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CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON
CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON
Penulis: JacqueAuthor

She Is

Penulis: JacqueAuthor
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-08 15:30:51

I was late to work again. Having a four-year-old isn’t easy.

This morning, Leon woke up sick, burning with a fever. I couldn’t take him to daycare or just leave him alone, so I had to ask my neighbour, Tracy, for help. She agreed after I promised to pay her with my tips. I handed her some money, gave Leon one last worried glance, and a kiss and then ran out the door.

The minute I stepped into the restaurant, I knew something was different today. There was a tension in the air, an unease that I couldn’t quite place. I barely made it to the back room to change into my uniform before the manager appeared.

"Where have you been, Ariella?" he barked.

He never yelled. He was always composed, even under pressure. But today, he seemed agitated—nervous, even.

I swallowed hard.

It hadn’t been easy to land this job. This wasn’t just any restaurant—it was an exclusive, high-end place, the kind where getting hired was nearly impossible. The only reason I was here was because of Damien. I had met him in difficult circumstances and saved him on the street one day, and when he asked what he could do in return, I asked for a job.

I only finished high school and barely completed a year and a half of college before I had to drop out. S I have had to take whatever work I could find—two, sometimes three jobs a day—just to take care of Leon.

It’s true what they say: from riches to nothing. That is the definition of my story.

And that’s why I can’t afford to lose this job

"Hurry up, Ariella. Today is important, and we can’t afford to mess this up," Damien says, his tone sharp. "I need you in my office. Pronto."

"Yes, Damien. I promise I’ll be quick."

"And look presentable," he adds before turning on his heel and walking away.

I change in record time, run my fingers through my hair, and dab on just enough makeup to look polished. Then, I rush to his office, my heart hammering.

When I step in, I find him deep in conversation with two men I’ve never seen before. Their faces are unreadable. They exchange a few last words before nodding at Damien and leaving.

"Close the door," he instructs the second they’re gone.

I do as he says, and he gets straight to the point. "I need you to serve the upstairs VIP room."

My brows knit together. I’ve worked here long enough, but I’ve never been allowed up there. "The exclusive VIP room?"

"Yeah," he says briskly. "And before you ask—don’t ask anything else. Just do your job."

Something about his voice is off. Agitated. Rushed. "People seem tense today," I point out.

"That’s none of your concern. I need you to focus. You’re good at what you do, you worked here long enough, you look the part, and you’ve got the guts. But listen to me carefully, Ariella." His voice drops. "When you go up there, you’re a statue. A ghost."

A chill runs down my spine.

"You do not listen to what they say. You do not make eye contact. You don’t see anyone. You don’t hear anything. You take orders. You serve. You leave. Do you understand?"

I swallow hard. "Yes, Damien. I understand."

"Good. Gina was handling it, but she had a mental breakdown. So you’ll cover for her." His gaze is firm. "Be strong, Ariella."

I nod and walk out, my nerves tightening with every step toward the VIP room.

When I open the door, my breath catches.

The room is full. Men sit sprawled on the luxurious sofas, women draped over them, their hands roaming freely. Some are talking in hushed voices. Some are kissing. The air is thick with something I can’t quite name—but I recognize this world.

I used to be in it. And I swore I’d never come back.

I remind myself of Damien’s instructions. You don’t see anything. You don’t hear anything.

Just serve and leave.

I move through the room, collecting empty bottles and glasses, and replacing them with fresh ones. I don’t make eye contact. I don’t linger. But I know who they are. I catch glimpses of tattoos, the suits, the presence—they scream Mafia.

I take orders, keeping my head down, pretending not to hear the murmurs, the deals being made in hushed voices.

Then I feel it. A hand on my ass.

Instinct takes over. I slap it away without thinking.

Laughter erupts. I keep my face blank, pretending it didn’t happen. I’ve already taken all the orders, so I turn to leave, but before I can, a hand grips my wrist.

"Where are you running off to, sweet thing?" A low voice murmurs, dripping with amusement. "Don’t you want to have a good time?"

I don’t make eye contact. I keep my voice neutral. "I’ll just get your orders." I try to pull away, but his grip tightens.

He pulls out a wad of cash, peels off several bills, and tosses them onto my chest.

"This money could feed you for a year," he smirks. "So what do you say? Why don’t we take this to the bathroom and get it over with quickly?"

My stomach turns, but I force my expression to stay blank. I need this job. I just have to endure this for a few hours.

"Thank you, but I’m working right now," I say as steadily as I can.

Another man grabs my arm, trying to pull me onto his lap. I struggle against him, my pulse spiking. Laughter rings in my ears, the air thick with amusement at my humiliation.

Then—

"Stop!"

The single word cuts through the noise, deep and commanding. Strong.

The room stills. The laughter dies instantly.

And for the first time, I lift my eyes. They land on the man at the head of the table.

Oh my God. I freeze.

I never thought—not in a million years—that my past would catch up to me. That I would ever see him again. Not so soon. Not here.

But here he is.

I stand there, paralyzed, my mind blank. I don’t know what to do. What to say.

The man gripping my wrist chuckles, oblivious to my turmoil.

"What is it, Don? I’m just having a little fun. It’s not like I’m forcing her or anything. She wants it."

Another voice joins in, mocking. "Yeah, what’s the problem? Is she one of your whore or something?"

I flinch at the word.

And then—

"As a matter of fact," he says, his voice smooth, cold. "She is."

My breath catches.

Shock holds me in place, but he isn’t done. He leans forward slightly, his eyes locking onto mine.

"She is my little toy," he continues. "And I don’t like other people playing with my toys."

The grip on my wrist vanishes as if I’ve turned to fire. The man stumbles back, hands raised, his face paling.

"I—I’m sorry, Don. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I didn’t know—"

Don.

My heart slams against my ribs. He’s the Don?

My pulse roars in my ears. How? What happened to his father? How did he become the Don?

A low snicker cuts through my racing thoughts. "Your pretty little Russian wife wouldn’t like that."

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  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Mine

    I don't even turn towards the voice. I feel like I'm going to turn to stone. I guess I should have expected that, given everything that happened years ago. Of course, he's married. Did I think he was going to wait for me his whole life?But I still can't believe it. I'm still not ready for the pain that envelops me when I hear that he's moved on, he's married, and he has a family.I feel like I'm going to cry.Asher doesn't say anything. He just looks at me, and I just stand there. Frozen into place.All of a sudden, he barks. "get out!" the sound of his voice, the power in it—there seems to be some anger in it, and I can't help myself but scramble and start running towards the door.But then he stops me again."Not you," he says."Everybody out," he continues.Everybody stands up, and the whole room clears out in an instant.I'm left standing there, looking at him as he looks back, he just stares at me blankly. There is no expression on his face.I don't know how to react. I'm nervou

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-08
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   No Choice

    I shake my head. No.Again and again, I shake my head, willing this moment to be a nightmare.But Asher just watches me, his lips curling into a cold, calculated smile. His eyes gleam with amusement as if he’s enjoying the way I’m crumbling before him.He isn’t speaking. Just watching. Like a predator toying with his prey.I try to absorb his words, to make sense of them, but they don’t fit. They don’t make sense."But you’re married," I whisper, my voice shaking. "You’ve moved on. What are you saying? I don’t understand."He laughs, low and cold, his mockery slicing through me."It looks like you got caught up in your feelings, Ariella." His voice is taunting, cruel."I never said I loved you. I never said I was going to marry you. I never even said you had any significance."My breath catches."What I did say," he continues, his tone dripping with venom, "is that you my toy. I am going to use you until there’s nothing left. Until you don’t recognize yourself. Until nobody can recogn

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-08
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Let me Go

    He smiles. It’s slow, calculating."Whatever it is," he murmurs, "if they find out, you know the rules of the famiglia."His eyes darken, his voice almost a whisper. "You. Are. Dead."A shudder of fear runs through me. I flinch. Because I know he’s telling the truth. The moment he takes me back, I am dead.Nobody will save me. I can’t leave Leon. I won’t leave Leon. He needs me.He sees the fear in my eyes. And he likes it."So you better just tell me why," he says, his voice quieter. "Why did you run away, Ariella?"He leans in slightly, watching me. "Were you scared I was going to hurt you?" His voice is almost teasing, taunting. "Was it fear—after breaking my trust—that made you run away?"I am desperate for a way out. I can see that he wants me to say yes. He wants me to admit I was scared of him.So I do. I nod. Trembling. Avoiding his eyes. He smirks."Good."He tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze."I like your fear." He says licking his lip. Then, he moves. His hands

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   The Destruction

    Asher stood still, frozen, as seconds ticked by before he turned towards me. He looked at me, and I could see the anger, the fury, the fire burning hot in his eyes, and it made me scared. I took a step back, and that little movement seemed to be the thing that broke him from his trance because before I could blink an eye, he was already there—right there in front of mAs he looked at me, I tried avoiding eye contact. His gaze was too piercing, too intense, and it made me too scared, so I looked down.But he gritted out angrily, commanding, “Look at me.”I raised my head up, forcing myself to meet his gaze.“Look. At. Me.” He gritted out each syllable, his voice sharp. Then, he asked me, “What did you say?”I shook my head. I was afraid to speak out, afraid to repeat the words that had already left my mouth. Just moments ago, he had mocked the idea of me having a boyfriend, of being with someone else, of being married. And now, now he was acting so mad because I told him I had a son.

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-01
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   I Loved You

    "Nobody! It is nobody!" I cried out, my voice breaking with desperation. "I have never cheated on you, Asher. It’s always been you. It has always been only you.""Shut up, you bitch!" he snapped, his voice laced with pure fury. "You think I’m foolish? Do you think I’m stupid? You think I—" He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair before glaring down at me again. "Then where did this son come from? You think you're the virgin Mary?""No. I never said that, I....""You think I haven’t heard the rumours? People whispering behind my back, saying you were sneaking around? You think I don’t know why you were after me, the Don’s son?"I shook my head, my lips parting to speak, but he wasn’t done."You think I don’t know why you forced me to sleep with you just weeks before you faked your own death?" His voice dropped lower, more dangerous. "Staged it, I should say.""I don’t know what you’re talking about, Asher," I whispered, still curled up on the floor, my arms wrapped around m

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-02
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   I Am Fine

    "Do you want me to get someone else?" Damien asked hesitantly. "A woman, maybe? Do you think you'll feel better talking to a woman rather than talking to me?"For the first time since this nightmare began, I answered. "No," my voice was barely above a whisper. "I just… I’d like to take a shower. Maybe a change of clothes?""Yes, of course!" His voice lifted as if I had finally given him something sensible to do—something that could help, even if just a little.He practically bolted out the door, his footsteps fading down the hall. For a few moments, I just stood there, hugging myself, my mind still reeling from everything. Then, not too long after, Damien returned, his arms full of clothes and toiletries."I brought everything I thought you might need," he said, placing them on a broken chair. One of its legs was missing, making it tilt slightly. "I asked Maddie to prepare it." He motioned toward the back of the room. "There's a bathroom right there behind you. You can use it. It has

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-03
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Pulled Over

    I went straight to my apartment.It was small—just one tiny room divided into a kitchen, a cramped bathroom, a bedroom, and a barely-there sitting area. The walls were dull, the furniture mismatched, but it was home.I prepared Leon’s soup first, making sure it was just the right temperature before heading out to Tracy’s place to get him.When she opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise. “Ariella? I thought you wouldn’t be back until later tonight. Doesn’t your shift end at eight? What are you doing here?”I forced a small smile. “Yeah… I just felt bad leaving Leon by himself.”Tracy scoffed playfully. “He was with me, silly.”“Yeah, I know. But he’s sick… and I just felt bad, so I asked to come back and take care of him.”She shrugged. “Okay, that’s fine.”Tracy and I were neighbours, but like most people in the city, we had separate lives. We were always working, always chasing money, always trying to survive. I was lucky she helped me watch Leon when she could—especially sin

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-04
  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Know Why

    The officer reached my car and knocked on the window, signalling for me to roll it down. My heart raced, my palms sweating as I took a deep breath and lowered the window. The officer didn’t crouch down to look me in the face, standing tall as he asked in a voice that was calm but firm, "Where are you going, ma'am?"I froze, my mind scrambling for an answer. "I'm just going to visit a friend... a little out of town.""Where to exactly?" he asked, his tone still measured.I felt the panic set in as my mind searched for a place. Westwood. The name popped into my head before I could think better of it. "Westwood," I stammered, praying he wouldn’t ask anything else. It was far from the city, but it was the only thing I could think of."Yeah? Is there a problem? Did I do something wrong? Was I speeding?" I managed to ask, trying to keep my voice steady.That’s when the officer crouched down to look at me through the window. My breath caught in my throat as he still kept his cap low, hidin

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-04

Bab terbaru

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Watching Him

    I walk forward — towel still wrapped around me, still damp from the shower — but none of that matters. All that matters is Asher. All that matters is the way he watches me.When I reach the edge of the bed, he reaches out his uninjured hand to me. Without hesitation, I take it. He gently tugs me closer until I'm standing between his knees, his forehead pressing against my stomach, his hands clutching my hips like he’s anchoring himself to me."I’m right here," I whisper, threading my fingers through his hair.His arms tighten around me — not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make me feel it. And when he looks up at me, there's something in his eyes.Something that tells me he’s just as terrified of losing me as I am of losing him.Gathering my courage, I ran my hands over his chest and then down his abs until my fingertips grazed his waistband. Then I quickly backed up. I kept my eyes on my hands as I explored his muscled chest, but his eyes were on me the entire time. I ran my finge

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   A Quiet Night

    My heart plummets.Shot?I was right. From the very first moment when he shielded me when he pressed me down and hushed me — I knew something was wrong.I feel the sting of tears behind my eyes, hot and fast, but I bite them back.The last thing Asher needs right now is to see me falling apart again.Still, I can't stop myself. My voice comes out in a whisper, shaking despite my best effort to keep it steady."You were shot?"I watch him carefully, trying — begging — not to show how scared I am.But Asher doesn’t even glance at me. He ignores the question entirely, saying nothing as he shrugs off his hoodie with stiff, jerky movements.Underneath, he’s wearing a t-shirt — and the moment the fabric lifts, blood smears across his arm and side, dripping sluggishly down.There’s no more hiding it. No more pretending.I’ve never seen someone shot before. And now it’s Asher.My Asher.Seeing it — seeing him like this —I can't take it. I clench my fists at my sides, digging my nails into my

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   An Ugly Cry

    I am underneath Asher's weight. He's on top of me, and he's heavy, and the sound of gunshots makes me want to scream, but Asher places his hand in front of my mouth.Just a second later, the girl we were with started running while screaming aloud, and the sound of gunshots followed her as she ran away from us.Asher keeps pressing on me for a few minutes, but what feels like hours, until he says, "Shh," and then he stands up.He groans a little. I'm about to ask him what's going on when he makes this communication with his hands, not saying a word as he keeps telling me to shut the hell up.We start walking, following Luca on the other side of the way from where the girl had run, and just when we're a few paces away, we hear more screaming, screams of agony before it all goes quiet.Luca mutters under his breath, "Shit," and then he starts running.Asher starts running behind him, pulling my hand forward. We're running. I don't know where we're going, but I'm not supposed to be talkin

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Gunfire

    Pop! pop!Suddenly there was the sound of gunshots in the air and I just froze.I don't know what happened as I sat there on the bed, frozen, but then suddenly Asher was in my face, talking to me. He was already dressed, he had never taken anything off, so he was fully dressed. I was the one naked lying there on the bed as the sound of heavy gunshots kept being heard in the air.He was touching my face, his face was on my face and he was telling me, "Ariella, Ariella, look at me, look at me, Baby." That's when I turned to look at him.He tells me, "Get dressed right now, hurry up." He throws the clothes at me, he's on his phone, he's making calls. I don't know, I'm scared, I'm confused. I start putting the clothes on, my hands are shaking. I ask him, "What's going on?"He's not answering me and he's not panicking like I am, but I can feel that something's wrong. And then I hear a scream and I can't help myself, I start screaming too.He comes towards me and puts his hand on my mout

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   The Look In His Eyes

    Asher groaned as he tried to take my hand away from him, but I pulled him by his sweater and started kissing him.After nibbling and sucking and playing with his lips, he let me inside his mouth and actually started reciprocating my kiss.As his hands went towards my neck, pulling the hoodie off my head, I used this chance to open the zipper of my sweater, opening it and tossing it aside, left inside with a strapless pink crop top.He groaned in appreciation, and as he did, I started taking the top off, but he put his hand on mine to stop me.As he pulled back, I stood up and went to stand in front of him as I took the crop top off and opened the button of my jeans, the zipper, then took it off me.He looked at me, taken by surprise, clearly. I couldn't read the look in his eyes, but I knew that he wanted me. There was pure lust there, but he seemed to be fighting his want for me. I got on top of him while he was still frozen and As soon as I reached him, Asher grabbed my nape, threa

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Time For Practice

    “I’m angry, okay?” Asher said, finally turning to face me again. “I’m angry that you put me in that situation. I’m angry that you care so little about yourself. I’m angry that you nearly destroyed something I’ve been working so damn hard to build... for us. For you....”I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My throat had closed up."And you even laughed about it too... As if the whole thing was funny to you..." He took a deep breath filled with anger.And that’s when it started to click. It started to dawn on me—what I’d done. What I had made him do.That day in the bedroom... How I’d tried to cross lines that maybe shouldn’t have been crossed.How I thought it was intimacy, but to him, it was something else entirely.It mattered to him. Deeply. More than I’d realized. I hadn’t seen it then. Not in his eyes. Not in the moment.But now, seeing the disappointment and hurt on his face... Hearing it in the tone of his voice...It hit me. Hard.I felt sick with guilt. Sick because I ha

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   What You Mean

    I cried ugly tears.Big, ugly, dramatic sobs.But I didn’t care. I wanted the drama. I needed him to see the side of me that wasn’t composed calm or cool. Because if I didn’t get through to the part of Asher that still loved me—really loved me—I was going to leave here today with nothing. And I wouldn’t get another chance. I knew once I left, he’d talk to Luca, and they’d make sure I couldn’t reach him again.I only had two days left to fix this. One day to save us. And I was willing to use everything I had—every tear, every trick, every truth—to fight for our love.“What the fuck… are you crying for?” I suddenly heard his voice, closer now.Before I could say anything, he was pulling me into his chest. His arms wrapped around me as he gently patted my back, smoothing a hand over my hair, holding me steady as my body shook. He murmured quiet things, soft things, trying to calm me.It worked. Eventually, the sobs died down into soft sniffles. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a h

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   Without You

    While I was drowning in my mortification, one of the guys in the group—someone I didn’t know—grinned and said,“Luca, who’s that? Your latest conquest?”Luca’s face shifted. Still calm, but suddenly serious.“No, man. Have some respect,” he said coolly. “That’s my sister-in-law.”“Sister-in-law?” the guy echoed, eyebrows raised as the others burst out laughing.Another voice chimed in, “Hey, Ash, did you know Luca had a sister-in-law?”Asher laughed—just a dry, careless sound—and looked up.And that’s when he saw me.That was the first time he really saw me. I realized then—he hadn’t even looked at who was with Luca before. But now his eyes were locked on mine.In that second, everything about him changed. His easy posture stiffened. His shoulders squared.His expression turned sharp and furious.He shot up from his seat like a storm about to devour anything in its path.Luca tensed beside me. Asher’s energy wasn’t just angry—it was ready for a fight.“Hey, man,” Luca said quickly, ha

  • CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA DON   The Unacknowledged

    Luca had been driving for a while. I didn’t know how long—we’d left the city behind, and the houses were gone, replaced by long winding roads and thick clusters of trees. But I wasn’t watching the time. I was too busy rehearsing over and over everything I was going to say to Asher.Still, the longer the drive stretched, the more my nerves twisted. I shifted in my seat and turned to Luca. “Why aren’t we there yet? This is taking forever...”He glanced at me, then shrugged. “I could drive as fast as I want, sure. But I’d rather not have your death on my hands. I’m sure Asher would kill me twice if something happened to you. So yeah, I’m sticking to the speed limit.”I sighed, frustrated. “I’m tired of sitting in this car. I just want to see Asher.”He chuckled, low and amused. “‘I want to see Asher. I want to see Asher,’” he mocked in a singsong voice, then laughed at himself.I frowned. “What’s so funny?”“Nothing.” He smirked. “You really love him, don’t you?”The question caught me

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