Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 172

But then her entire body tensed.

Her eyes widened. Panic crept into her voice.

“Oh my God. Alan.”

She gripped the edge of the counter.

“Oh fuck, Alan. Does he know I left with David? Does he know what happened?” Dana repeated, her eyes wide, full-on panic now replacing her earlier exhaustion.

I stepped in, placing both hands on her arms to steady her. “Dana, breathe. I don’t think Alan knows. At least not all of it.”

She shook her head, pulling away from me to pace the length of the kitchen again, fingers tugging at her already-messy hair. “No, you don’t understand. Alan knows things. He notices. And if David told him, or even hinted....”

“He didn’t,” I cut in gently. “At least, he didn’t say anything last night.”

Her eyes narrowed, sceptical. “You’re sure?”

I nodded. “When I got back from the bathroom, Alan was alone at the booth. He said David called him and told him that you guys left, but that was it. No details.”

She stopped pacing. “He didn’t ask where we went?”

“No. He just said David told him you left. Honestly, Alan seemed more tired than suspicious. He wanted to go home. That was it.”

Dana pressed her lips together and slowly sank onto one of the kitchen stools, her hands trembling slightly as they rested on the counter.

“God, I feel like such a mess.”

“You’re not a mess,” I said, walking over to sit across from her. “You’re human. You’re allowed to feel things you didn’t plan for.”

Her eyes glistened, but she blinked the tears away quickly. “It’s not even about feelings, Monique. It’s about responsibility. I’m a mother. I don’t get to fall into old patterns....”

I nodded slowly. “But last night didn’t feel like chaos to you, did it?”

Her eyes finally met mine. Honest. Raw. “No. It felt… good. It felt like something I hadn’t had in a long time. And that’s why I’m freaking out. Because I don’t trust it.”

I didn’t have the answer to that. I wasn’t sure anyone did. So I just reached across the counter and squeezed her hand. “Whatever happens next, I’ve got you. And no one is going to judge you here. Especially not me.”

Dana looked down at our hands and then back up. “Thank you,” she whispered. "Because I have to ask you for a favour."

“What kind of favour?” I asked slowly, already sensing this was deeper than I thought.

“You don’t know Alan,” Dana said, her voice low and urgent. “He cannot know. You don’t understand the bond between Alan and David. David and I... we can’t be. We can’t happen. And I don’t want Alan to know anything, Monique.”

“Okay…” I replied cautiously. “But I still don’t get how you want me to help.”

“You need to cover for me,” she said quickly.

“Cover how?” I asked.

“Did he come inside with you yesterday? Did he know I wasn’t here in the house?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “He just made sure I was inside, then he went back home.”

“Okay. That’s good,” she muttered, mostly to herself. “So, I’ll just say that we came back. David dropped me off. Rosie was asleep and I didn’t want to wake her, so I stayed and waited for you guys. And then when you came back, you found me already here asleep on the couch.”

Once we got to my room, I handed her a set of clothes. She went into the bathroom first, and after she was done, I took my turn. By the time we both came back downstairs, the scent of food had filled the air, and we could hear the kids’ giggles from the dining room.

Rosie and Leon were already seated at the table with Maria, happily eating their breakfast like nothing in the world could bother them. Dana and I exchanged a quick look before joining them.

That’s when the knock came.

Maria was the first to react, wiping her hands and walking to the door. Moments later, she returned with a flat look on her face.

“Your brother's here,” she said, directing her voice toward Dana.

Dana blinked. “Alan! We are in here,” she shouted casually, her voice echoing a bit more than it needed to in the still house. Maria gave her a look. Unimpressed.

Seconds later, Alan walked in. He stood just inside the doorway, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, his energy noticeably sharp.

“Oh, so you’re alive,” he said, staring directly at Dana.

He looked mad. Not screaming mad, but the quiet kind, the one where his disappointment was louder.

Dana smiled nervously. “Yes, I’m alive,” she said. “We came back yesterday, and I couldn’t let Rosie sleep away from me. So I just… decided to stay here.”

“I called,” Alan replied. “Why didn’t you answer? Why didn’t you at least send me a text?”

Dana looked around the room like she was searching for someone to rescue her. Her eyes landed on me, and I knew it.... I was the someone.

“We’re sorry,” I stepped in, soft but firm. “We slept downstairs with the kids. It was a long night.”