Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 236

ARIELLA

With all the medicine and the IVs and everything else.... I think they must have taken me under. Because when I opened my eyes again, it was the next day. Bright sunlight streamed through the thin hospital curtains, too clean, too real. I blinked against it, disoriented.

For a moment, when I woke up, I thought I was still in the car with Alan, his gun pressed against my head, the threat alive and burning in his eyes. My chest seized, my throat closed up, and the scream ripped out of me before I could stop it.

The sound echoed in the sterile room. A moment later, the door swung open and a nurse rushed in. Her face softened when she saw me, her voice gentle as she hurried to my side. She asked me how I was feeling, if I was okay. My voice shook when I tried to answer, but she didn’t push me.

She adjusted the IV line, then leaned closer and asked if I would like some water. I croaked out a “yes,” and she helped me lift the cup, holding it steady until the cool liquid slid down my throat. It grounded me, a small reminder that I was still alive. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and the doctor walked in. Clipboard in hand, his eyes moved quickly over me, assessing everything at once.

The doctor greeted me with a nod, his tone calm. He checked my chart, then my IV, then looked me straight in the eye.

“You’ve been through a lot,” he said quietly. “A few broken ribs, some fractures in your arm, several deep cuts and bruises. Nothing life-threatening, but you’ll need time to heal. Rest, fluids, and monitoring for now.”

I nodded, but my throat was tight. My mind wasn’t here. It was still back in that forest, in that car, with Alan’s finger on the trigger.

The doctor seemed to notice. He didn’t press me. He wrote something on his clipboard, murmured to the nurse, then told me he’d check on me later. They left me in silence, and the room suddenly felt too big. Too empty.

I sank back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling. My hands trembled, so I pressed them against the blanket, trying to still them. I didn’t know how long I sat like that before I heard the faintest sound at the door.

When I turned my head, Asher was standing there.

He didn’t rush in, he just stood in the doorway, watching me like he wasn’t sure if he should come closer. His shirt was wrinkled, his jaw shadowed with exhaustion, but his eyes… his eyes were fixed on me like I was the only thing in the room that mattered.

We stared at each other like that before he got inside and softly closed the door behind him. He paused, brushing his hand over his face, and when he let it fall, I saw how frustrated and tired he was, even though he tried to force a smile.

“How are you?” he asked, taking a step closer.

I opened my mouth to answer, but my throat felt unbearably dry.

“You want some water?” he asked, as if he already knew.

I nodded. He helped me with some water, holding the cup steady while I sipped, and then asked gently,

“Do you want anything?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice low. “I feel kind of suspended in time, I guess..."

"It must be all the drugs.”

He forced another small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. The silence stretched between us until he finally asked,

“Are you okay?”

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