The Colonel's Daughter

Chapter 1 : Clandestine Love

Iriana stood before her parents, her heart pounding in her chest. Her father's stern gaze, the colonel, and her mother's disappointed expression weighed on her like invisible chains. They awaited an explanation, a justification for this clandestine love affair.

Indeed, Iriana was not allowed to date a boy at that time; her father already had other plans for her. That's how she lived; her contact with people outside was limited. Even her friends should only be from affluent families.

Trembling with fear, Iriana hesitated, her words stuck in her throat as she struggled against her own tumultuous emotions. Should she reveal the secret she fiercely kept buried within herself, or should she protect the forbidden love burning in her heart?

A deep voice, belonging to her bodyguard named Fano, suddenly spoke up.

"Colonel, did you summon me?" he asked, sounding concerned, sensing the palpable tension between Iriana and her parents. The colonel turned to him, his gaze scrutinizing.

"Tell me, have you become so incompetent that I should replace you? Explain to me how despite your protection during her outings, my daughter still manages to have a secret boyfriend." he interrogated, his tone authoritative.

The bodyguard glanced briefly at Iriana, then paused before responding in a measured voice, "We watch her closely, my colleague and I, during our trips to the school, but no boy seems to approach her. Unless it happens during classes."

His words echoed in the room, amplifying the silence that had settled.

The colonel continued, his voice tinged with menace:
"Are you sure of what you're saying, Fano? Because I will not tolerate lies. If you attempt to cover for her, you will suffer the consequences."

"I'm certain, sir! We ensure that no stranger approaches her while she's under our protection."

"Iriana, go to your room!" said the colonel firmly.

The young girl left in silence, tears in her eyes.

The colonel then addressed Fano:

"Fano, I entrust you with the task of discovering who is the author of this insignificant love letter that my wife found in my daughter's room. Find out who this audacious boy is within the next 48 hours, I want answers!"

"At your command, Colonel!" replied Fano, his voice firm and determined. Then he added, "Colonel, once we have identified the boy, what should we do with him?"

The colonel fixed Fano with a icy gaze before responding in a dark tone, "Give him my most severe warnings!"

He clearly implied the intention to punish him severely.

"Understood, Colonel." Then he withdrew.

In her room, Iriana collapsed on her bed, her heart heavy with sorrow. Her father's angry shouts resonated through the walls, accusing her mother of failing to properly educate their daughter. In the dimness of her room, tears blurred her eyes as she thought back to the tense scene that had just unfolded.

Iriana was a young woman with a mixed complexion, inheriting from her Malagasy father and Italian mother. Her eyes were a vivid black, reflecting the liveliness of her pure soul, while her long brown hair delicately framed her face.

At lunchtime, a heavy atmosphere permeated the table, with Iriana absent. Usually, her father would not have tolerated this kind of behavior, but this time, he overlooked it, at a loss as to how to react to his daughter at the moment. Father and daughter remained silent throughout the afternoon, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Hours passed; it was three o'clock, Iriana and her younger sister were getting ready for their classes as they usually did. Of course, Fano and his colleague would take them to school. They got into the family car and left the house under the protective gaze of the colonel.

The car moved slowly along the road, Iriana and her sister seated in the back. Fano was focused on driving, while another bodyguard scanned the surroundings. But about ten minutes before their destination, the unthinkable happened.

A Mercedes G63 appeared out of nowhere, almost completely blocking their path. Fano maneuvered to get around the obstacle, but a second car encircled them from behind, trapping them completely. Masked men emerged, armed, and opened fire on the car, shattering the windows with a deafening noise.

Caught off guard, Iriana turned to her sister, urging her to protect herself by lowering her head. A tense silence enveloped the scene, broken only by the sound of bullets whistling through the air. Suddenly, the door of their car opened abruptly, revealing a hooded man, his face concealed behind a sinister mask.

"GET OUT !" he ordered in a cold voice, his gun aimed at Iriana.

The young girl tried to mask her growing fear by squinting to make out her assailant's face.

"But who are you? And... What do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling, desperately seeking answers in the threatening darkness surrounding them.

The hooded man observed Iriana for a moment, his cold gaze piercing through the mask that hid his face.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What I want, however, is you," he declared in a determined voice, his hand still firmly gripping his weapon.

Iriana felt her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to act cautiously, to keep calm despite the terror threatening to engulf her.

"But I don't know you, I have nothing to offer you," she tried to retort, her voice trembling slightly despite her efforts to appear strong.

The man stared at her for a moment, seeming to evaluate her words. Then, with a sudden movement, he grabbed Iriana's arm and pulled her violently out of the car.

"Come with me, now," he ordered imperiously, dragging her towards the car that had blocked them.

In the car, there were three other hooded men, one of them held a handkerchief that he placed over Iriana's nose, her eyes desperately tried to find her younger Sister for last time, then she fainted.

She woke up in a dark and sinister place, a shabby room, where cardboard scraps and other packaging were strewn on the floor, she was tied to a chair in the middle of the room which was illuminated by a faint glow of sunlight that was soon to set. Neither her hands nor her feet could move.

A gag was placed over her mouth to stifle her cries.

Plunged into total darkness, deprived of her senses and all hope, Iriana fought back the tears threatening to fall. She was at the mercy of her captors, with no idea of what awaited her in this endless nightmare.