Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 104

Chapter 104

What Luca said made absolutely no sense to me-but by the time I opened my mouth to ask, he was already walking away.

“Luca, wait! What does that even mean?” I called after him, brows furrowed, with confusion.

He turned, letting out a sigh-long, exasperated like he was already worn down by all of this. His eyes met mine with that familiar mix of mischief.

“I’m not gonna spell everything out for you, little Ari,” he said, shaking his head slightly. ” You gotta put your big girl pants on.”

Then he winked.

“Alright, I’m off. Ciao.”

And just like that, he kept walking. Gone before I could pull another word from my lips.

I just sat there, frowning, arms crossed tightly over my chest.

“What the hell does that even mean?” I muttered to myself.

But the silence didn’t answer. And the worst part A tiny part of me suspected I already knew. So that night, I made a decision.

I was going to try and get Asher’s love back. Whatever remnants of it still lingered, whatever feeling I could pull from him, as long as it wasn’t hate, as long as it wasn’t revenge. Anything but pain. Anything but Leon being caught in the crossfire.

It wouldn’t even be that hard. Not because I had some grand plan, but because… I didn’t hate him. I didn’t blame him. I just felt lost. Guilty, Broken in ways I didn’t know how to fix.

And maybe, if I could just reach out, if I could just give him something….. we could find our way back, even if only a little.

So that night, I went online and started ordering

The next morning, Maria was buzzing around the house, taking phone call after phone call, receiving packages at the door until her arms were full. She gave me a look, curious, maybe a little judgmental but said nothing.

I wasn’t the boss. Not technically. But then again, who was I?

I started making an effort. Every day, I cooked Asher’s favourite meals, even though I didn’t know if he’d come. I changed my bedroom, made it softer, and warmer. Romantic. I started wearing lingerie to bed, pieces I hadn’t touched in years.

It felt silly. Desperate. But maybe sex could be my way to him, a door I could still open.

Because what else could I do? All I could be was ready.

1/2

Chapter 104

+25 Bonus

When he came, I’d be soft. I’d be pliable. I’d make him feel safe, seen….anything to pull us back to some version of what we once had. Even if I was planning to leave someday, even if I wanted to run away someday-I needed him calm first. I needed to get through to him.

I didn’t know if he was still the same man I fell for. I didn’t know what time had done to him. But I held onto Luca’s words.

Maybe there’s still something there. However small it was, I was going to cling to it. Because it was all I had left.

And so, for the next three months, that’s exactly what I do.

I prepare. I wait. I make the house warm for him. cook his favourite meals. I wear the things I think he might like. I soften myself into the version of Ariella he might still remember. I wait for the sound of his footsteps. I wait for a door to open.

But he never comes.

Nothing. Not a glimpse. Not a word.

The only sign of life is Luca, who shows up like clockwork on the last day of every month, checking in, his words, not mine, before disappearing again.

And then, one night, I was asleep when there was an erratic knock on my bedroom door. I jolt upright and open it to find Maria standing there, eyes wide.

“What is it?” I ask, already fearing the worst.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify