Novels by Casper Merci

The hospital walls were too white. Too quiet. The kind of sterile quiet that didn’t match the chaos pulsing inside Antonia’s chest. She sat stiffly by Alessandro’s bedside, her hands clutching his motionless one, her face pale but unreadable. The heart monitor’s steady beep was the only sign that he was still with her — somewhere behind the curtain of unconsciousness, somewhere she couldn’t reach.Alessandro had been in a coma for three Months.Three Months since he’d thrown himself in front of the bullet meant for her.Three Months since she’d held his blood-soaked body in her arms, screaming for help, praying to any god that would listen.Now, it was just her.Her and the silence.But the silence didn’t scare her anymore. What scared her was the thought of her sons growing up without the man who’d loved them so fiercely, who’d bled to protect them. What scared her was forgetting the warmth of his voice, the shade of blue his eyes turned when he smiled at her, the way he whispered “M

The silence after the last gunshot was deafening. Alessandro’s body lay motionless in Antonia’s trembling arms, blood soaking through his white shirt like an ominous rose blooming across his chest.Antonia could barely see. Her vision blurred with tears as the reality of what just happened crashed over her like a tidal wave.“Alessandro, stay with me... please... please stay with me...”His eyes fluttered, barely open. A faint breath escaped his lips, but then his body slackened. Panic surged through her veins like fire.The twins were sobbing behind her, their little arms wrapped around each other. Their innocence—shattered.She looked at them through her tears and found her voice, low but firm.“Matteo, Antonio—listen to Mommy,” she said, her voice shaking. “Go upstairs. Go to your room. Hide under the bed. Don’t come out no matter what you hear. Do you understand me?”Antonio sniffled. “But what about Daddy?”“I’m going to help Daddy. But I need you to do this for me first.”Matteo

The air reeked of gunpowder and betrayal.Alessandro’s hand gripped the pistol so tightly his knuckles turned white. His body, trained and battle-hardened, stood in front of his family like a fortress.Across the room, Federico grinned—madness gleaming in his eyes—while Beatrice stepped into the living room, heels clicking on the marble floor. Her gown shimmered like a snake’s skin, her lips curled in satisfaction as she lifted a small black pistol.“Why, Federico?” Alessandro growled, his voice hoarse with disbelief. “Why are you doing this?”Federico tilted his head, the grin never leaving his face.“Why?” he echoed. “Isn't it obvious? Because I can. Because for once, I want to destroy something you love as much as I loved you.”Antonia’s arms tightened protectively around Matteo and Antonio, her heart thudding in horror.Federico walked slowly toward them, ignoring the gun pointed at him.“I gave you everything,” Alessandro said, voice breaking. “I treated you like a brother—you we

Dinner was unusually silent that night.The clinking of cutlery against porcelain echoed hollowly around the massive dining room, the air thick with words unsaid. Matteo and Antonio, still buzzing with the energy of childhood, babbled about their day at school, unaware of the heavy glances their parents exchanged over the table.Antonia barely tasted her food.Her hands trembled slightly as she wiped the twins' mouths, ruffling their hair when they laughed.After the meal, she tucked them into bed, smoothing the covers over their small bodies, pressing kisses to their foreheads."I love you," she whispered into their soft hair."Love you, Mommy," they murmured, already drifting into dreams.She closed the door quietly behind her, her heart pounding so hard it echoed in her ears.Tonight. It had to be tonight.No more waiting. No more hoping things would magically fix themselves.She couldn’t allow Alessandro’s secrets to put their children in danger again.She wouldn’t.Upstairs, Ales

The old restaurant on the edge of town had long since fallen out of favor.Its once grand chandeliers now hung crooked, dust clinging to their crystals like parasites. Torn leather booths and cracked mirrors lined the dim interior. A single flickering lightbulb buzzed overhead, casting shadows that seemed to crawl across the walls.Beatrice tapped her manicured nails against the table, her lips curled in impatience.Where was he?Her phone buzzed, and she snatched it up."On my way," Federico's message read.Beatrice sneered. Typical.Always late. Always careless.She adjusted her sunglasses, even though the place was so dark she could barely see, and crossed her arms over her designer coat.A few minutes later, the door creaked open.Federico strode in, looking more like a ghost of the man he used to be — thin, his face gaunt, his eyes hollowed out by rage and obsession.He slid into the booth across from her without a word.For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.Two br

The house was unusually quiet that evening.Dinner had gone by with the usual laughter and chaos — Matteo trying to sneak more dessert, Antonio fiddling with his new hearing aid and gadget — but underneath the surface, Antonia felt the tension simmering.She smiled, she laughed when she had to, but her mind was elsewhere.The packet of papers weighed heavily in her handbag, a burden she couldn’t forget even as she read bedtime stories to the twins.She tucked Matteo and Antonio into bed, smoothing their hair back with trembling hands."Mama," Matteo whispered, already half asleep. "Love you.""I love you too," she murmured, kissing his forehead.Antonio grinned at her, his hearing aid glinting in the dim nightlight."Night, Mama.""Good night, my love."She lingered at the door longer than she should have, her heart breaking as she watched them drift off to sleep.I'm doing this for you, she thought fiercely.Turning off the light, she stepped quietly into the hallway.Alessandro was