Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 283

ARIELLA

Luca nodded slowly. Maria slipped beside me, pressing a handkerchief into my palm.

“Here,” she said.

I dabbed my eyes.

“Don’t worry, the makeup’s waterproof,” Maria added with a little smile. “You can cry all you want.”

That actually made me laugh, a small shaky laugh that broke the tension for a second. But thinking about my dad still hurts. He should have been here.

Then Luca said, “Your mom was still mad at you. Asher didn’t know whether to bring her or not. In the end, he decided not to. But if you change your mind, I have a plane ready to bring her here.”

I thought about my mother, about how she’d always been against me and Asher, how she always found something to nag about. I didn’t want her to ruin such a beautiful day.

“Maybe it’s just better she continues thinking I’m dead,” I said quietly. “Maybe a few weeks, a few months, a few years later, I’ll change my mind. But for now, I just want to be happy.”

I told myself the only thing I truly regretted was my dad. I never got to bury him. I never got to be there when he was gone.

Then Luca’s voice softened again. “I think your dad is up there, looking down at you right now. And he’s the proudest dad ever, because he knows you got what your heart desires. You've got to have the man who loves you as your husband. You get to be a family. I think you should focus on how your dad would be happy today.”

And that did it.

I took a deep breath, letting Luca’s words wrap around me. Instead of focusing on my loss, I decided to focus on how my father would have been so happy if he had been here today. I know my father always wanted me to be happy.... I smile then as an image of my happy, proud dad appears.

So I let go of Luca’s hand, and Maria went forward first, opening the door and throwing flowers as she walked. She was playing all the parts today: maid of honor, sister, friend, flower girl, cheerleader, you name it.

And then it was my turn.

I stepped forward, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it echoing in my ears. As I walked down the aisle with Luca, I saw Leon waving at me, standing proudly beside his dad. He even held up the small box of rings, his little face lighting up with excitement, and that alone made me smile.

Maria stood opposite, her expression full of warmth, watching me with an encouraging smile that steadied my steps. I didn’t even turn around to see who else was there. I didn’t care about the faces in the seats, or the powerful men Asher had invited, his underbosses, his associates, the wives. My eyes went straight to him.

To Asher.

The man I loved.

And there he was, my groom, my soon-to-be husband, standing at the end of the aisle with a glint in his eyes.

“Yes!” he said so fast that people actually laughed.

Then the pastor turned to me and asked,

“And Ariella Costa, do you take Asher Dominico Romano as your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health?”

“I… I do,” I whispered, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my cheeks. My hands were still in his, and I felt the warmth of him grounding me, steadying me.

The pastor smiled softly, then said, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.... you may now__"

Asher didn’t wait. He pulled me close, one hand cupping my face, the other wrapped securely around my waist. Our lips met, slow at first, tasting the sweetness of relief, of love, of years of waiting and longing. Then the kiss deepened, urgent and full, as if every second we’d spent apart was trying to make up for itself in that single moment.

Behind us, Leon and others cheered and clapped. But none of that mattered. It was just us. When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against his chest, my arms wrapped around him. He buried his face in my hair, inhaling, holding me as if he never wanted to let go.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

My husband. Our son. Our family. And everything we had waited for..... all the chaos, the pain, the longing, had finally led us here.