ARIELLA“No, it’s not too much,” I quickly said.I thought about it, trying to reason through my discomfort. I didn’t want to make this more complicated for him. And he was right, thinking about Leon and having him switch houses and schools so soon after everything… it was too much.“I think we’re going to be okay,” I said finally, staying in the moment, even though I cringed at the thought of going back to that house.“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice edged with concern, eyes locked on my face as if reading every thought.I nodded slowly, trying to steady my shaking hands. “Yes,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I think… I think we’ll be okay.”He studied me for a moment longer, his gaze softening. “Okay,” he said finally, a hint of relief breaking through his worry. “I just want to make sure you’re safe… and that Leon has some stability. That’s all that matters.”I offered a small, tired smile, feeling the weight of the past few days settle on me. “I know. And thank you… for
ARIELLATo be honest with myself, I wanted more from Asher. Even though I knew I had no rights, knew that he wasn’t mine,....but he felt so mine. I wanted more than just him being a protector, him being the father of my son. I wanted him fully. Everything about him.... I wanted it.But I also wanted to reach out to him, to bridge the space that had risen between us after everything. For now, though, I just let myself enjoy this moment. Watch him. Enjoy his presence. Watching the way he looked at Leon, the man who carried the night’s horrors on his shoulders, who was still here, who was still taking care of us.“Let me go get you something to eat. I’m sure you haven’t eaten anything.”I wanted to stop him. I just wanted him here. But I nodded. And just a few minutes later, he was back.“That was quick,” I said.“Well, I just had to order someone to get me something.”I frowned a little,“You do know there are guards outside, right? Not taking a chance with you again.”"As if that helpe
ARIELLAThat broke me in a way I didn’t expect. I had seen Asher angry, proud, cold, protective, even ruthless, but never like this. Never so raw, so stripped down that he couldn’t even hide behind his walls anymore. His voice was trembling, his chest heaving with every word like it hurt.I cupped his face, pulling his hands down so he couldn’t hide from me, forcing him to look at me even through his tears.“No,” I whispered, my own voice cracking. “No, Asher. You didn’t let me down. You don’t get to say that. You came. You came when it mattered most. You saved me, you saved Leon. You never let me down.”He shook his head against my hands, stubborn, broken, still drowning in guilt.“I don’t deserve that forgiveness. Not after what I thought about you. Not after how I treated you. You carried that weight all by yourself, and I....” His voice caught, his throat tight. “.....I wasn’t there. I was the one person who should have been there, and I wasn’t.”“You were,” I said firmly, my tear
ARIELLA“I want you to know that I wanted to be here,” he began, his voice low, steady but heavy. “But when Maria called Luca, we had to divide and conquer. I told Luca to go after Leon and Maria, so I could come after you. Because I knew… if Leon and Alex’s men had taken you out of the city, it would be harder to find you. So I had to come quickly.”He paused, his eyes dark with exhaustion, but his words kept spilling, desperate to explain.“And after I had gotten you here, and I was sure you were fine, I had to go see Leon. Because Maria was also taken to get treatment. And he was there with Luca. And I just....” his voice cracked, “I just wanted to make sure our son was okay. I just wanted to see my son. And I knew you would want to see him, too.”Tears kept flowing down my cheeks. My chest hurt with the force of it all.“Thank you,” I whispered. “I....thank you.”His brows furrowed. “What are you thanking me for?”“Yes, thank you,” I insisted softly, keeping his gaze. “For everyth
ARIELLAWith all the medicine and the IVs and everything else.... I think they must have taken me under. Because when I opened my eyes again, it was the next day. Bright sunlight streamed through the thin hospital curtains, too clean, too real. I blinked against it, disoriented.For a moment, when I woke up, I thought I was still in the car with Alan, his gun pressed against my head, the threat alive and burning in his eyes. My chest seized, my throat closed up, and the scream ripped out of me before I could stop it.The sound echoed in the sterile room. A moment later, the door swung open and a nurse rushed in. Her face softened when she saw me, her voice gentle as she hurried to my side. She asked me how I was feeling, if I was okay. My voice shook when I tried to answer, but she didn’t push me.She adjusted the IV line, then leaned closer and asked if I would like some water. I croaked out a “yes,” and she helped me lift the cup, holding it steady until the cool liquid slid down my
ARIELLA"You think I won't kill her? You think I won't hesitate to kill her? You think that I will hesitate? Do you think I went through all of this without having a plan? I know what I'm doing, Asher, and I won't let you threaten me. You think because I'm not from the Mafia world that I'm afraid of you? You think.....?"Alan’s voice was sharp, vibrating with a fury that almost masked the tremor beneath it. His eyes burned with conviction, his finger twitching on the trigger as if he were desperate to prove himself.But Alan didn’t get to finish what he was thinking, what he thought Asher was thinking, because all of a sudden, before I could even blink, before anything else could happen, Asher raised his gun.It was so fast, so smooth, it felt like time had cracked open for a split second. And then....BAM.The sound exploded through the room, rattling my bones. My scream tore out of me, high and raw, because the gun had been pointed at me just a moment ago.For a fraction of a heartb