Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 309

ARIELLA

I was lying on Asher's chest. We were both sweaty, skin still warm, bodies heavy with the slow, floating euphoria that always came after an intense, earth shattering orgasms.

His fingers traced lazy circles along my back, and I could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing beneath my cheek. For a moment, there was nothing else in the world. No danger. No responsibilities. Just us. Then,

“Mom! Mommy!”

Small, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

I froze. Asher’s chest vibrated with a silent chuckle beneath me just as the voice got closer.

“Dad! Daddy!”

I lifted my head, eyes widening. “Leon....”

The door handle rattled.

“Asher!” I whisper-hissed, scrambling upright, clutching the sheets to my chest.

He groaned under his breath, running a hand over his face before quickly grabbing the blanket and dragging it over us both just as the door burst open.

Leon rushed inside like a hurricane, his hair messy, his face bright with excitement.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

He stopped abruptly mid-run when he noticed we were in bed and very obviously not dressed.

His nose scrunched in suspicion.

“Why are you still sleeping?” he asked, hands planted on his hips like a tiny investigator.

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Asher, completely unfazed or at least pretending to be, shifted slightly and propped himself up on one elbow, keeping the blanket secure around us.

“We’re resting,” he said calmly.

Leon narrowed his eyes like he didn’t quite believe him.

“Rest?” Leon argued, “But you were already resting in before we had breakfast.”

I couldn’t help myself. A soft chuckle escaped me, and I buried my face into Asher’s shoulder to hide my smile.

Asher sighed dramatically. “Well, you wouldn’t understand because you’re young and filled with energy. When you get as old as I am, you will understand.”

Leon seemed to think about that for a minute before shrugging, as if he didn’t understand and didn’t care to either.

Asher glanced down at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I think,” he mumbled low enough so only I could hear, “we might be under a dictatorship.”

I nudged his ribs, laughing lightly. “You think? This is all your fault.”

Before Asher could answer, Leon bounced onto the edge of the bed, completely unaware or unconcerned about our state of undress.

“Come on,” he insisted, grabbing his father’s arm and tugging with all his strength. “You promised today is family day.”

The words hit at the same time I felt Asher go still. Then his hand slipped gently up my spine, squeezing once before he exhaled.

“Alright,” he said, his voice softer now. “Give us five minutes.”

Leon studied him carefully. “No. I call ten,” he negotiated.

“Five.”

“Eight.”

Asher sighed like this was the hardest business negotiation of his life, and it made me chuckle again, which earned me another pinch from him.

“Um… where are Asher and Leon?”

“In his playroom,” she answered.

“Okay.”

Before leaving, I paused. She seemed distracted, almost tense. I stepped back toward her.

“Hey… are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Okay,” I said gently, even though I wasn’t completely convinced.

I turned and walked toward the playroom. Inside, I found Asher and Leon completely absorbed in some racing game. I stood quietly by the door, watching them. Leon was practically bouncing with excitement while Asher leaned forward, focused but relaxed in a way I hadn’t seen since we got back.

Leon noticed me first and immediately waved me over, pulling me into their game. We played longer than I expected to, but it was so much fun. I loved these moments—just the three of us, laughing, competing, teasing each other. For once, it felt like the world had paused just long enough for us to breathe.

What finally stopped us was one of the maids coming in to tell us lunch was ready. Leon jumped up so fast you’d never know he was the one insisting on playing with us five seconds earlier. I still wasn’t sure if Asher had been letting him win, but he had definitely been kicking my ass.

Leon ran ahead of us toward the dining room, and Asher reached for my hand as we followed.

“So,” he said casually, “what do you think about going out of the estate after lunch?”

“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging slightly.

“I thought… since you’ve been back, you haven’t really been out of the house. We could take a drive into the city. Maybe go somewhere, let you see this place again since the last time you were here.”

I smiled slightly. “I think that would be fun," I said

"It would be good to show Leon the city too. This is Leon's home. His empire and kingdom, he deserves to know his territory." Asher said, voice straight no doubt in his voice.