Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 417

ASHER

She closed her eyes and tears fell. After a moment she finally spoke.

"My father loved me," she said.

"I know, my queen. I know."

She swallowed.

"He was always on my side. I would always have these fights with my mother and..... he was always on my side."

She looked down at our joined hands.

"And even when I was forced to marry your father, he didn't want to do it. He thought we could run away, especially when he knew that I was pregnant."

My chest tightened.

"He thought we should run away." She laughed bitterly through tears. "My father didn't want me to marry him, but... my mother kept coming up with ideas, and we fought a lot. She was forcing my father to move forward with the marriage with your father so you wouldn't find out that the child I was carrying was yours and your father wouldn't find out I was pregnant for you."

She swallowed again. "But I think Dad had made up his mind in the end."

She looked out through the car window.

"He wanted us to run away to protect his grandchild and me. Even though he knew it would be hard, even though he knew it was a risk, he was ready to take that risk for me.... For us"

I just let her talk.

"He knew I did not want to be with your father. He knew how much I loved you and he was ready to risk his life to give me freedom... to save me. I knew he would do it, but I also knew I couldn't let him do that to himself... or my mother. This life was the only life he knew......"

She wiped her tears.

"I always told Leon that his grandpa loved him so much. I always knew that one day I was going to tell my father that this is why he tried to protect me... I thought about my son and father meeting one day"

Her voice cracked.

"...but I came back and he is not here anymore....."

Silence filled the car as Ariella fought her tears. For a second I just stared at her. Because there wasn't a single thing I could say to fix that. Not one. So instead I lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles softly. Then I pressed my forehead against hers.

"He knew," I whispered.

Her eyes lifted slowly to me.

"He knew."

I swallowed hard.

"Men like your father don't make sacrifices like that for people they doubt. They don't put everything on the line for something they aren't sure of."

I held her hand tighter.

"He knew exactly who his daughter was..... And he loved her anyway."

"No," I corrected softly. "If I knew he was going to......"

"Don't finish that sentence. You left to protect our son. The same boy your father wanted to protect.... He would have been so proud of you."

She just stared at me And then more tears slipped down her face. Not loud crying, not breaking down. Just silent tears, the kind that hurt more. The kind that comes when you're trying so hard to hold yourself together.

I lifted my hand and wiped them away slowly with my thumb.

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