The Contracted Stripper

Luca paced the dimly lit hallway of the hotel, his footsteps light as he listened intently to the quiet hum of his phone.

The tiny earpiece in his ear crackled softly as he heard the voice on the other end say,

“She’s on the move.”He nodded to himself, whispering under his breath, “Keep an eye on her.

I’ll tail from a distance.”For weeks now, Luca had been suspicious of Mrs. Rose. Her frantic behavior since Mrs. Jessica’s disappearance had set off alarm bells, and his instincts told him there was more to this story than anyone realized.

Tonight, he was determined to uncover the truth. Disguised in a dark hoodie and jeans, Luca slipped out of the back exit of the hotel, blending into the shadows of the bustling city.

He kept a safe distance from Mrs. Rose’s sleek black car as it glided down the street, the taillights faint against the night sky. She was heading to a private location, and Luca had a feeling Dr. Parker would be there. He tapped his phone screen, opening the tracking app linked to the small GPS he had discreetly planted on Mrs. Rose’s car earlier that week.

“Let’s see where you’re headed,” he muttered as he followed her down winding streets and into an upscale neighborhood. Inside the car, Mrs. Rose sat in the back seat, her fingers drumming impatiently against her phone. She glanced at the driver, a man hired for his discretion, then typed out a message to Dr. Parker: “Almost there. We need to talk.”

The response came quickly: “I’ll be waiting.”Her mind raced as she thought about the situation at hand. Jessica was missing, Bella was consolidating power over the company, and Ryan still hadn’t recovered his full memory.

Everything was falling apart, and the only person she could truly trust now was Parker. He had always been there, covering her tracks, ensuring her secrets remained buried. But even he couldn’t work miracles if Jessica resurfaced.

As they pulled up to a secluded house at the edge of the neighborhood, Mrs. Rose stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She approached the front door, knocking twice before it opened, revealing Dr. Parker standing in the doorway.” Rose,” he greeted her, stepping aside to let her in. “You look tense.”

“That’s because I am,” she replied curtly, walking past him and into the living room. “We need to figure this out, Parker. Jessica is still out there, and we have no idea where she is.”Dr. Parker closed the door, locking it before following her.

“I told you, we’ll find her. She’s weak. She can’t survive out there for long on her own.”Mrs. Rose spun around to face him, her eyes blazing. “You keep saying that, but it’s been days, and there’s still no sign of her! Do you realize what’s at stake here? If she talks-”

“She won’t,” Dr. Parker interrupted calmly, his voice steady. “Jessica knows what’s waiting for her if she tries to expose us. We’ve kept her in the shadows for years. She’s not going to risk everything now.”

“Are you really that confident?” Rose crossed her arms, pacing back and forth. “Because I’m not. The longer she’s out there, the more vulnerable we are. And Bella is becoming a bigger problem than we anticipated. She’s practically running the company now.”

Parker’s face darkened at the mention of Bella. “I’ve been keeping an eye on her. She’s smart, but she doesn’t have the full backing of the board yet. We can still take control if we play our cards right.”Mrs. Rose sighed, sinking into a chair. “I can’t believe this is happening. We were so close, Parker. So close to having everything, and now it’s all slipping through our fingers.”

Dr. Parker walked over, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’ll fix this, Rose. But first, we need to focus on finding Jessica. I’ve already mobilized a team to search for her. We’ll track her down before she can cause any damage.”

Unbeknownst to them, Luca stood outside, hidden behind a tall hedge, listening intently to their conversation through the window left slightly ajar. His heart raced as he pieced together the fragments of their discussion. Mrs. Rose and Dr. Parker were involved in something far more sinister than he had imagined. The mention of Jessica sent a chill down his spine.

He had suspected she was in danger, but now he knew for certain that her disappearance wasn’t an accident-it was orchestrated. Luca reached for his phone, quickly typing out a message to his contact: “They’re discussing Jessica. Something big is happening. Keep watch on their movements.”

As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, he leaned closer to the window, straining to hear more. Inside, the tension between Mrs. Rose and Dr. Parker grew thicker.

Mrs. Rose stood abruptly, pacing again as she spoke. “We need to get rid of Bella. She’s becoming a liability. If Ryan remembers even a fraction of what happened, everything we’ve worked for will be exposed.”

Dr. Parker nodded. “I agree, but we can’t be hasty. Bella is clever. She’s been manipulating Ryan and Kendrick, playing the long game. We need to discredit her before we make any move against her.”And how do you propose we do that?” Rose snapped. “She’s got half the board in her pocket, and Ryan believes she’s Iris.”

“We’ll start by planting seeds of doubt,” Parker replied smoothly. “We’ll let Ryan overhear certain things, make him question her intentions. If he starts to mistrust her, she’ll lose her power over him. Once that happens, we can move in and regain control.”

Rose considered his words, nodding slowly. “Fine. But we need to move quickly. If Jessica resurfaces, Bella’s little charade will be the least of our problems.”Dr. Parker’s eyes gleamed with a cold determination.

“I’ve already taken steps to ensure that doesn’t happen. Jessica won’t be a problem for much longer.”Luca’s blood ran cold at Parker’s words. Jessica’s life was in danger, and he had to act fast. He couldn’t afford to wait for backup or reinforcements. He needed to get to Jessica before Parker’s team did.

Just as he was about to retreat into the shadows, he heard Dr. Parker say something that stopped him in his tracks.”By the way,” Parker continued, his tone casual, “I’ve received confirmation that Jessica was last spotted outside the city. She’s hiding somewhere, and we’ll flush her out soon enough.”Mrs. Rose arched an eyebrow. “Outside the city? How did she manage that?”

“She had help,” Parker replied, his voice taking on a darker edge. “Someone’s been protecting her, keeping her hidden. But they can’t hide her forever. We’ll find her. And when we do, we’ll make sure she never has the chance to speak.

“Luca’s heart raced as he processed the information. Jessica was still alive, but not for long if Parker and Rose had their way. He had to find her first. Back inside the house, Mrs. Rose glanced at her watch. “We can’t stay here much longer. I have to return to the mansion before anyone gets suspicious. Bella’s already questioning my every move.”Parker nodded in agreement.

“Keep playing along for now. Let her think she’s in control. But remember Rose-our real target is Jessica. Once we eliminate her, everything will fall into place.

“As they prepared to leave, Luca moved quickly, slipping away from his hiding spot and into the shadows. His mind was racing. He needed to get to Jessica before they did.

Luca drove through the dark streets, his thoughts spinning as he replayed everything he had heard. Parker’s people were already on the hunt, and time was running out. He picked up his phone, dialing the only person he trusted with this information.

“I need your help,” Luca said urgently when the line connected. “Jessica’s in danger. they’re looking for her, but I need backup. We don’t have much time.”There was a pause on the other end before the voice replied, “I’m on my way. Don’t do anything reckless, Luca. We’ll get her out of this.”Luca ended the call and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He wouldn’t let Jessica fall into their hands. Not again. But as the rain began to fall and the city streets blurred in the darkness, Luca couldn’t shake the feeling that he was running out of time.

Just as Luca’s thoughts reached a fever pitch, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from an unknown number: “You’re too late.”His heart stopped.