Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 400

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ARIELLA

Asher turned sharply towards me.

“Ariella, are you sure....”

“Just stop doing that to her,” I snapped. "They're hurting her...."

He didn’t argue anymore. He gave the order and they immediately let her go.

She straightened immediately and started walking toward us—I specifically with determination. And without thinking, I walked down the stairs alone to meet her.

The moment she got close, her face crumpled.

“Oh my God…”

She reached for me with trembling hands...then stopped herself, her entire body recoiling all of a sudden.

I moved forward but she hit my hands away.

“Stay away from me!” she cried.

Tears were already falling down my face. I didn’t even realise when I started crying too. I made the mistake of reaching out again.

I just wanted to hug her. To feel her. To know she was real..... But the second my hand touched her.... She jerked away as if I had burned her.

“How dare you touch me?” she snapped. I froze right in my spot from the venom in her voice.

She started crying, full-on sobs like she couldn't help herself. Just… crying and staring at me like she didn’t know who I was anymore.

I didn’t know what to do.

I didn’t know what to say to make it better.

I didn’t know if I should apologise or tell her I missed her. Or tell her I was happy to see her.... Because I realised at that moment that I really was happy to see her.

Even if I wasn’t ready for it.

“It’s really you…” she said again, quieter now, her voice trembling as she leaned against the car, as if she might collapse.

Then her expression hardened.

“I always knew you were going to be the cause of your father’s death,” she said.

Her eyes cut through me.

“I always knew you were the devil.”

That was it.

Those words, what she said..... That broke me.

The tears came harder now, uncontrollable, choking me. “Mom, please....”

“After all you did,” she continued, her voice rising again, “you came back and didn’t even think to come see your mother? You didn’t think I would want to know?”

Her words hit like blows.

“The daughter I gave birth to. The daughter I loved. The daughter I took care of, gave everything to....me and your father, we loved you. We loved you!”

I shook my head, crying, trying to step closer again, but she didn’t let me.

“Your father loved you more than anything else in the world....... And he died....thinking you were dead,” she went on, her voice cracking. “Your father blamed himself for your death..... He died depressed. He blamed himself for your death. Regretted everything. Regretted letting you think you could marry him.....”

She pointed straight at Asher.

“...... He loved you so much and you killed him.”

I gasped, my hand on my chest that felt like someone had driven an icepick inside.

“And now you come back,” she said bitterly, looking me up and down, “dressed like this. Looking like this...... You got everything you wanted, didn’t you? The Romano name. The power. The life you always wanted.”