Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 237

ARIELLA

“I want you to know that I wanted to be here,” he began, his voice low, steady but heavy. “But when Maria called Luca, we had to divide and conquer. I told Luca to go after Leon and Maria, so I could come after you. Because I knew… if Leon and Alex’s men had taken you out of the city, it would be harder to find you. So I had to come quickly.”

He paused, his eyes dark with exhaustion, but his words kept spilling, desperate to explain.

“And after I had gotten you here, and I was sure you were fine, I had to go see Leon. Because Maria was also taken to get treatment. And he was there with Luca. And I just....” his voice cracked, “I just wanted to make sure our son was okay. I just wanted to see my son. And I knew you would want to see him, too.”

Tears kept flowing down my cheeks. My chest hurt with the force of it all.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I....thank you.”

His brows furrowed. “What are you thanking me for?”

“Yes, thank you,” I insisted softly, keeping his gaze. “For everything. For coming after me. For thinking about Leon. For being here, thank you for all of it.”

He swallowed hard, shaking his head as if he couldn’t bear my gratitude. I could feel him getting emotional, could feel the fight inside him not to let it show.

“No,” he said finally, his voice breaking. “I am sorry. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m the reason all of this is happening.”

“No, no,” I assured quickly, reaching out until my fingers found his hand. I held it tight. “It’s not your fault. None of it is. It is mine. I shouldn’t have kissed Alan. I brought this on myself.... on us....”

His grip on me tightened. “No, it’s not. It’s not.”

But I shook my head, tears sliding faster now.

“I realized... It’s all me. I’m the reason for all of this. I mean.... let's begin with what just happened tonight. If I had been there, none of this would have happened...."

"But I don’t blame you.…” My words broke off, my heart hammering in my chest.

“But you should. And even if you don’t, I still blame myself.” His voice broke, raw with the weight he had been carrying. “I mean, I just keep thinking how I have failed you...and how many times I have failed you...." He took a breath. "I have failed you so, so much in my goddamn life, and I don’t think I will ever be able to repay that, to give you that.”

His hand trembled in mine, and I could see the storm in his eyes.

“I just feel so powerless,” he continued, “while I’ve been feeling so powerful, so far, so strong for so long... But what’s power if you can’t protect the people that mean the most to you? If you can’t protect the people that you love and care about?”

"But...." he continued, "I was trying to hurt you. I wanted you to feel the pain of what you had done to me without realizing you had been keeping the most precious thing in the world to me safe, all this time, on your own. And given the condition I found you in. It must have been so hard."

“It wasn’t,” I said, even tearful. “It wasn’t. I was just glad to have our baby.”

He swallowed, and now a tear fell. He had been strong through everything, but now, now a tear fell. And once one of the tears dropped, there was no way to stop them.

“I should have been there. I should have protected you. You were working two jobs, and in the house you were staying... That was no place for a child... And I thought all the time that you had cheated on me, so you deserved it. I thought you were cheating on me, thinking the worst things, while you were protecting our son, keeping him safe. And all the words I said to you…”

He broke down then, and I couldn’t help it. Even with the IV and everything, I tried to sit up. He was crying, his hands covering his face, completely unaware as I pulled him closer toward me.

“Don’t cry, Asher, please don’t cry. It’s so hard to see you like this..."

" I’m sorry. I’m not saying this so you can feel sorry for me. I’m sorry. I let you down. Ariella, I let you down hard.”

In that moment, I held him tighter, letting the tears fall on both of us, feeling the weight of everything, the fear, the rage, the guilt...