The Colonel's Daughter

Chapter 10 : An End to Love

Soft, soothing music greeted the bride, Iriana, as she walked down the aisle with her father, Colonel, gently supporting her. She wore a beautiful peach pink wedding gown adorned with a veil, smiling brightly as she admired her soon-to-be husband, Bary, in his white attire, well-coiffed, flashing his best smile at his beloved. The guests rose to welcome the bride. Arriving at the altar, the Colonel handed his daughter over to Bary. Bary respectfully acknowledged his stepfather. Finally, hand in hand, Bary and Iriana turned towards the priest.

"Are you happy?" Bary asked, a smile on his lips.

"Absolutely, it feels like a dream," Iriana replied, beaming with joy.

Suddenly, the sound of an ambulance resonated in her head, her expression changed, a sense of déjà vu washed over her.

"Are you okay?" Bary asked, his tone now different.

"Bary... Your voice... It's changed!"

Iriana felt unwell, dizzy, then screamed loudly.

She woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by her parents and sister.

"Good morning, my daughter, you're finally awake!" her mother exclaimed, "I've prepared your favorite dish."

"What happened?" Iriana asked, feeling a bit lost.

The Colonel announced solemnly that all of Iriana's captors had been eliminated. The words echoed in her mind ominously. She felt devastated, crushed by the magnitude of what she had been through. Ignoring her mother's reassurances, Iriana asked to see Bary, her mind clinging to the only flicker of hope she had known during her nightmare.

That evening, while her mother watched over her, two guards stood watch outside her door. Driven by fierce determination, Iriana found a gap in their vigilance. As they got distracted by an animated discussion about a football match, she slipped silently out of her room. In the deserted corridor, she moved stealthily through the shadows, each step bringing her closer to freedom.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Bary emerging from a nearby room, his eyes meeting hers with evident surprise. Before she could say a word, he turned on his heels and fled. Iriana wanted to follow him, but before she could react, the guards caught up with her.

Back in her room, locked securely, Iriana wrestled with a whirlwind of emotions. She screamed, demanding to see Bary, ignoring her mother's pleas to calm down. Finally, nurses intervened with a powerful sedative, plunging Iriana into a restless sleep.

---

The day after returning home, Iriana insisted on being alone in her room. She felt distraught, trying to untangle the threads of her disrupted life. With cold determination, she dialed Fano's number. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked him to find Bary and deliver a message: that she wanted to help him.

Meanwhile, Bary, still nursing physical and emotional wounds, took his young nephew under his wing, seeking to protect him from the ever-present danger. He took him to his family, where the reception was tinged with anger and sadness over Marco's loss. Blame was cast upon Bary for not saving his brother, but he accepted his fate with painful resignation. Nonetheless, he pleaded with the family to raise Marco's son and allow the child's mother to be a part of his life, now that he had lost his father.

After a heavy silence, his father eventually agreed. Bary left the house, shoulders slumped under the weight of guilt and grief.

Wandering in a remote location, Bary was found by Fano, alone. Instead of delivering Iriana's message, Fano attempted to kill him with a weapon. In the heat of the moment, Bary managed to fight back, lightly injuring Fano, and escaped.

Later, Bary called Iriana from a phone booth. His voice, laden with fatigue and pain, asked her to leave him alone now that she was safely back home. He added that she should not send her boyfriend to kill him, hinting that he knew the truth about Fano and her feelings for him. Bary concluded by saying he believed Iriana now hated him, then abruptly hung up, leaving Iriana in shock.

She remained there, her heart pounding. How had Bary discovered her secret? How did he know about her and Fano? Questions swirled in her mind, mingling confusion and pain.

A few days later, Iriana was visited by her uncle. She asked to be alone with him, seeking advice and comfort in this tumultuous time. Her uncle, a respected businessman, listened attentively to Bary's story and was moved by his perseverance and strength despite adversity. He promised Iriana to find Bary and help him.

Later that day, Iriana confronted Fano. She blamed him for his actions and ended their relationship. Despite Fano's pleas for her to reconsider, Iriana remained firm, revealing her deep disappointment. Hurt in his pride, Fano began to suspect that Iriana had a relationship with Bary.

A week passed, and Iriana's uncle arrived with Bary, brought back home. Iriana was relieved to see him again, but the Colonel, furious, ordered him out. However, the uncle intervened, defending Bary and declaring him now his right-hand man, in whom he had absolute trust.

With her mother's support, Iriana managed to calm the Colonel, though his suspicion persisted. In the days that followed, the uncle frequently sent Bary to the Colonel's house, allowing Iriana to explain everything that had happened. Misunderstandings cleared up, making way for a renewed and genuine love.

Each passing day, their love grew, much to Fano's and the Colonel's displeasure. The Colonel ordered Fano to permanently get rid of Bary. During the attack, Bary managed to overpower Fano and presented him to the Colonel, accusing him of attempting to kill him. Caught off guard, the Colonel admitted that the order had come from him. Bary then revealed that Fano was also Iriana's secret boyfriend, deeply shocking the Colonel.

That day, Bary and Iriana announced their relationship to the entire family. Iriana's uncle supported their union and promised to help Bary achieve great things. Gradually, the Colonel changed his view of Bary and fully accepted him into the family.

The following months revealed no trace of Fano. Bary questioned the Colonel about this, but he remained evasive, suggesting he was no longer around.

Months later, Bary and Iriana finally married. The ceremony was filled with emotion and romance, worthy of a legendary love story. Under a starry sky, surrounded by loved ones, they exchanged vows in a moment of pure happiness and renewed hope.

Soft, soothing music greeted the bride, Iriana, as she walked down the aisle with her father, Colonel, gently supporting her. She wore a beautiful peach pink wedding gown adorned with a veil, smiling brightly as she admired her soon-to-be husband, Bary, in his white attire, well-coiffed, flashing his best smile at his beloved. The guests rose to welcome the bride. Arriving at the altar, the Colonel handed his daughter over to Bary. Bary respectfully acknowledged his stepfather. Finally, hand in hand, Bary and Iriana turned towards the priest.

"Are you happy?" Bary asked, a smile on his lips.

"Absolutely, it feels like a dream," Iriana replied, beaming with joy.

Suddenly, the sound of an ambulance resonated in her head, her expression changed, a sense of déjà vu washed over her.

"Are you okay? Don't worry, it's just the sound of an ambulance passing by," Bary reassured her.

"Bary, it feels like I've experienced this moment before."

"Probably in our past life," Bary joked.

Then he said, "I love you more than anything, Iriana. Neither time nor space will separate us."

As Bary and Iriana embraced tenderly after the ceremony, one phrase seemed to sum up their tumultuous journey and unwavering love: "In the whirlwind of life, our hearts found their refuge in each other, for eternity."

THE END