about this. Bella is cunning, but she’s also arrogant. She thinks she’s won, but that’s when people make mistakes. We need to find those mistakes and exploit them.”They both continued to strategize, their minds working overtime as they considered their options. Every move they made from this point on would be crucial, and they couldn’t afford any missteps.

After an hour of intense discussion, they finally had a plan. It wasn’t foolproof, but it was the best they could come up with.