Five Years Ago
"I'm sorry, honey, but you're going to marry the Don."
The world around me blurs.
"You mean Asher's father?" My voice was barely a whisper. "You mean the father of the man I have been spending all this time with? The man you allowed me to date? The man I’ve fallen in love with? The man who loves me? The man I want to spend my life with? That man's father?"
Neither of them spoke.
I took a step back, shaking my head. "Is that what you're saying?"
My mother exhaled as if she was explaining something to a child. "Ariella, listen, this is good for our family. We’re moving up the ranks. Your father will gain power. Our family will gain respect. Your children will be royalty."
"Shut up, Mom!" I snapped, my voice cracking.
She gasped as if I had slapped her. Okay, maybe I ha
