Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

ASHER

I ground my teeth.

“That was romantic, by the way,” he added with a smirk. “Who takes their mistress on a vacation like that? The pictures… you looked like a couple in love. Engaged. Married, even… Beautiful.”

He laughed. I didn’t.

“I cried a little,” he said, with that damn grin. “Not for my sister…nah, she made her bed. But for myself, because I realized you’d been lying to everyone.”

He leaned closer, voice lower, more dangerous.

“So, I kept digging. And guess what I found out? That this woman of yours… this Ariella was supposed to be dead. At least, that’s what the Italians believed. What you made them believe. Dead five years ago, right?”

My chest felt like it was on fire.

“But she didn’t die, did she?” Alex whispered. “You staged it. Right around the time your marriage to Dinara was finalized. People say you and Ariella were the ‘power couple’ until your father struck that little alliance with my family. She wouldn’t let go… so you killed her. Not literally, of course. Just erased her.”

He shook his head, mock admiration in his voice.

“Kept her hidden all this time. Kept her like a secret flame until it got too bright to contain. Until your feelings started leaking through the cracks.”

He grinned wide. “So tell me, Asher… are you in love with her?”

I didn’t answer. My hand was twitching, my jaw locked, my whole body buzzing with rage. I was this close to striking him. To planting my fist into that smug mouth of his.

And then I heard her.

“Asher,” Ariella whispered. Soft. Barely a breath. But I heard it. And that was all it took.

I stepped back. My fingers relaxed. My heart slowed.

Alex saw it, Oh, he saw it all and he lit up. Like a kid in fucking candy land, as if he’d just unwrapped his favourite toy. He had me. And he knew it.

“What the fuck do you want, Alex?” I growled.

He tilted his head, amused, “Like I said. For starters, I want you to be a husband to my sister.”

I gave a short, bitter laugh. “Even if I left Ariella, that wouldn’t fix my marriage. That’s between me and Dinara. Leave her out of it.”

“Oh, I had every intention of killing her,” he said calmly.

Ariella whimpered on the couch. My teeth gritted so hard I thought they’d crack.

“But then I saw her,” Alex said, walking over to glance at her again. “I talked to her and I got it. I understood why you’re caught in her web. Sot changed my mind.”

I stepped forward. My voice dropped.

“I’m going to ask you one more time, Alex… what the fuck. Do you want?”

He gave an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head like I was disappointing him.

“You’re no fun, Asher. Let’s sit. Have a chat.”

“I’m not here to sit,” I snapped. “I’m here to find out what you want, so I can get you the fuck out of here.”

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