Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 148

Chapter 148

Alex turned and slowly walked away, his back straight, shoulders squared like he hadn’t just been inches from death. His men followed silently, weaving through Asher’s, who hadn’t moved an inch. The air was sharp like everyone was still bracing for gunfire.

Then Asher’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“This is fucking done!” he shouted after Alex. “I see you anywhere near Ariella again, you’re done. You’re dead. Fuck the contract. Fuck the peace treaty. I don’t give a fuck.”

Alex didn’t respond with words. He just raised his hand and flashed a peace sign with his fingers, mocking, taunting before disappearing through the door.

No one breathed. Not until Asher finally relaxed and turned his back. That’s when Luca came rushing in through the hallway, his eyes scanning the room with panic until they landed on Asher.

He exhaled, hard. Then motioned for the men in the room to leave.

Then he turned to me.

“You okay, Ariella?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I’m fine.”

“They didn’t touch you?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “They just told me to sit. That’s all.”

“What about the others? Leon? Maria?”

“They’re okay,” I said quickly. “Maria knew about a safe room. I told them to go hide there.”

“Smart,” Luca said with a nod. Then he looked at Asher, who hadn’t said a word, hadn’t looked at either of us. He was somewhere else… far from here, far from me.

Luca turned again, voice gentle. “I’ll go check on them.”

When he left, it was just the two of us, Asher and I standing in the silence of the living room.

I couldn’t stop myself. I moved toward him, slowly at first, and then faster. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, kissing his bruised forehead over and over again. I didn’t care about the blood. I didn’t care about anything. I just needed to know he was safe. That I was safe,

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I whispered. “I’m so glad we’re all okay. I thought I was going to die…”

I waited for him to hold me. To return the embrage. To pull me into the safety of his arms like he always did.

But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled away. Not roughly but firmly. His hands peeled me off him like I was something he couldn’t bear to touch.

Then his voice came low and sharp.

“What the fuck was that?”

I blinked. “What?”

“What the hell was that?” he barked, louder now

“I don’t understand….’ 

“Why did you interfere?”

My heart dropped. I felt the blood drain from my face.

“What made you think you had a say in what happened between me and Alex?”

I flinched. That word.

It had been so long since he’d used it. So long since he’d hurled it at me like poison. And now, each repetition landed like a slap, undoing every step we had taken forward.

“No one,” he continued, his voice lower but heavier, like each word had weight. “Especially not a man like Alex. He’d want a princess, someone in his class. Someone who brings power. Not you. Not a broken woman with a child and a past soaked in shame.”

I didn’t even realize I was crying until I felt the tears on my cheeks, sticky and warm. I wiped them quickly, trying to breathe through the sting

“What do you want from me, Asher?” I whispered. “What do you want me to do?”

He didn’t answer. He just kept glaring, like my very presence offended him now.

“Tell me!” I snapped, my voice cracking. “Tell me what? Because I was attacked today! We were invaded! My son had to hide in a safe room so nothing would happen to him! I was at gunpoint, Asher. I thought I was going to die. I thought you were going to die. I thoug everyone was going to die! And all I could think about was my son…. what would happen to him if I didn’t make it.”

“Do not talk to me about your son!” Asher barked.

“I don’t care if you don’t want me to!” I fired back. “This happened. And I….”

“Shut the fuck up!” he roared. “I protected you! The reason you’re still alive is because I came here. I didn’t know what was waiting inside. I didn’t know how many men there were, or what the threat was. But I came…. for you. So don’t talk to me about being scared. Don’t talk to me about what could’ve happened. You’re alive because of me.”

His voice dropped, colder, filthier.

“You should be thanking me. On your knees, asking me to stuff your mouth with my co…..

My breath caught. My body recoiled, I shook my head and slapped my hands over my ears.

“No,” I muttered. “No, no, no.”