Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Asher exhaled sharply, his entire body tensing beneath me.

“For fuck’s sake,” he cursed, shoving me off his lap so suddenly I nearly stumbled back into my seat.

Before I could react, he was already out of the car.

I watched in shock as he ran a hand through his hair, pacing in the dim glow of the car lights. He cursed under his breath, his hands clenching into fists before he spun on his heel stalked toward the trees and disappeared into the darkness.

I sat there, frozen.

Confused. Scared.

And then suddenly, tears started spilling down my cheeks.

I don’t know how long he was gone or how long I cried Before I even realized it, he was opening the car door.

I hadn’t seen him pass by, hadn’t heard his footsteps. But there he was-pulling me into his arms, holding me close as I shook with silent sobs. His hand moved over my back, soothing me.

“Stop crying, please,” he murmured against my hair. “Just stop. I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, Ariella. I swear, I’m not mad at you.”

I clung to his shirt, unable to stop the flood of tears.

“I’m mad at myself,” he said, his voice strained. “You don’t know how much I want to own you. How much I want to make you truly mine. But I also respect you. I respect your father. He’s a good man. He loves you, and I know this isn’t what he would want.”

I stiffened in his hold, guilt twisting inside me.

“I want to do this the right way,” he continued. “I want to treat you like the queen you are, not like some girl who doesn’t mean anything. I want to claim you in front of the world, before God and our families.” His voice dropped, rough with something raw.

“You don’t know how many times I think about you, how many nights I go home and-” He stopped himself, exhaling sharply. “The restraint it takes to walk away from you is unbearable, Ariella. But you deserve better. I want to be better, for you. Please, tell me you understand.”

I nodded, but he didn’t know.

He didn’t know that this wasn’t about me waiting for marriage or doing things the right way. He didn’t know that I wasn’t doing this by choice. That I couldn’t tell him the truth. That no matter how much I wanted to, I had to protect him. Protect us.

So I nodded, forcing myself to swallow back my words.

He wiped my tears, his fingers brushing against my cheek. Then he forced a smile. “Your makeup is a mess. You look like a zombie.”

I tried to laugh, but the sound felt hollow.

1/2

Chapter 39

+25 Bonus

He drove me home, glancing at me every few minutes as if he could sense that something was wrong but didn’t know how to fix it. When we pulled up to my house, I saw the familiar sight of my parents watching through the window. Waiting.

Asher walked me to the front door. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk? Or get something to eat?”

“No,” I whispered. “I just want to go inside.”

He studied me for a long moment, then leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I’ll call you later.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify