Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 397

ARIELLA

Asher, being Asher, made sure he stole a kiss from me, ruining my makeup all over again, before we even got out of the car.

I barely had time to protest before he was already stepping out, adjusting his tie like nothing had happened, then coming around to my side and opening the door for me.

I gave him an unimpressed look. He only half-smiled. “You look beautiful either way. And who are you trying to impress?”

I swatted his arm, but he caught my hand mid-air, his grip firm as he helped me out of the car. And of course, we hadn’t come here alone. Cars had followed us the entire way.

The moment I stepped out, I saw it.....security. Tight. Very tight. Armed men positioned everywhere, subtle but impossible to miss if you knew what to look for. Guns tucked where they could be reached in seconds.

This wasn’t just a ball. This was something else entirely. Asher took my hand again, like it was the most natural thing in the world, guiding me up the stairs. His other hand came to rest at the small of my back, steady and grounding. Possessive.

We moved toward the grand doors, and the event organisers were already waiting outside. The moment they saw us....or more accurately, the moment they saw Asher, they straightened instantly.

It was almost rehearsed. Their posture changed, their expressions sharpened, their attention locked in. They stepped forward quickly, welcoming us in, handing over small prepared cards, talking a little too much, a little too fast. Over-explaining and Over-eager.

There was something else there too. Fear and Excitement. A strange mix of both, like being in his presence meant something… more than just hosting a guest. I watched them carefully, then glanced at Asher, who was Unbothered and completely in control.

Probably used to the ass sucking. This reaction, this power, must be normal to him. I realised this wasn’t just a night out. This was his world And tonight… I had just stepped into it.

And for the first time since I had been back, since we arrived back, it really hit me. Because I saw it. I was in it, experiencing it first hand...... At home, everyone always respected him. They stepped aside, straightened their posture, and lowered their voices when he walked in. But those were his men. His soldiers and mostly staff. This was different.

As we were personally escorted into the ballroom, I saw the faces. All of them. The smiles perfect, practised, fake. The glitter of jewellery under the lights. The elegance, the wealth, the power stitched into every fabric, every glance.

These weren’t just people in his world. These were important people. Not just to the famiglia, but to the city… to the country. People in politics. People in the entertainment industry. People from every field that mattered.People I used to admire from afar.

And now here they were. All of them are trying to gain our attention. Well....trying to gain Asher's attention. Trying to speak to him, to get a moment, a word, a favour. But still… I was beside him, we were one And that made me part of it.

Because everyone was watching. Watching him. Watching us. And I understood why, it was hard not to look at him. Hard not to feel it, that presence, that quiet dominance he carried without effort. This kind of power… It wasn’t loud, it didn’t need to be.

You felt it in the air, in the way people moved around him, in the way the room seemed to shift just slightly when he walked through it. And standing beside him, being in the presence of that power… It did something to me.

Something I didn’t expect. It wasn’t overwhelming. It wasn’t suffocating. It was....Thrilling. A strange, steady feeling is settling deep in my chest. New, but not unwelcome.

And for the first time since we stepped inside… I realised something. I was going to be just fine. No.... I was going to be great.

Of course, the ball was exactly what I expected it to be.... Boring. At least, it should have been, rooms full of rich people, polished smiles, careful conversations that said everything and nothing at the same time.

But Asher’s company? That was the opposite of boring. He leaned in close, his lips brushing near my ear as he whispered something low, something meant only for me. And even though I responded, even though I smiled and played along…

I knew He wasn’t fully here in the moment..... Not really.