Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 173

Alan didn’t say anything at first, just exhaled slowly. I gestured toward the food.

“Come join us for breakfast?”

There was a pause and then, with a shake of his head and a muttered “Sure”, he walked over and pulled out a chair.

And just like that, we were all pretending again. Like nothing had happened. Like everything was fine.

Soon after breakfast, Alan, Dana, and Rosie left. The house felt quieter, lighter somehow, though not entirely settled. There was still something lingering in the air, the tension from this morning, the weight of all the unsaid things but I chose not to dwell on it.

Leon was up and already full of energy. I gave him a bath, mostly because he hadn’t had one last night, and we eased into our usual daily routine. Cartoons. Snacks. A bit of drawing. I didn’t hear from Maria, which was rare but not unusual, and part of me appreciated the quiet. I needed space to breathe, to think.

Dana called around noon, inviting us over for lunch. But I declined.

I think I needed the distance, especially from Alan. I didn’t know what was happening between us, or if anything was even supposed to be happening. Maybe I just wanted to ignore it long enough for it to disappear. Maybe I wanted to believe it was a fluke, a momentary blur caused by the lights, the drinks, the heat of the club.

What unsettled me the most wasn’t even the kiss. It was the fact that I kissed him back. But I didn’t have time to reflect on that this morning. Alan had shown up, Dana was panicking, Maria was judging, and the kids were… well, kids. But now, with Leon down for his afternoon nap and the house finally calm, I sat in my room, and the silence grew louder.

I didn’t mean to think about it, but I did. That kiss. I knew it was a mistake but I didn't want it to affect my relationship with Dana. Or Alan....

I closed my eyes, trying to shake the feeling. I didn’t want to go there again. Not now. Then... a sound.

It started like murmuring, voices, something shifting outside the window. I froze. We rarely had visitors. And I always knew when Christian came over, his knock was steady, polite, never in a rush.

This wasn’t that. This was… a commotion. Movement outside the house. Agitation in the air. And then....

BANG BANG BANG.

The knock wasn’t a knock. It was someone hitting the door. Hard. Urgent. Desperate. Angry, maybe. It rattled the frame, echoing up the stairwell like thunder.

I jumped. Whoever was at the door wasn’t just knocking. They were practically trying to beat it down.

I heard Maria’s voice from downstairs, sharp and irritated.

“Alright, I’m coming!”

Curiosity got the better of me. I opened my bedroom door and leaned out slightly, just as she reached the front door. And then, before I could even take another step, I heard a voice.

A familiar one.

“Where the fuck is she?”

I froze. That voice.... rough, furious sent a jolt down my spine.

But why was he yelling? Why was he so angry? I frowned, stepping hesitantly out of my room. What the hell happened? What was going on?

Then Maria’s voice, calmer but edged with steel:

“What happened?”

And then Luca snapped, his tone pure venom.

“As if you don’t know! You were supposed to keep check on them. To keep her in check!”

Her? Okay, now I was nervous. But still… I wasn’t sure. Maybe he was talking about someone else? Maybe Maria had done something wrong?

I stepped closer, down the hall, just until I could see the staircase. Luca was standing in the open doorway now, the sunlight behind him, his posture tense, practically shaking with rage.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify