"You are Valerie Foster?" Antonio Costello asked in a thick Italian accent, his deep voice surprisingly gentle.
Valerie looked at him, studying his features slowly and carefully. He appeared to be in his late thirties with jet-black hair and eyes so dark they seemed almost black. His face, while almost handsome, had a deep scar running from his forehead down to his cheek on the right side, making him look intimidating, to say the least. He sat with an air of confidence, his posture tall and regal, indicating a man of power and strength. Even seated, his broad shoulders and the powerful build of his chest and arms hinted at his impressive height. He looked absolutely terrifying, Valerie thought. One look at Antonio Costello and Valerie could tell he wasn't a man to be trifled with. "Yes," she replied briskly, holding her stomach protectively as if to protect her baby from the predator in front of her. She was sitting on a couch in front of him with one of her brother's men standing behind her. He had his eyes glued to her just as he promised he would. "Hmm," Antonio said. He narrowed his eyes at Val’s pregnant belly. "And that's Julian Sinclaire’s child." "Yes." The man made a face as if he had eaten something bitter. "You decided to have a child with that Russian sleaze bag? Could've done better, Bella." Val rolled her eyes. Why did everyone, including her mother, just assume she could've done better than Julian? Sure, he was a douchebag and a cheating bastard at times, but he was at least nice to her. He took her in and protected her when she needed it the most! Not to mention he had gifted her with her unborn son. RIP Julian. "Is there a point to this conversation?" Valerie asked impatiently. "Why did you bring me here?" Antonio’s black eyes flashed. "A little impatient, are we?" he remarked, his tone laced with amusement. Val bristled at Antonio’s condescending tone but forced herself to stay composed. "I didn't think you brought me here to make small talk," she said. He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "Of course, of course. Pregnancy does tend to make women a bit...testy." Val clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to snap back at him. Instead, she forced herself to remain calm and focused on him. "Let's get to the point. What do you want from me?" Antonio leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together as he studied her with those intense black eyes. "Straight to business, I like that," he mused. "Very well, Signorina Foster. Like I said to your brother, you have something that belongs to me." "What would that be?" she asked. "A series of codes. I won't go into details, but they are written on a piece of paper," he paused and leaned forward. "I have reasons to believe that you have it in your possession." Val narrowed her eyes. "And if I did have these codes, why would I give them to you?" Antonio’s smile was like a predator's, confident and unnerving. "Because, mio amore, you don't have a choice." "What? Are you going to kill me? With my unborn baby?" Val asked, struggling to keep her voice steady. His eyes widened. "Kill you? Oh no. I am more decent than that." Valerie snorted loudly at that. He frowned at her. "Do you have something to say?" "If you are a decent human being, I'm the Virgin Mary." She paused and pointed at her swollen belly before continuing. "And this... here... is baby Jesus ready to be born." The muscle in his jaw twitched, and for a moment, she thought he might smile. But his face stayed serious. "You seem to have a sharp tongue, little lady," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I guess what they say about red-headed girls is true." Valerie rolled her eyes. Antonio’s gaze narrowed, his demeanor shifting from playful to intense. "But let's not forget why we're here," he continued, his voice low and commanding. "I don't have your stupid codes," Val barked. Antonio’s expression remained unreadable for a moment before he leaned back in his chair, seemingly unfazed by her outburst. "That's a shame," he replied calmly. "Because I have reason to believe otherwise." Val had something smartass to say. It was at the tip of her tongue but she stopped. Because the room suddenly felt hot. Val gripped the edge of the chair. Sweat broke out on her forehead, and her heart pounded in her chest. Antonio leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table between them. "Is there a problem, Signorina?" he asked, a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he watched her squirm. "Did I catch you in a lie? You know where the paper is, don't you, Bella?" Val shook her head vehemently. "No, no, I don't, asshole." "Then why do you look uncomfortable?" Antonio pointed out. "Just hot, that's all," she mumbled, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. The room was suffocatingly warm now, and she glanced around helplessly. Was it her imagination, or was everything beginning to sway? Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through her abdomen, making her gasp and clutch at her stomach. Her dress was suddenly wet, and she looked down in shock. Her water had broken.Oh no. Why? Why now? Of all the times to go into labor, now was definitely the worst. Valerie could already feel the first contractions coming on, a sharp pain that made her grit her teeth and clutch at her belly. Antonio looked at her with raised eyebrows, his smug smile quickly disappearing. "Err...Valerie?" he asked, suddenly sounding less confident and more... worried? She ignored him, breathing heavily as she tried to ride out the pain. Caught up in the moment, her mind focused only on getting through this ordeal. She couldn't give birth in front of this man! What if he tried to kill her? She could feel the liquid seeping down her legs and onto his plush carpet. It served him right for forcing her to be here! "Is she...is she having the baby now?" one of Antonio's goons stammered. He looked pale and terrified, his eyes darting from Val to his boss in panicked confusion. If Valerie wasn't in so much pain, she would've giggled at his goofy expression. Antonio stood abruptly,
Antonio Costello had never been so frightened in his life. Here he was, apparently helping a woman give birth to her child, and he wasn't even the real father! All he wanted to do this morning was to meet Julian's woman, get her to give him the codes Julian stole from him, and send her on her way. But instead, he was doing...this. Madness. Absolute madness. Antonio burst through the sterile doors, his breath catching in his throat. He was in the delivery room, and in front of him was Julian's little redheaded girlfriend, screaming her head off. Valerie Foster was a thing of beauty with her fiery red hair and large green eyes. Her skin was pale, right now, paler than usual had sprinkles of freckles all over. Antonio didn't particularly have a type when it came to women, but looking at Valerie, he suddenly realized he was a sucker for redheads. "Cara mia," Antonio started, his voice stuttering, "I'm here." "Here? Here!" She spat the word like venom, her emerald eyes blazi
River Foster, the leader of the Red Vipers, rushed to the hospital as soon as his henchman Samuel told him his sister Valerie was going into labor right in front of that damned Antonio Costello. Jesus Christ, how could this be happening? What was Valerie doing visiting one of the most dangerous men in the city and, not to mention one of his enemies? His wife Ellie grabbed his hand and squeezed it, and he looked at her. Her eyes were wide with worry, mirroring his own. "Valerie is going to be okay, River. Don't worry," she said in an attempt to comfort him. River nodded but didn't say anything. The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity for River, his mind racing with worry for Valerie. He couldn't shake the image of her in pain, with that smug bastard Antonio standing over her. The thought of him witnessing such a vulnerable moment made River's blood boil. As they pulled up to the hospital, River barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out. Ellie followed closely, h
Ellie Foster stared at Antonio Costello and then back at her husband. Antonio and River had been rivals for a while now, and she knew River was itching to kill him right now. Or at least, badly hurt him. But unfortunately, he had his sister and her newborn baby to think about.But did Antonio just say he signed Valerie's baby's birth certificate?Ellie's eyes widened, and she instinctively tightened her hold on the baby. "What do you mean, accidentally?" she asked, her voice a mix of incredulity and disbelief.Antonio shrugged nonchalantly, the grin still plastered on his face. "When Valerie was being rushed in, there was a lot of confusion. The nurses asked me to fill out some forms, and I...well, I might have put my name down as the father." He glanced at me, his expression oddly proud. "So, it seems I am now officially the father of this adorable bambino."Ellie was speechless, and River looked like his anger was momentarily eclipsed by sheer shock. "You...you can't just do that,"
Valerie's eyes flickered open. Blurry ceiling tiles came into focus above her, and the sharp scent of antiseptic burned her nose. Where was he? Where was her son?She heard his faint cry before she passed out, so she knew he was alive.She craned her neck, peering around the small hospital room. Empty. Panic bubbled in her chest. Where was her son!?"Nurse!" Her throat was raw. She winced, swallowing hard. "Where's my baby?"A woman in pink scrubs hurried to Valerie's bedside. "Please try to relax, Miss Foster.""Relax?" Valerie rasped. "How can I relax? Where is he?""Oh god, did something happen to him? But the doctor said he was healthy when they checked last time. Is he okay?" Valerie breathed.The nurse checked Valerie's IV, avoiding her gaze. "The baby is perfectly healthy. He is in the nursery with his dad."His dad?"My baby doesn't have a dad," Val said.Heck...he didn't even have a name yet.I want to see him," Valerie struggled to sit up, clutching the thin blanket. "Bring
Antonio's smirk faltered for a moment as he glanced at River. "Well, Cara," he began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. At that moment, with that stupid expression on his face, he almost looked like a little boy who had done something wrong. "What is it?" Valerie asked, feeling dread pulling in her stomach as she imagined the worst. Why did he look so guilty? "There was a bit of a mix-up with the paperwork when you were rushed in. A... uh... misunderstanding." He hesitated. Valerie frowned, her gaze shifting between the two men. "What kind of misunderstanding?" River took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Antonio...he signed the birth certificate as the baby's father." Val stared at the two men, uncomprehending. "He...WHAT?" she cried when she realized what was said, then quickly lowered her voice, remembering she was at the hospital. "I don't understand," she hissed. "By accident," Antonio interjected quickly. "There was confusion, and the nurses needed the forms filled
Ellie Foster didn't know if she should laugh or cry at the whole Valerie and Antonio situation.This whole situation was absolutely ridiculous. Valerie looked at Antonio like she wanted to tear his dick off, but Antonio still stood there with a smug expression on his face.And River...he was livid. Ellie stayed on guard in case River decided to make the hospital room into a battleground.Oh boy."No," Valerie said. Ellie could tell she was trying to make her voice as steady and firm as possible, but it wavered slightly. "I won't marry you, Antonio."He cocked his head. "You sure?""I am sure.""Well, that's a shame," Antonio murmured, feigning disappointment. His devilish grin never faded. "It would have been such an entertaining spectacle.""You're one sick man, Costello," River growled, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "Do you think relationships are games?"Ignoring River's comment, Antonio sauntered over to Valerie's hospital bed and looked down at Landon, who was sleepin
The floorboards creaked under Antonio's feet as he paced back and forth in his room, unable to shake the feeling of confusion and disbelief. Valerie Foster had rejected him—at the hospital of all places, right after she gave birth to their child.Okay...the baby wasn't actually his, but so what? His name was attached to him now, accidental or not. He was his son now. Because he had already claimed him to be!"Can you believe this?" Antonio muttered to himself, throwing his hands up in the air. His heart raced with anger and frustration. And a bit of sadness. "I offered to make her son legitimate. And she just...rejected me."He couldn't comprehend it. The pieces weren't fitting together in his head. How could she turn down such a generous offer? It felt like a slap in the face.He had never wanted to get married and had never cared about having children, but he had thrown himself out there. For her."Unacceptable!" he growled under his breath, clenching his fists at his sides."Bene,"