Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 269

ASHER

I kept a much closer eye on Dinara and Dominic after my talk with Luca. Dinara seemed eager to push their plan forward quickly, wanting it done before things in the famiglia truly settled. Dominic, though, still hesitated; he kept stalling, trying to push whatever they were planning further down the line.

That Saturday morning, I woke early, went to the kitchen, made my own coffee, and just sat there. I knew they thought I’d left already by then; I rarely stayed at the house these days.

I heard them before I saw them, their voices light and happy, Dinara’s laugh ringing out like she didn’t have a care in the world. But the moment they stepped into the kitchen and saw me sitting there, they froze. Dinara’s smile dropped, Dominic’s shoulders stiffened, and they pulled apart as though burned.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Dinara said after a beat, her tone careful.

“This is my house,” I replied evenly. “I think I’m allowed to sit in my own kitchen.”

I gestured toward the stove. “Go on. Make breakfast."

"What are you two having? I could make something." Dinara said cheerfully.

“Do you… know how to make breakfast, Dinara?”

Her cheeks pinked when I arched a brow at her. We both knew she wasn’t the one cooking in the past when she made a show of making us dinner; the staff was. But I didn’t care enough to press the point.

My attention turned to Dominic.

“It’s been a while since we talked, just the two of us,” I said.

“Yeah.” He shifted on his feet, uneasy.

“You know, I put you under a different boss because I wanted you to learn. It’s hard to teach you myself when I’m busy babying you.”

His jaw tightened, teeth gritting. I knew that stung. His eyes flicked toward Dinara, like he was silently asking for her reassurance.

“So,” I continued, letting my words settle, “I thought you could come with me today while I go over business.”

He blinked. “Business?”

“Yes.” I leaned back in my chair, calm, measured. “You’re the late Don’s son. My brother. I think it’s about time we gave you a position that matches your status.”

He looked at Dinara again, as if waiting for permission. She gave him a small nod.

“Okay,” he said finally.

“Good,” I said, rising to my feet. “Go upstairs and change. I’ll be waiting.”

When Dominic left, Dinara smiled at me too quickly, too sweetly. Suspicion flickered behind her eyes, but I could see the edge of nerves there, too.

“What’s this about?” she asked.

“What’s what about?”

“This. You and Dominic. You never show interest in him. So what’s happened?”

I cut her off before she could dig further. “I’m the Don. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

I turned on my heel and left the room. I’d rather wait outside than sit in that kitchen with a viper.

By the time Dominic came down, looking calmer, we got into the car and I started driving toward the docks.

“Why are we going to the docks?” he asked, clearly wary.

“You need to know how they operate,” I said. “Who’s in charge, how they run the shipments — everything. I’m thinking of giving you the captain’s position. But before that, I need you to actually run things for a while. Let the men see you in charge. Let them get used to following you.”

I didn’t answer him. Because I knew he was right. And admitting that would mean admitting I might have to do the one thing I swore I wouldn’t do.

Luca didn’t follow me after that, though I could feel his glare burning into my back as I moved to where Dominic stood with the men. I showed him around, introduced him to the foreman, and even let him see some of the ledgers. Dominic looked uneasy at first, but by the time we were done, there was a glint in his eye that made my stomach twist.

He liked it.

When we got back to the car, he was quiet for most of the drive. Then he said, almost casually,

“You know… I think I could run this place better than the guy you’ve got now.”

I glanced at him, but his face was calm, unreadable. “You think so?”

“I know so,” he said, staring out the window. “You’ve been running this empire for a long time, Asher. You ever think maybe someone else could do it better?”

The words were casual, but there was something sharp under them, a test, a challenge.

I forced a smile. “If you can prove it, Dominic, then maybe one day you will.”

He smirked, but didn’t reply. And as we pulled back into the estate, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just handed him the first piece of the crown he wanted to steal from me.

Inside, Dinara was waiting, standing near the stairs with a glass of wine in her hand. She looked at Dominic first, searching his face for some unspoken answer, and then at me.

“Well?” she asked lightly.

Dominic brushed past me, heading upstairs without a word, but the look he gave her was enough. Her lips curved into the faintest smile as she turned back to me.

“You’re full of surprises lately,” she said softly.

I didn’t answer her. I just walked past, toward my office, my mind already turning over Luca’s words. If Dominic liked being close to power this much, if Dinara was already smiling like she had won something… then maybe Luca was right.