Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 325

ARIELLA

That makes no sense.

" I told him Dinara was fucking my young brother under my roof.... and that brought shame to her family. I had evidence, he knew that. Hence he didn't want anything to do with her after that."

"But her brother loved her......" I argue.

"And her brother is dead.” he points out.

"Shouldn't you be wary of that since you had something to do with his death?" I remind him.

"I never touched him or have any connections to the men that did." He answers.

I can tell that he is not concerned about being involved in Alex Volkov's murder. So maybe I have nothing to worry about on that end.

I frown slightly. “Doesn’t he have other children?”

“He does,” Asher answers unbothered, “but they’re not really involved. Still… now that Alex is dead, he must be grooming someone else.”

He pauses, thinking.

“Maybe I should let Luca arrange that meeting with Alex Volkov afterall, just to get it out of the way. But something tells me this isn’t him.”

“Maybe it’s one of his children then,” I say quietly.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “But when I go into that meeting, I’ll find out.”

The room falls silent for a second before I ask the question sitting at the back of my mind.

“So… ever since his son died and his daughter died… how has your relationship with the bratva been?”

“Aside from handling things here after her death and making sure everything was done before I left, I haven’t really dealt with him,” Asher says. “After the burial, I came to you. Then we got married. I came back, and this mess happened.”

He gestures vaguely toward the world outside the office, toward the explosion, the guards, the tension pressing against the walls.

“We haven’t really seen each other. Haven’t really talked. I haven’t had the time to feel him out yet.”

I nod slowly.

“So I guess this meeting is long overdue,” he concludes

“Okay… alright,” I say, absorbing the information and mentally trying to connect all the scattered pieces.

Then another thought hits me.

“You told me about your brother and Dinara. Do you think maybe any of the men they used could be exacting revenge?”

He shakes his head immediately.

“No. What Dinara and Dominic had was fragile and unplanned. If they had this kind of power, they would’ve used it already. They don’t have the structure. They don’t have the intel.”

“Maybe they’re all working together,” I say quietly.

"I don’t know,” he replies. “But I’m going to find them.”

His voice drops, a dangerous, determined tone.

“I’m more determined than ever. I won’t let anyone hurt you or Leon. If that’s what they want, they’ll have to kill me first.”

“Please don’t say that, Asher.” The words come out faster than I expect, sharper too.

“We’ve only just found each other again. Leon is just starting to get to know his father. Please don’t talk like that.”

My voice softens.

“Please take care of yourself. Please make sure you come back to us. Please.”

This time, he places his hand on the desk.

Slowly. Deliberately. I immediately place mine over his, and he closes his fingers around it.

“I promise,” he says quietly. “I’ll be careful.”

Relief moves through me, warm and fragile.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify