Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 91

Chapter 91

My voice surprised even me-how flat and cold it was.

“I already made my decision,” I said, leaving no room for an argument.

A flicker of pain crossed his face, but it quickly turned into anger.

“I knew you’d do something like this. That’s why I told my father to call the Don.” I continued, “He agreed,” I swallowed,

“As of this morning, there’s a new arrangement-an offer to marry the Russian princess. It’ll end the bloodshed. It’ll save lives. It’s what people like my father want. And maybe… maybe you want it too.”

“You should take it,” I said. “Marry her. It’s a good deal.”

He stared at me like he didn’t recognize me.

“Fuck the Russians,” he snapped. “Fuck the deals. I don’t care about any of it. I care about you. You’re all I want. You’ve always been it for me, Ariella.”

I didn’t move.

“I should’ve married you the moment you turned eighteen,” he said, voice breaking. “The second I saw you at that wedding reception, I knew. And that night in the garden… when it was just us… I knew. I should’ve gotten on my knees right there and then.”

His voice dropped, softer now. “No one will ever love you like I do. No one will fight for you as I will. I’ll give you everything, Ariella. You’d come first. Always.”

Tears slid down my cheeks.

But I wiped them away like they didn’t exist. I killed every emotion in my face and made myself ice.

“You should go,” I said.

He flinched.

“You’re no longer my fiancé. We’re nothing. I’ve already been promised to someone else.” I steeled myself before adding, “Please Don’t come back here.”

And before he could say a single word in return, I turned around and ran up the stairs.

I didn’t wait for his voice this time. Because if I did-I wasn’t sure I could stay strong enough to keep walking away.

Things only got worse from there.

Asher’s voice rose. Sharp, broken, furious and then came the sound of glass shattering. Then more noise. Something heavy is being thrown. A chair, maybe.

1/4

Chapter 91

+25 Bonus

Then I heard my mother, her voice slicing through the chaos, loud. She must’ve come out of her room.

I sat frozen in bed, heart pounding. I was scared. Not of Asher, but of what might happen between him and my father. I never wanted this. Not like this.

So I grabbed my phone and called Luca. He picked up almost immediately.

“Hey, what’s up, little Ari?”

His voice was warm, casual. He didn’t know.

“It’s bad,” I said, my voice cracking. “Asher’s here. You have to come get him.”

“Where?” His voice sharpened. “What’s going on?”

“He’s losing it,” I whispered. “He just got out of the hospital. He’s not okay. Please, Luca. Just come.”

“Alright,” he said without hesitation. “I’m on my way.”

He hung up.

But the shouting didn’t stop. I grabbed two pillows, and pressed them over my ears, praying they’d muffle the sounds. I tried to disappear, to make myself smaller, quieter.

It felt like forever before the voices died down.

Eventually, silence took over, but it wasn’t peace. It was Dreadful. Like the aftermath of a storm, you don’t have the courage to look out the window and see.

I stayed in my room. I didn’t dare ask what had happened. I didn’t want to know. Not yet.

But by lunchtime, I was starving and angry. Angry at everything and everyone. Angry that love could turn

into this.

I went downstairs. My mother was cleaning. Her jaw is tight. Focused, and aggressive in the way she wiped the floor. The glass by the front door was shattered. A chair nearby now stood on just three legs, like it was barely hanging on.

The place must have been a mess. Whatever happened… it had been worse than I imagined.

I closed my eyes. Pretended I didn’t see it. Pretended everything was fine.

In the kitchen, I found leftovers in the fridge. It was a first that my mother hadn’t prepared a home- cooked meal. I reheated them in silence, took the plate, and walked back upstairs without a word to

anyone.

I didn’t ask about Asher. I didn’t ask about my father. I didn’t want to know. Because deep down, I was scared. Scared of what state Asher was in. Scared of how far my father had gone. Scared that everything was breaking around me.

This whole thing… was a mess.

2/4

Chapter 91

+25 Bonus

Time felt frozen. But somehow, the world kept on moving. Outside, the day slowly turned into night. The sky dimmed, and shadows stretched across my bedroom.

My mom came in later that evening. She didn’t speak. She didn’t even look at me. Just walked in, set a plate of food on my desk, and walked out again.

I stared at it. I didn’t move. I didn’t eat. I didn’t want to.

The weight of everything was still pressing down on me. I hadn’t showered. I hadn’t changed clothes. I hadn’t done anything but exist in this fog.

But eventually, I stood.

Maybe a shower would help. Maybe if I washed everything off, I’d feel like a person again. Maybe I’d be able to fall asleep, even if just for a little while.

I turned on the shower and slipped under the spray of warm water, rubbing myself clean, hoping this would wash away all the pain. But It wouldn’t go away. I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes.

I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. I sealed myself because I knew that would be my mom and I wanted what she wanted now. I opened my eyes. The person standing at the door was not the person I expected to be there.

Our eyes met and I froze.

Dark and tall, Asher appeared in the doorway

His eyes roamed over my naked body, and mine did the same. There was something cruel and twisted in his gaze. Something that was Beyond redemption and promised pain.

I should have been scared, but I wasn’t. Not by his presence and not always by his nature. I shut off the water, scared of what he wanted, completely terrified of why he was here.

He began unbuttoning his shirt and then shrugged it off. He moved closer, stopping right before me. Asher was silent as he reached for my hand, and I let him. Let him put my palm against his strong chest, let him slide it lower, over the hard lines of muscles. He placed my palm over his belt and then released

What I wanted more than anything was that look in his eyes gone. I gripped his belt and tugged him toward me, angrily, desperately, because I was falling, already lost, content to lose myself. His lips crashed down on mine, tongue domineering my mouth, hands rough against my ass. He jerked me up. and against him so his erection pressed against my center.

I gasped, which he swallowed with his lips.

My fingers hooked in his waistband, scared and wanting. Asher caught my gaze, his full of hunger and harshness. He ripped his mouth away from mine, backing me into the wall.

3/4

Chapter 91

+25 Bonus

Chapter 91

My voice surprised even me-how flat and cold it was.

“I already made my decision,” I said, leaving no room for an argument.

A flicker of pain crossed his face, but it quickly turned into anger.

“I knew you’d do something like this. That’s why I told my father to call the Don.” I continued, “He agreed,” I swallowed,

“As of this morning, there’s a new arrangement-an offer to marry the Russian princess. It’ll end the bloodshed. It’ll save lives. It’s what people like my father want. And maybe… maybe you want it too.”

“You should take it,” I said. “Marry her. It’s a good deal.”

He stared at me like he didn’t recognize me.

“Fuck the Russians,” he snapped. “Fuck the deals. I don’t care about any of it. I care about you. You’re all

I want. You’ve always been it for me, Ariella.”

I didn’t move.

“I should’ve married you the moment you turned eighteen,” he said, voice breaking. “The second I saw you at that wedding reception, I knew. And that night in the garden… when it was just us… I knew. I should’ve gotten on my knees right there and then.”

His voice dropped, softer now. “No one will ever love you like I do. No one will fight for you as I will. I’ll give you everything, Ariella. You’d come first. Always.”

Tears slid down my cheeks.

But I wiped them away like they didn’t exist. I killed every emotion in my face and made myself ice.

“You should go,” I said.

He flinched.

“You’re no longer my fiancé. We’re nothing. I’ve already been promised to someone else.” I steeled myself before adding, “Please Don’t come back here.”

And before he could say a single word in return, I turned around and ran up the stairs.

I didn’t wait for his voice this time. Because if I did-I wasn’t sure I could stay strong enough to keep walking away.

Things only got worse from there.

Asher’s voice rose. Sharp, broken, furious and then came the sound of glass shattering. Then more noise. Something heavy is being thrown. A chair, maybe.

1/4

Chapter 91

424

+25 Bonus

Then I heard my mother, her voice slicing through the chaos, loud. She must’ve come out of her room.

I sat frozen in bed, heart pounding. I was scared. Not of Asher, but of what might happen between him and my father. I never wanted this. Not like this.

So I grabbed my phone and called Luca. He picked up almost immediately.

“Hey, what’s up, little Ari?”

His voice was warm, casual. He didn’t know.

“It’s bad,” I said, my voice cracking. “Asher’s here. You have to come get him.”

“Where?” His voice sharpened. “What’s going on?”

“He’s losing it,” I whispered. “He just got out of the hospital. He’s not okay. Please, Luca. Just come.”

“Alright,” he said without hesitation. “I’m on my way.”

He hung up.

But the shouting didn’t stop. I grabbed two pillows, and pressed them over my ears, praying they’d muffle the sounds. I tried to disappear, to make myself smaller, quieter.

It felt like forever before the voice’s died down.

Eventually, silence took over, but it wasn’t peace. It was Dreadful. Like the aftermath of a storm, you don’t have the courage to look out the window and see.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify