In The Mafia's Heart

Episode 3

CHLOE'S POV

The night air bit into my skin as I stepped out of

Richard’s mansion, my shawl pulled tightly across trembling shoulders. Each step toward the waiting car felt heavier than the last, as though invisible chains were dragging me back inside. But I forced myself forward. I needed answers, and I knew only one place to get them.

By the time the gates of my father’s estate loomed into view, my chest was tight with a mix of dread and anger. The compound was as grand as I remembered, marble lions guarding the driveway, spotlights sweeping across the manicured lawn, the wide double doors glowing gold in the night. A palace built on secrets.

The guard recognized me immediately and ushered me in without a word. My heels clicked against the polished tiles as I crossed the foyer. The smell of sandalwood incense drifted faintly from the hall.

And there they were.

My father, seated in his usual armchair, was stern and composed, as though the world bent to his command. And beside him, Lucy, his wife, my stepmother, perched on the sofa, a silk robe draped around her like royalty. Their eyes lifted towards me in unison, surprise flashing, quickly masked by something heavier.

I didn’t bother with greetings. My voice cracked through the silence, sharp and demanding:

“Why the hell am I in Zoe’s room?”

The room stilled. My father leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His face was unreadable, carved in stone.

“Chloe…” he said slowly, carefully. “Sit down.”

I shook my head at first, my pulse pounding. But the weight in his voice, the authority I had never been able to shake, pressed me into the chair opposite him. My knees wobbled as I sat.

He sighed, rubbing his temple, then met my gaze with eyes I had once trusted completely. “I am sorry. Things were not meant to happen this way. But it was the best decision… the only decision.”

His words chilled me. “What decision?” I spat.

He exhaled heavily, then said the words that shattered the last of my certainty.

“Zoe died, Chloe. She died in an accident. With a man… a lover she had been seeing in secret. They were trying to run away from the marriage. Their car crashed. Both were killed instantly.”

My breath caught. The room spun. I gripped the armrest as his voice droned on, cold and unflinching.

“We couldn’t tell Richard. Do you understand? If Richard had found out, the alliance would have collapsed. And our company, our family, cannot survive another blow. We are only just standing again after years of poor financial decisions. The marriage between Richard and Zoe was our salvation. Losing it would mean ruin.”

He paused, his tone hardening. “So, we did what had to be done.”

I shook my head violently. “No. No, no… what did you do?”

His eyes flickered, then settled into resolve. “We replaced her. With you.”

My stomach lurched. My heart hammered in my chest. “What?”

“You and Zoe were identical,” he pressed on, his voice firmer now, almost convincing himself. “No one could tell you apart. It was the only solution. We knew if we asked, you would never agree. So, on the day of her funeral, we gave you a drink. It was laced with something harmless, just enough to put you unconscious. We arranged everything while Richard was away on a business trip. By the time he returned, you were in Zoe’s place. No questions asked. No suspicions raised.”

I stared at him in horror, my body trembling. My own father. My own blood.

Tears blurred my vision as I whispered, “You… you messed up my whole life.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away.

“My life, Father! My dreams, my future, what about them? Was I nothing more than a sacrifice for your damned legacy?” My voice cracked, raw with grief and fury. “I am not Zoe! I am Chloe! And you expect me to throw everything away to live like someone else?”

I shot to my feet, fists clenched, the room spinning with betrayal. “To hell with your family legacy!”

Lucy gasped softly, but my father didn’t flinch. He sat there, staring at me as though I were a child throwing a tantrum. That calmness enraged me even more.

“I will not,” I hissed, “sacrifice my life the way you sacrificed hers.”

I turned toward the door, my breath ragged, but his voice froze me in place.

“This is not just about the family, Chloe. Think.” His tone was sharp now, almost desperate. “Think about what people will say. Think about the public. The media. Do you want the world to know that Zoe was unfaithful? That she died in the arms of another man while married to Richard, the billionaire everyone looks up to? Do you want her name dragged through the mud even in death?”

The words hit me like a blade to the chest. My knees buckled.

“No…” I whispered.

Images of Zoe flashed in my mind. Her laugh. Her stubbornness. The bond only twins could understand. She hadn’t chosen this marriage either. And though she had made mistakes, she didn’t deserve to be remembered as a disgrace.

I loved her too much to let that happen.

Slowly, painfully, I turned back to face him. My voice trembled, but resolved to harden in my chest.

“For Zoe’s sake,” I said, each word like glass tearing my throat, “I will do this. Not for the family. Not for your company. Not for your reputation. Only… for her.”

Lucy’s lips curved faintly, relief washing her face. “We know, Chloe. And we are grateful. Thank you”

“Don’t.” I snapped, my glare cutting her off. “This discussion is not with you. It is between me and my father. You have no right to interfere.”

Her face tightened with offense, but before she could respond, my father’s voice thundered:

“She has every right. She is part of this family. She is my wife. She is your stepmother. Respect her.”

I refused to look at Lucy. My jaw clenched as I fixed my eyes on him. “I will do this. For Zoe. But don’t think for one second it’s for you. Or her. Only Zoe.”

Without another word, I stormed out, slamming the door behind me, my tears burning hot trails down my cheeks.

The night swallowed me whole, but the weight

T of my choice pressed like iron on my chest.

For Zoe, I told myself.

Only for Zoe.