Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 154

Luca left, and I stayed behind.

The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. It wasn’t until around lunchtime that the stillness began to wear on me. I had no phone. No way to contact anyone. No distractions. Just... silence.

Out of boredom and frustration, I wandered into the kitchen. I wasn’t exactly angry, just restless. I started rummaging through the cabinets, hoping for something to make me feel less alone. To my surprise, I found junk food tucked away, packaged crepes, cookies, biscuits... whatever it was, it would do. I grabbed some and munched on them like a kid hiding snacks under their bed. It became my only form of entertainment as the hours dragged on.

Time passed slowly. I watched the light shift across the room, the way the sun slowly dipped below the skyline. By the time it finally disappeared, casting the apartment into dusky shadows, I was on edge.

Then, the door opened. Something in me froze. My heart skipped. I didn’t know why, but I was suddenly on high alert, breath caught in my throat.

And then Luca stepped inside.

I exhaled, but I didn’t relax. Not fully, not until I saw Leon and Maria behind him.

The moment I saw my son, my body moved on instinct. I rushed forward, pulling him into my arms and holding him tight against my chest. I had missed him... God, I had missed him so much.

“How are you?” I whispered into his hair. “How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been fine!” he said, grinning. “It’s been so much fun. Uncle Luca took us riding. We went swinging and shooting and sliding.... it was so much fun!”

I looked at Luca over Leon’s head. I didn’t know how to feel about what I saw.

It seemed Luca had gone out of his way to make the trip enjoyable for him, even fun. Maybe he thought the journey would be long, so he made sure it wouldn’t feel that way for Leon. It worked. Leon looked happy.

But me? I was still trying to figure Luca out.

Sometimes he was warm. Sometimes he was cold. It was like trying to read a map that kept redrawing itself. It could drive anyone mad. Still... I had to trust him. What choice did I really have?

“Okay,” Luca said, hands in his pockets. “I’m giving you a few hours to rest and settle in. Then we’re getting on a plane.”

Leon’s eyes lit up. “A plane?”

Luca chuckled. “Yeah. A private jet. You’ll get fancy food, fancy drinks... it’s VIP, exclusive. The real deal.”

Leon squealed with joy and ran toward him. “Really, Uncle Luca?”

“Really,” Luca said, crouching down to catch the boy in a hug.

I watched the scene, Leon’s unfiltered excitement, Luca’s quiet acceptance of affection. And as Luca looked up, his eyes met mine.

And for some reason, I couldn’t explain, my lips curled into a smile.

He stood, brushing Leon’s hair back. “Alright. I’ll let you two catch up. I’ll be back later.”

As he passed me, something stopped me. I reached out, fingers brushing against his arm. “Luca…”

He paused.

“Thank you.”

He looked at me for a second, just a second. Then gave a short nod. No words. Just that small, almost imperceptible gesture.

And then he left.

****

Luca came back about three hours later.

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