Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 462

ARIELLA

A moment later, the door opened again. The man from outside, who seemed to be the man in control of the whole place, walked inside.

Luca followed him inside, and as expected... Luca still refused to look at me.

"I have to say," Luca remarked as he looked outside at the activities taking place, "this is quite the production you have here, Bastian."

"I know," Bastian replied with a small smile.

He walked over and took his seat behind the desk. Luca also sat in the chair opposite him, facing each other. Meanwhile, I remained beside the couch with Leon, refusing to leave his side.

The two acted as though I didn't exist. As though they couldn't even see me. As though they weren't afraid I could pose any threat to them. They simply ignored me completely; I was nothing more than another piece of furniture inside the room.

I stayed on the floor beside the couch, one shoulder pressed against it while Leon lay unconscious beside me. I kept one hand on him, even though my wrists were bound behind my back. I just needed to feel him breathing. He was still warm. Thank God.

I looked toward Luca again. I already knew what was going on, but I had a hard time coming to terms with it. It was so unbelievable. How?

"Luca..." I called for him and got Nothing. Not even a glance.

Bastian leaned back comfortably in the chair behind the desk as though this were an ordinary business meeting.

"Let me just say," Luca said, looking around the office, "I'm impressed."

Bastian smiled.

"I've spent years building this while my father prepared my brother to take over his empire. I knew I needed something of my own."

"It shows," Luca responded.

"I don't like doing things halfway," Bastian replied.

Silence settled between them before Bastian reached for a bottle of whiskey on the desk and poured himself and Luca a drink.

"You had me worried for a while," he admitted.

Luca shrugged.

"It wasn't easy. Asher has been a little paranoid lately, so I knew I had to tread carefully."

My heart nearly stopped.

"It almost wasn't worth the trouble," Luca added. "What exactly am I getting from this again?"

Bastian chuckled before raising his glass toward Luca.

"It's going to be worth it. Trust me."

I stared at Luca as Bastian drank his whiskey, not even waiting for Luca to raise his own glass.

"When exactly is this mysterious partner coming?" Luca asked, tone a bit bored. "I don't want to stay here for too long. When it all goes down, I need an account of where I was. I can't have people suspicious of me or my involvement."

"I know," Bastian replied. "That's why we have Marco here. Just like you need an alibi, our partner also needs one."

"So he agreed to split the Romano Famiglia?" Luca asked. "Who is it exactly? It has to be someone with standing, or there would be bloodshed." Luca asked.

Bastian laughed.

"You're not very patient, are you?"

"I don't have time to be."

The two of them looked at each other head-on, almost like they were having another conversation entirely. A silent one. Something I couldn't understand.

"What is going on?" I demanded, louder this time. "Why am I here? Why is Leon here? Luca....why did you bring us here? Luca!"

Nothing.

"Look at me," I demanded.

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