Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 278

I went towards the kitchen. Maria was in there, and the moment I walked in, she turned towards me.

“Is he here?” she asked.

“Yeah, he is.”

“So, you’re leaving, huh?”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “But, why don’t you come with us?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I think you guys need this moment. Just the three of you. And I don’t know if you’re going to need me anymore. I was kind of your watchdog, and now I don’t think you need me anymore.”

“But you’re not just my watchdog, Maria.” My voice cracked a little. “I think it’s safe to say we’re friends now.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Maria said with a small shrug, her tone casual but her eyes soft.

“You took a bullet for me,” I reminded her quietly.

She smirked. “Well, technically, I took a bullet for Leon. And it was kind of my job.”

“Come on,” I said, stepping closer. Without thinking, I pulled her into a hug.

She stiffened for a second, then sighed. “Don’t act so sentimental,” she murmured against my shoulder. “We have phones. We’ll talk, we’ll video call. This is not a goodbye, you’re not dying or anything.”

I laughed, brushing away the warmth in my chest just as there was a knock on the kitchen door.

“So,” Asher’s voice came from the other side, “you guys ready? Leon’s ready, and he really wants to go. Do you need help with your bags or anything?”

“No, it’s fine,” I said, turning toward him. “I just have the one bag.”

“And Maria?” he asked, glancing her way.

“Well,” I said before she could answer, “Maria’s not going.”

“Oh, yeah,” Maria chimed in, adjusting her shirt. “I just think I’ll stay here for a few days.”

“Your arm still hurting?” Asher asked, concern flickering across his face.

“We’re waiting for Maria,” he said simply.

“I thought she said she was staying.”

He smirked. “Well, I gave her a reason to leave.”

I turned to look just as Maria came out, dragging her suitcase across the driveway.

Asher shoved the suitcase into the trunk before climbing in beside me. And then, the drive began, smooth and quiet, the kind of silence that wasn’t awkward but full of meaning.

Asher reached over and took my hand, threading his fingers through mine. His thumb brushed lightly across my knuckles as the city slipped past us, fading into open road.

By the time we arrived at the airport, the private plane was already waiting. A hostess and two guards approached, helping us with the bags.

“So,” I asked as we climbed the stairs to the jet, “where are we going?”

Asher smiled, that familiar, infuriatingly calm smile of his. “It’s a surprise.”