Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 477

ASHER

My heart broke as I watched my wife say those words. I knew what it felt like to lose someone, and I knew what it felt like to feel betrayed. But I couldn't let her believe that she was unloved..... Not when it wasn't true. Not when she was one of the most loved people I knew.

I cupped her face.

"No."

She looked at me through her tears.

"Your mom loved you."

She shook her head.

"No..."

"She did," I said firmly. "She was selfish. She was angry. She was hurt. She made wrong choices, choices that hurt you, but that doesn't mean she never loved you."

Ariella looked away.

"She wanted Leon. She wanted to take him from me....."

"She wanted to save Leon from death, didn't she?" I responded.

She laughed softly through her tears while shaking her head before wiping her face.

"Where is she?" she asked. "Do you have her?"

I shook my head.

"No. I have no idea where she is. She must have run the moment Luca set her free."

She swallowed.

"But wherever she is," I continued. "If you want me to find her, it won't be hard. I can track her down."

She was quiet for a moment.

"No, babe." Her voice was tired. "For now, I just want to make sure Leon is okay."

She looked towards the hospital room.

"I just..." She looked back at me. "I'm just happy you're still here... That we are all here."

Then she hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close because I understood. After everything we had been through, after everything we had lost, after all the people who had tried to tear us apart... We were still here. Together.

A few minutes later, the doctors came back. Immediately, we both stood.

"Leon Romano is a strong kid, and he's doing fine. You have nothing to worry about," the doctor said.

The words hit me harder than I expected.

They had done all the tests. He was fine, and he had already woken up.

"You can go inside and see him."

For the first time in what felt like forever, I finally breathed.

The doctor continued with a reassuring smile. "He's doing very well. The sedative is wearing off exactly as expected. He's awake, alert, and all of his tests look good."

I don't think I had ever exhaled that hard in my life. Beside me, Ariella completely broke. She covered her mouth with both hands as tears spilt down her cheeks. Her knees almost gave out, and I caught her before she could fall.

"Thank you," she whispered to the doctor over and over again. "Thank you."

The doctor gave us a small nod before stepping aside.

"You can go in now."

I didn't wait. The moment the door opened, I saw him. Leon. He was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking sleepy, his hair sticking up in every direction, a small blanket covering his legs.

The second he saw us, his face lit up.

"Mommy!"

Ariella was already moving before he finished saying the word. She rushed to him, wrapping both arms around him so tightly I almost laughed through the lump in my throat.

"My baby..." she cried into his hair. "My baby..."

Leon frowned in confusion.

"Mommy..."

She kissed his forehead, His cheeks, His hair, His tiny hands.

"I was so scared."

"I know," he whispered, still sounding sleepy.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You don't."

She held him even tighter.

I laughed. A real laugh. The first genuine one I'd had in what felt like forever.

"I think we can arrange that."

Leon nodded happily before looking at both of us.

"Can we go home now?"

Home. The word hit me harder than I expected. Home. A place I almost lost forever. I looked at Ariella, and she was already crying again.

I reached for her hand. "Yes," I answered quietly. "As soon as the doctors discharge you..."

I looked at both of them.

"We're going home."

When I looked at my wife and son, I remembered the last time Ariella was kidnapped. I had thought it was because I wasn't there. Because I hadn't put the right measures in place to protect her. Because I wasn't there when she needed me. Because I hadn't protected her enough.

And I had vowed to myself to do everything. But then it happened again, and this time, they also took my son. Our son. The best thing that's ever happened to us.

I had to make sure it never happened again. I had to make sure that if anyone even thought of harming my wife and son, if the thought even crossed their mind, they would immediately get rid of it.

I'm going to find out exactly who was responsible. Everyone who had any hand in whatever happened last night and today. Every attack, every betrayal and every person who thought they could touch my family and walk away.

I am going to make sure I set an example. I'm going to make sure that the sound of my name, the mere thought of hurting my family, becomes the last thing anyone ever wants to think about.

I'm going to protect them. I'm going to do everything to protect them, and I'm going to make sure I never mess up enough to make Ariella want to leave me again. Because she can't leave me..... She can't be away from me.

Everything I've ever done has been to protect her, and one tiny, stupid mistake had almost cost me everything. My whole world. Even now, when I looked at them and tried to imagine a world without them..... It just didn't work. It wasn't possible. I couldn't see it. I couldn't even picture myself living in it.

A knock sounded at the door.

"We're sorry to keep you waiting, Mr and Mrs Romano. We have your results."

The doctors who tended to Ariella walked inside. One of them smiled at Leon.

"How are you doing, little man?"

"I'm good," Leon answered with a grin.

The young nurse beside the doctor winked at him, and Leon actually blushed. I nearly rolled my eyes. Of course he did.

"Would you like us to discuss the results privately?" the doctor asked Ariella.

"No, it's okay," Ariella said. "Is there anything wrong?" she asked cautiously. "If there is, we can just talk outside."