All Chapters of Twin in the Coffin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Year 1955, Little Esperia, Megalo Milos…A body lay on a set of wooden planks at the center of the warehouse. A black cloth covered it. Someone lifted one corner.The face beneath mirrored my husband's. He was Marco Rossini, Giovanni Rossini's twin brother.The man standing beside the planks dabbed at the corner of his eye with a handkerchief, as if grief had stolen his voice. He was one of the Angelis family's Capos. He was my husband, Giovanni Rossini.He had dressed the part with care. He wore Marco's dark gray suit. He had even switched the cuff buttons, down to the same style Marco always favored. He was meticulous when it suited him."Rina, you finally made it." His voice caught with a practiced hitch, as though he were choking it back. "The Hibernians went crazy. They hit the shipping line. Giovanni… He didn't make it to cover."I lowered my eyes. My nails bit into my palm hard enough to sting. The memories returned, sharp as glass.Natalia burned with fever in my arms wh

Chapter 2

St. Mariah Church was packed. Black suits filled every pew.I sat in the front row in a faded black mourning dress, my fingers locked tight around Natalia's small hand.Her palm felt slick with cold sweat. Her other hand clutched my sleeve like a lifeline. She kept darting glances around the church, all nerves and wide eyes, like a startled animal bracing for a blow.The church doors opened.Giovanni entered and cradled Katrina as if she might shatter. She wore an off-white lace dress, with one hand resting lightly on her slightly rounded belly."Katrina's pregnant. She can't handle too much strain." Giovanni guided her into the empty seat beside me. His voice sounded soft, and indulgence filled his eyes. "Sorry to make you sit so long, sweetheart."My stomach rolled. I dug my nails into my palm until the nausea eased.Katrina spoke first. "Rina, Giovanni passed so suddenly. You're a woman alone now, with a child. That isn't easy."Her tone stayed gentle, almost kind. "Leaving

Chapter 3

After the funeral, I went straight to Don Vincenzo Angelis' estate.Cigar smoke hung low in his study and settled in heavy layers. He leaned back on a leather sofa and tapped one finger against the desk in a slow, measured rhythm."Sit, Rina." He tipped his chin. "What happened to Giovanni has already been handled by the family. The consigliere will deliver compensation. It will be enough for you and Natalia to live on."I did not sit. I kept my back straight, and my fingers turned white as I clenched them together. "Don Angelis, I do not want compensation."His brows rose a fraction, and surprise flashed across his face. "Oh? Then what do you want?""A job." I met his gaze without flinching. "I can keep books. I can handle paperwork. I can run errands with the shipping crews if needed. I want to support Natalia myself. I do not want to rely on the Rossini family anymore. I do not want to survive by reading other people's faces.""Women do not belong out front," he said evenly as

Chapter 4

"It has nothing to do with you, Marco." I used his given name on purpose, grinding the truth into him. "Giovanni is dead. I am no longer part of the Rossini family. Where I go is my business. You do not get to point fingers.""Your business?" Giovanni scoffed. He lunged forward and ripped the train tickets from my hand.Paper tore with a sharp, final sound."What are you doing?" I lashed out without thinking. My palm cracked across his face. "You monster."His cheek flushed red at once. He stared at me as if he had never been touched, as if the very idea offended him."You dared to hit me?" he barked."So what if I did?" I lifted my chin. "You tore up our tickets. You cut off the only way out for me and Natalia. Consider it mercy that I did not kill you."That was when Katrina appeared. She took in the scene and rushed forward, clawing at my clothes. Her voice rose, shrill and hysterical. "You slut! Stealing my man right in front of me? I am pregnant. Are you trying to kill me?"

Chapter 5

The doors of the black sedans at the mouth of the alley swung open.Salvatore Ricci, Don Angelis' Consigliere, stepped out first. Four Soldati in black suits followed him. His leather shoes struck the gravel with dull, deliberate thuds.The sound alone crushed the chaos in the alley and forced it into silence.Antonietta still clutched the cash she had ripped from my bag. Real muscle stood before her, yet she refused to let go.She dropped to the ground with a wail and slapped her thighs. "Who are you to meddle in our family business? This curse killed my son and tried to run off with his money. I'd be justified in beating her to death!"Salvatore's eyes turned cold. He stepped forward and drove a hard kick into her side.Antonietta screamed and collapsed. Bills scattered across the stones.One soldier bent, collected every note, and placed them back into my hands."Don Angelis has given orders," Salvatore said. His voice stayed low, iron hard, as his gaze swept the alley. "No

Chapter 6

I reported to the family's Ventusa shipping branch on my second day in town.Ignazio Rizzo read Don Angelis' letter of recommendation and moved quickly. He sent me straight to the accounting office. "Not many rules here. Keep the numbers clean, and no one will bother you."I nodded, took out the ledger I had prepared in advance, and started work.Natalia stayed in the branch's temporary living quarters. A kindhearted cook watched over her during the day, and I could see her as soon as I finished work.Most people at the branch knew I was Giovanni's widow. Some pitied me. Some whispered behind my back. No one dared confront me directly.I buried myself in the books and poured every ounce of focus into the numbers. I kept everything careful, methodical, and clean.Ignazio noticed before long."You're far more reliable than the last bookkeeper," he said as he reviewed my reports with a satisfied nod. "You actually sorted this mess of accounts."…Natalia adjusted faster than I ex

Chapter 7

A week later, during the branch's regular meeting, Giovanni burst in without warning.He now used the alias Marcus, posing as a temporary warehouse laborer, and he had the audacity to cause a scene in front of everyone."Mr. Rizzo, I want to report Rina." He slammed a stack of papers onto the table. "She's been abusing her position as bookkeeper to siphon family funds. These are the records."The room froze. Heads turned toward me. A low ripple of whispers spread across the table, some hesitant, others already convinced."That's a lie." I rose to my feet, my voice calm and cold. "Every entry I make is logged. All bank transfers are clean and traceable. What you're holding is fake.""Fake?" Giovanni sneered and jabbed a finger at the page. "Then explain this signature. Isn't this yours?""My signature is cursive," I said as I stepped forward. "That scrawl is stiff and copied. Anyone can see it's an imitation."I grabbed the papers from his hand and tore them cleanly in half. Then

Chapter 8

The moment the call ended, I dialed Ignazio and told him everything."Stay calm," he said at once. "Agree to the exchange. Pretend you are delivering the ledger. I will contact Salvatore right now. We will have men waiting at the warehouse. We will get Natalia back."I forced myself to breathe.I took a harmless, meaningless decoy ledger and tucked it inside my coat. Then I went to the abandoned warehouse, right on time.The place was pitch-black. A single weak bulb hung overhead, its light flickering as if it might die at any second.Natalia was tied to a pillar. Cloth filled her mouth. When she saw me, tears flooded her eyes. She struggled with all her strength, the rope biting into her small wrists."Natalia!" I ran toward her."Don't move." Giovanni stepped out of the shadows, a gun aimed straight at me. "Hand it over."Katrina followed him, arms crossed, her smile sharp and satisfied."You never could beat us, Rina. Once we have the ledger, Giovanni will climb right back

Chapter 9

Giovanni never got the chance to see them again.After reviewing the evidence and testimony, Don Angelis found Giovanni guilty. The sentence was permanent exile from the family. He was forbidden to set foot in Megalo Milos or Ventusa ever again, stripped of all property, status, and identity.When they dragged him out of the dungeon, his hair hung wild around his face and his eyes were hollow.He muttered the same words over and over. "I'm Giovanni Rossini. I'm a Capo. You can't do this to me."No one answered. They threw him out of family territory like a stray dog.I heard about him a month later.Exile left him with nothing. No money. No skills. No protection. He survived by begging. People said he wandered the streets, half-mad, grabbing strangers and insisting he was Giovanni Rossini, a Capo.All he received in return was laughter and being chased away.Katrina did not fare much better. For lying and taking part in the kidnapping, she lost every scrap of backing she had. S

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