All Chapters of CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON: Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

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

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“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

ASHERI didn’t want to be here. It was the last place on the planet I wanted to be. These were the last people on Earth I wanted to spend the day....or the night, with. But here I was, sitting in a meeting with my men, the captains, and the leaders of my famiglia.It was necessary. I had to know what was going on, to show my presence, to show them I was still strong, that I wasn’t running, I wasn’t hiding. That we were still strong. I had to cut a few tongues to make them understand I meant business.Before even before I even came to this meeting, Luca asked to talk to me.“What is it about?” I asked.“It’s about Dominic and Dinara’s situation.”“What about them?” I asked.“There’s something more going on there. I think they’re planning something.”“They have always been planning something,” I told Luca. “And I’m not in the mood to talk about them right now. Let me figure this out first, and then I’ll figure Dinara and Dominic later.”“It’s serious,” Luca said. “I think we should look

ASHER“That’s not gonna work for me, I’m afraid,” I told her flatly. Her sobs grew louder, desperate, maybe for effect, maybe for real, but I didn’t care to measure the difference anymore.“I’m tired,” I added, dragging my words like I was done with every piece of her. “I want to go inside, take a shower, and sleep. So why don’t you go to Dominic? I’m sure he’ll have something to make you stop crying.”I didn’t wait for her answer. I turned my back, leaving her standing there with her tears, and walked toward my bedroom. The click of the door closing behind me sounded like a final judgment.Inside, I leaned against the door and let out a long breath.Dinara... Sometimes I think I shouldn’t blame her, not entirely. But how can I not? Our whole marriage was built on lies. Promises wrapped in silk, but rot underneath. They promised me a virgin. They promised me a devoted wife. What I got was a woman sharp as glass, manipulative, disruptive, disloyal....And a whore.Because who sleeps