Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 408

ARIELLA

I walked into Asher's office and sat on his chair, spinning myself around slowly in it, wondering what exactly I was going to do next.

I had to find something to do when Leon went back to school and Asher was busy with work. I needed something that belonged to me. I decided to go online and see if I could find some inspiration or something.

So I clicked on his laptop and started searching random things to do when there was a quick knock before Luca walked inside the office.

“Oh, little Ari,” he said, a smile forming on his face. "Pleasure to see your pretty face this morning."

Then he looked around.

“Where is the Don?” he asked.

“Well, he’s not here,” I responded.

“Where is he?”

“Well, I thought you might know,” I said. “I thought you guys were working together this morning.”

"I don't think so."

“He said he had something to do this morning.”

Luca shrugged as if taking that information in and not really caring where Asher was anymore as he walked further inside the room and sat on the chair in front of the desk.

“So,” he said casually, “how are things? How has coming back home been? You and I haven’t really talked.”

“It’s been fine, I guess,” I added, immediately thinking about yesterday and everything that happened with my mother.

“Yeah,” Luca said quietly, as if he could read my mind.“ I heard about what happened yesterday at the ball.”

I nodded slowly.

“It’s bad, right?” I asked. “Like everybody must be talking about me right now.”

He gave a noncommittal shrug.

“People will be people.”

“Oh my God,” I groaned softly, covering part of my face. “I just knew they were going to talk, even though Asher collected the phones, threatened them and everything.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a good thing they won’t have the evidence,” Luca said. “It’s just words people will say, and then eventually it’ll die down.”

“Yeah… maybe.”

But I kept thinking about Asher. About the attacks. About my mother yesterday.

“This is not a good thing for him,” I admitted quietly. “Like… this is not something that should be happening right now for his image.”

Luca stayed silent, listening carefully.

“He’s supposed to be strong and powerful,” I continued. “People should be scared of him. He should be ruthless. But if people keep attacking him and his wife and his family…”

I swallowed hard.

“I just don’t want him to look weak. Especially because of me.”

Luca watched me carefully after I said that, his expression turning thoughtful instead of amused. For a moment, he didn’t answer. He just leaned back in the chair, studying me like he was trying to understand exactly how much I had already figured out on my own.

“You care about him a lot,” he finally said.

I frowned lightly. “Of course I do.”

“No,” Luca corrected quietly. “I mean you really care. You’re thinking like his wife now. Like a Donna.”

That made me pause. I didn’t know if anyone had ever called me that before, other than Asher of course and actually meant it.

I looked down at the desk for a second before sighing softly. “I just don’t want people seeing weakness.”

Luca gave a low hum.

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