Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 286

ARIELLA

Other days at the Island were for the sea. We took a small boat out past the shallows, the water impossibly blue beneath us. Leon learned how to snorkel, initially clinging to Asher before slowly letting go. I cheered when he finally swam on his own, his laughter muffled by the water, bubbles floating up around him.

We explored hidden coves, climbed smooth rocks warmed by the sun, and discovered a waterfall tucked behind dense greenery. Leon insisted on jumping in, Asher agreed, pretending not to hesitate, though I caught the flash of worry in his eyes, gone the moment Leon resurfaced, laughing.

We had afternoons filled with games, beach football, races along the shore, sandcastles that turned into entire kingdoms. Leon gave us roles: king, queen, and guardian. Asher accepted his assignment with a seriousness that made me laugh. There were bike rides through palm-lined paths, ice cream stops and quiet moments where I watched father and son walk ahead of me, their silhouettes forming something that felt permanent.

And then there were the nights.....

After Leon fell asleep, exhausted from the sun, laughter and too much food, we became something else again. Not just parents. Not just a family. But a man and a woman in love, ones who couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Asher surprised me with private dinners on the beach. Lanterns lined the sand, a table set just far enough from the water that the tide couldn’t reach us. We ate barefoot, fingers brushing, wine warming my chest as the ocean whispered nearby.

Other nights, we swam under the stars. The water was dark and endless, the moon reflecting silver across the surface. Asher pulled me close, our bodies floating together, his forehead resting against mine as waves rocked us gently.

We talked about nothing and everything. About dreams we’d buried. About fears we didn’t say out loud. About Leon, and everything we had missed.... Except, of course, talk about the famiglia, and what awaited us out there.

One evening, Asher danced with me on the terrace, no music but the wind from the sea. His hands on my waist, mine resting over his heart. Slow. Intimate. Like we were the only two people left in the world.

I wished for those days not to end. Those

nights weren’t rushed. They weren’t loud. They were deep. Intentional. Ours. We were not just on our honeymoon. It was the foundation. It was us becoming a family in daylight. And nights of remembering why love brought us here in the first place.

Now, as I watched Leon sleep soundly in his bed, tucked safely in Asher’s arms, my heart felt impossibly full. Asher kept reading long after Leon had drifted off, his voice low and steady, as if the story was just as much for himself as it was for our son.

I wanted to bottle that moment. Seal it tight. Take it with us when we leave. Because somewhere deep inside me, I already knew, when we went back to the famiglia things wouldn’t be the same. They couldn’t be.

Asher was the head of the Romano famiglia. Of course, he would return to work. Of course, there were things waiting for him, responsibilities, decisions, dangers he hadn’t let fully surface while we were here. He’d told me himself. There were matters that needed to be taken care of.

And who knew how much time we would really have, once life rushed back in?

I stood quietly, careful not to wake either of them, and slipped out of the room. Next door to Leon was Maria’s. I knocked lightly, and she opened almost immediately.

“Yes,” I nodded. “Are you packed?”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “It’s been so much fun, but since Asher told me not to contact anyone, I kind of just want to go back. Back to my life.”

“And back to see Luca,” I teased.

She blushed instantly, neither denying nor agreeing. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll take care of Leon.”

“I know,” I told her. “I just wanted to check on you. We haven’t really seen each other as much as I’d wanted.”

“I’m good,” she said warmly, squeezing my hand. “And I’m so happy for you. Truly. When we go back home, you’ll see me more. This....this moment is yours.”

I realised then that Maria wasn’t just someone helping us. She had become my friend. My family, in a way, especially since I didn’t really have one of my own. Mom didn't count.

“You deserve this time,” she continued. “And you need to remember who you are. You’re going to be the Romano wife. You saw the way everyone at the wedding looked at you....and Leon. They’ll test you. Try to find cracks. Weaknesses.”