Chapter 103 Oindrila
Chapter 103 Oindrila
When Ariadne came out of the closet, changing into a nightgown, she saw Xander pacing in the room while talking to someone on the phone.
"Shit." he cursed as he hung up the phone.
"What happened?" she asked, worried.
Xander sat on the couch with a sigh of frustration. "Zidane escaped while he was being taken to the police headquarters."
"What? How?" Ariadne was shocked.
She approached him and stood in front of him.
"His men came and attacked the car, and they fled away." he replied, looking at her.
"Oh my god. We have to inform Gloria."
She became terrified as she realized the gravity of the situation.
"Yes. Jose will do that."
He extended his hand to her. She took his hand, and he pulled her onto his lap, hugging her.
"We need to be extra careful. He can't come out of this clean. That means he will choose violence and revenge."
Ariadne nodded. "He has already tried to harm us a few times."
"I should have dealt with him on my own. Those officers are useless." he said, clenching his jaw.
As Gloria had managed to gather all the evidence, they handed it over to the police and thought they would take care of Zidane. There was no way he would come out of this clean. The evidence was enough to destroy him. Now he was regretting leaving the matter completely to the authorities. They couldn't even take him to the headquarters.
"Calm down. We will stay careful. Nothing will happen." Ariadne tried to assure him, but she herself wasn't fully convinced. They knew how dangerous Zidane was.
"I want all of you safe. I can't afford to let anything happen to any of you." Xander murmured with concern.
"Nothing will happen to us." Ariadne rested her head on his chest, drawing comfort and strength from each other.
.....
The sound of a knock echoed through the small apartment. After a while, Gloria came and opened the door. A man in a hoodie hurriedly entered and closed the door behind him. Gloria stood away from him.
"I knew you would come." she stated, looking at him.
"Of course, you do." Zidane said and removed his hoodie.
He fixed Gloria with a murderous glare, making her flinch and she took several steps back. He smirked at her reaction.
"Let’s get this over with." he said, reaching behind his waist to draw his gun.
.....
Two days had passed, yet there was still no sign of Zidane. They had informed Gloria, but she too remained in hiding.
Ariadne was with the kids in the garden when Xander arrived. She became worried when she saw his tensed expression. But before she could say anything Oindrila emerged from behind him.
"Oindrila!" she was shocked to see her.
Behind her was Gloria's mother, who was looking devastated. Ariadne immediately understood that something had happened. The kids ran to Oindrila as they saw her. Alex and Autumn were the most excited, as those two were close to her. She also approached them.
"How are you, Oindrila?" Ariadne asked, hugging the girl.
"I'm good, Aunt Aria. Thank you for asking." she smiled at her.
She was a bubbly girl, just like Autumn. Ariadne smiled, touching her head.
"We need to talk." Xander said, drawing her attention.
"You guys play. I'm coming back in a while." Ariadne said before leaving with Xander.
He brought her to their room.
"After fleeing from the police, Zidane went to Gloria." he said as soon as he closed the door behind them.
"Oh my god? Is she alright?" Ariadne was terrified.
Xander sighed and shook his head. "No, she's... dead."
"What? No." Ariadne covered her mouth with her hand.
Her eyes welled up. Though she was furious with Gloria for betraying them, she never wanted her to die. Moreover, she had provided them with the evidence they needed against Zidane. She couldn't believe that Gloria was really gone. They had worked together for years at the Watson Group. Xander hugged her, offering his condolences.
"And what about Zidane?" she asked, regaining her composure.
Xander released the hug and pulled out his phone, opening a video.
"Watch this..." he said, extending his phone to her.
Ariadne looked at him with confusion before taking the phone from him. As she played the video, she realized it was a CCTV footage.
In the video, Zidane came to Gloria's apartment. There had been a short conversation between them before Zidane tried to pull out a gun. But before he could retrieve his gun, Gloria pulled out hers and shot him in the shoulder. He collapsed on the ground, groaning in pain. She quickly approached him and snatched his gun from him, then tied him to a chair. She then recorded a video on her phone. The CCTV footage had no sound, so Ariadne couldn’t hear what she was saying. After recording the video, she placed it in the cupboard and returned to Zidane, standing in front of him with the gun in her hand.
Ariadne glanced at Xander, terrified of what was going to happen next. Xander's expression was sympathetic. She returned her gaze to the phone. Gloria said something to Zidane one last time before shooting him in the head, and he died on the spot. Then she shot herself in the head and her body collapsed to the floor.
Ariadne shuddered, watching the horrifying video. Xander took the phone from her and held her by the shoulder. He led her to the bed and made her sit down before bringing a glass of water for her. The video had traumatized her for a moment. After taking a sip from the glass, she felt better.
"Are they both dead?" she asked, looking at him.
Xander nodded. "Gloria had installed cameras in her apartment, assuming beforehand that Zidane would come to kill her. She recorded everything so that we could learn what had happened in that room. She knew she would end up in jail eventually, so she planned to kill him. That's why she refused to come out of her hiding place after bringing us the evidence. She had been waiting for him all this while." he explained.
"But how could she do this? What about Oindrila?"
"She has left a message for you." Xander said.
Ariadne looked at him, confused.
"That recording on her phone." he explained before giving her his phone again. "Watch it, and when you feel better, join us in the garden."
He wanted her to watch it alone as it was meant only for her. Ariadne nodded, and he left the room.
She played the video and Gloria's face appeared on the screen.
"I’m trusting you with this, Ariadne. When my daughter is ready… give her this message." Gloria's voice trembled, each word heavy with pain.
"I know you hate me for betraying you, and I'm ashamed of it. But I became greedy. You know my mother raised me as a single mother, and I know what it's like not to have a father. So I always wanted Oindrila to have her father by her side. For that, I did everything. I crossed lines I never thought I would and became a criminal. I committed so many wrong deeds, and karma hit me hard."
"Her father wanted to sell her. How could he? I know the moment he escapes the police, he will come for us. But I swear, I'll never let him lay a hand on my daughter. She will live." she paused and looked at Zidane before returning her gaze to the camera.
"Oindrila...." she burst into tears. "Baby… I’m sorry. I failed you. Mommy loves you more than anything, but Mommy isn’t good for you. Without me, you’ll be safer… happier. I want you to have every happiness the world can offer. I want you to grow and build a bright future. I may not be there to celebrate your victories or comfort you in your lowest moments, but my blessings will always be with you. From the other world, I'll watch over you. I love you, Oindrila. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. But I don’t deserve you. Please… please forgive me. I wish I could see you one last time... goodbye, my baby."
The recording ended, and Ariadne’s vision blurred as tears streamed down her face. Gloria wanted to give her daughter a complete family, but in the process, she ended up making her an orphan. Oindrila lost her mother as well.
Ariadne sat there like this for a moment until she regained her composure.
"I'll take care of her, Gloria. I promise you." she murmured with determination.
She went to the bathroom, freshened up, and went to the garden.
..........
"I was working on this.." she said, showing him the design of the mansion.
"Wow, it's completed." he said as he took the design from her and examined it.
"Yeah, you can start the construction anytime."
"We." he corrected her.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Xander noticed it and sat beside her.
"I know you're not happy with the decision, but it's best for her."
"Gloria asked me to take care of her. How can I take care of her when she's so far from me?"
It was two weeks after Zidane and Gloria's death. Their bodies were brought to Purple City for the final rites. Ariadne and Xander went with the kids to support Oindrila. The little girl was too young to understand what had happened and what she had lost. Ariadne's heart ached for her.
Ariadne was upset because she had planned to adopt Oindrila. But Zidane's parents took her and Gloria's mother with them. She tried to protest but they were her blood relatives. Zidane's parents assured her that they would take good care of her. So she had to reluctantly agreed at last. They returned after the funeral.
"I can understand your concern, Angel." Xander said. "But they're her family, and they're good people too. Zidane was their only son, whom they lost. Now, all they have left is Oindrila. It was very difficult for them."
"Yeah."
"We’ll visit Purple City often to check on her and make sure she has everything she needs. No one will dare to harm her. Isn’t that enough?" he asked.
Ariadne nodded. She wanted her to be safe and happy. She would just let her live with her grandparents and protect her from the shadows.