Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 324

ARIELLA

I walk forward, sit in the chair across from his desk, and look at him, waiting for him to speak.

We’re staring at each other again before he clears his throat, then quickly avoids eye contact again.

“How are you holding up? How is Leon holding up with everything?” he asks.

I take a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat, and I tell him the truth.

“He’s doing really well. Better than I expected. I’m just glad he didn’t see the body in the car. He only saw the fire, and he’s buying the explanation you gave him. Like you heard him say just now, he just wants to go outside and play.”

I pause, choosing my words carefully.

“What I do know though, is that he was really scared. Maybe his still in shock and he’s still finding a way to cope.....but he’s doing better than I expected. Really.”

“That’s good. That’s very good,” he says quietly.

Then his voice lowers.

“I am so sorry this happened, Ariella. I know I failed you.”

“No,” I say quickly, leaning forward and placing my hand on the desk so I can reach for his.

But his hands are resting on the arms of his chair, and he doesn’t move. He doesn’t meet me halfway. The realisation hits harder than I expected. The Dissapointment floods me, and I quickly pull my hand back.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I continue, forcing steadiness into my voice. “This was an attack. We could have all lost our lives today. You could have died if you had gone alone this morning or something. I’m just… I’m just thankful that we’re all alive and that nothing happened to us.”

I hesitate.

“It’s sad, though, that we had to lose one of your men. He seemed like a good man.”

He looks away for a few seconds, like he’s pulling himself together, before turning back toward me. But even now, his eyes don’t fully connect with mine. His gaze keeps slipping.

“It will never happen again,” he says, his voice turning cold. “I will find whoever did this, and they will pay for bringing fear to my doorstep. They will regret it.”

There is steel in his tone now. The don. Not my husband.

“I have tripled the security,” he continues. “I’m putting in cameras, motion sensors and I’m also creating a panic room downstairs. As soon as it’s done, I’m going to find a way to connect it directly from Leon’s floor so we can reach it without crossing the house.”

My chest tightens.

“I’m going to make sure you’re safe. He’s safe.... All of you.”

That surprises me.

I saw Savio with the men and equipment earlier, but I thought they were only installing cameras. I didn’t realise it had gone this far.

This is extreme.

“Who do you think it might be?” I ask quietly. “Do you suspect anyone?”

He exhales slowly.

“I’ve made a lot of enemies becoming the Don, Ariella. But Luca is convinced it’s the Russians. I’m not sure. My instincts aren’t fully pointing there.” He pauses. “He thinks it might be Alex Volkov.”

The name hits something deep in my memory.

“You mean Alex and Dinara’s father… your father-in-law?”

He lets out a humourless breath.

“My ex–father-in-law,” he corrects. more firmly this time, so firmly that I actually flinch.

"Plus, his daughter is dead, so there’s no relationship between the two of us." He adds. "I didn’t really have a relationship with his daughter. We didn’t have children together, so we can’t even say that I have his grandchildren. Our connection ended almost as fast as it began."

“Well… okay,” I say slowly, trying to process it all. “But you don’t suspect him? Why? You’re the reason his son died. You’re the reason his daughter died.”

Asher’s expression hardens, but he doesn’t interrupt.

“He didn’t seem to care before,” he says after a moment. “When I called him to tell him about his daughter's passing, he didn’t react the way I expected.... He almost seemed bored and if I am being honest, a little disgusted too."

"Disgusted? Why? Because his daughter died?" I ask suprised.