Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Five years Ago

As we waited for the outcome, my mother and I sat together in silence. Then she spoke, her voice laced with curiosity.

“It’s strange,” she murmured. “The Don coming to our home? Even if you were the one getting married, it should have been your father who went to his house. This… this is a sign of great respect toward our family.”

I glanced at her, surprised. My mother and I had always had a complicated relationship-a love-hate dynamic, a result of the fact that she had always wanted a son. Instead, she got me. That disappointment lingered in her, always somewhere beneath her words, her glances, and the way she treated me.

But ever since talks of my engagement to the Don’s son began, something shifted inside her.

For the first time in my life, she actually paid attention to me.

She started giving me approval, she even acted interested in my life. It was little things like helping me pick out dresses for my dates with Asher. She would sit beside me, actually interested in what I had to say. It was surreal.

And it wasn’t just her. Our neighbours, our friends-they all started treating me differently ever Since I started seeing Asher. I wasn’t just Ariella Costa anymore. I was going to be the heir’s wife. One day, I would be the Don’s wife.

It was overwhelming. It was thrilling and a little terrifying. But right now, all I cared about was what my father would say.

I stood in the hallway, beaming with excitement as he walked out of his study, having just escorted the Don and his consigliere out. I watched him closely, expecting pride, expecting something but instead, his expression was closed off.

Then, for the briefest moment, he smiled at me. A forced smile.

Something was wrong.

“Is everything okay?” I asked cautiously.

“Everything’s fine,” he replied.

“So… am I going to marry Asher?”

He nodded. I should have been ecstatic. I was ecstatic. But something in his tone, the way he carried himself, didn’t sit right with me.

He sighed, pressing a hand to his temple.

“I have a headache.”

“A headache?” I frowned. “Come on, tell me what happened in there. Give me details”

He hesitated. Then, quietly, he said,

“Look Ariella, It was the Don. I was nervous. It was a long talk and My head hurts.”

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Chapter 35

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And with that, he walked away. It was odd. It was unsettling. But I didn’t push.

Not then. Because after that meeting, my father began to distance himself from me.

My mother, on the other hand, only grew more excited about my future. And? I was simply happy that I got to be with Asher and that he was going to be my husband.

We went on dates, though sometimes they were cut short when he got a phone call-‘business’, he would say. Other times, he would show up with scratches, bruises, and bloodshot eyes but I never asked.

I knew why and if he was late I got scared something bad might have happened to him…… But I loved him.

I was in love with Asher Romano And there was no doubt about that.

I had chosen a college close to home for one reason-Asher. Even though I knew my parents wouldn’t have let me go far from home.

It wasn’t just about my education; it was about being close to him, about making it easier for us to see each other. And Asher made sure I never regretted my choice. He would surprise me on campus, bringing me little gifts, and taking me out when I wasn’t too buried in assignments.

I was living the best time of my life with my boyfriend who loved and adored me. Asher respected me and I always felt safe with him. Destiny was on my side…

As my 20th birthday approached, excitement buzzed in my veins. That day wasn’t just about me growing older- it was also the day of my engagement party.

In just a few weeks, I would officially become Asher Rmano’s fiancée and Everything was perfect Until my father summoned me to his office.

It was such a small thing, yet it sent chills down my spine. My father’s office was not a place I was ever formally called to. Sure, I had been inside before, to ask him questions, to drop off papers. But he had never actually

summoned me there. If he ever needed to talk to me about something, he’d come to my room or call me into the living room.

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