Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 157

Anyway, so with my interaction with Dana, and with all this time and all this space and everything in between, I made a decision.

I was going to go back to college l.

I never got to go to college. I did go to college that first year, but then, as we know, I dropped out. But I wanted to go back again. I wanted to make something of myself. If I ever managed to run away or Asher got tired of me, then I should do something with that freedom.

And I knew it couldn’t be anything high-profile, nothing that would make it hard for me to work or keep a low profile. That meant I couldn’t be a lawyer, or work in the media.... you know? I couldn’t do things like that. I couldn’t be a police officer.

Anyway, you get what I’m saying.

So what did I decide to go into?

I looked at Dana, how happy she was being with her little daughter, the two of them together. I said to myself: I’m going to study education. I want to be a teacher.

And that’s how I got myself to apply to a small college in the town where we were. And yes, with Christian’s help, I got admitted.

And so, it had been six months. I was waiting for the beginning of the classes that fall. They were going to start soon, and I was super excited about that—even though I knew that, at any time, my life could be upended. At any time, I could get a call, and I didn’t know what would happen after that call.

But for now… I had something to look forward to.

We had just got the admittance letters, and Dana and I had gone shopping for university—whatever that meant. Anyway, when we came back, she invited me over with Leon and Maria for dinner. She usually did this, even though I was the one with the help to help with cooking, but she kind of liked it.

Leon or Ryan, right now and Dana's daughter had gotten close. Her name was Rosie. They had gotten close as friends, and they were in the same school and the same class. Sometimes we were at her place, sometimes at ours, and I was cool with it.

I went inside and announced we would be having dinner next door. Maria was in the middle of cooking. She started cursing and said she wasn't going to that woman’s house. Maria didn't hate Dana, but for some reason, she never wanted to engage her. So sometimes she would come with us, and sometimes she'd be like,

“No, you just go hang out.”

And today she was like, “No, you just go hang out. I already started cooking anyway. I'm going to finish cooking, and then I’ll put the food in the fridge, we can microwave it tomorrow.”

I didn’t argue with her. I told Leon that we were going to Rosie’s house for dinner, and he was excited, so we got ready and went there.

The kids were playing, we made the table, and we sat down to eat dinner. That’s when the door suddenly opened, and a male voice came from the door:

“I'm home. Anyone here miss me enough to come and greet me?”

Rosie immediately stood up from the chair and said, “Uncle Alan!” running to the door.

Dana smiled and said, “That’s my brother, Alan. He usually does this kind of thing. I hope you don’t mind,” she said toward me.

Of course, it’s all right. I think. I guess. I mean… what do you say?

Dana then stood up too and went to greet her brother. I didn’t know what to do with myself, and Leon and I just stared at each other and then smiled. I didn’t know if it would be appropriate for us to stand up and go greet him, we didn’t know him but it also didn’t seem appropriate to just continue eating without our hosts.

There was giggling and laughter at the front door before I heard Dana’s voice coming toward us, saying, “I have guests. We’re having dinner. Why don’t you join us?”

Then the man’s voice said, “I would love that, I’m famished. Let me just wash my hands.”

Dana came back to the dining room and said, “He’s coming.”

“Where’s Rosie?” I asked.

“Oh, they adore each other,” Dana said with a laugh. “Rosie with her uncle.... she’s going to follow him everywhere.”

So I sat back.

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