When they finally pulled up to the house, Valerie was waiting for them by the entrance. Her eyes were red and swollen, and as soon as she saw Riley, her expression softened.Riley stepped out of the car, her movements robotic, her gaze still vacant. Valerie rushed towards her, pulling her into a tight hug. Riley stood still for a moment before her arms slowly came up to return the embrace.“Riley, I’m so sorry,” Valerie whispered, her voice breaking.Riley said nothing, her eyes staring over Valerie’s shoulder, unfocused and empty.Valerie pulled back, her hands resting on Riley’s shoulders as she looked at her, tears streaming down her face. “I know it’s hard, but we’re here for you. We’re all here for you.”Riley gave a small nod, her face expressionless. She turned her head slightly, her eyes meeting River’s for a brief moment before she looked away.Valerie glanced at River, her eyes filled with worry. He shook his head slightly, indicating that Riley hadn’t spoken much since they
River led Riley to her room, his hand resting gently on her back. He could feel how tense she was, her body still rigid with the weight of her grief. He wished he could say something to ease her pain, but he knew there were no words that could make this any easier.Slowly, she walked over to the bed and sat down, her eyes vacant and tired.River watched her for a moment before taking a step closer. “Do you want me to lie down with you?” he asked quietly.Riley looked up at him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She gave a small nod instead.River moved to the other side of the bed, slipping off his shoes before lying down beside her. He watched as Riley laid back, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. She looked so small, so lost, that it broke his heart.After a long moment of silence, Riley rolled onto her side, facing away from him. River could hear her breathing, uneven and shaky, and it made his chest ache with the urge to comfort
The day of Alexander’s funeral was bright and sunny, contrary to what Riley felt inside. She stood before the mirror in her room, staring at her reflection without really seeing it. She smoothed down the front of her simple black dress, her hands shaking slightly.A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called, her voice sounding small and fragile even to her own ears.River entered, looking handsome and solemn in his dark suit. His eyes softened as he took in the sight of her. “Are you ready?” he asked gently.Riley nodded, not trusting herself to speak. River crossed the room to stand beside her, his presence a comforting warmth at her side. He took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “I’ll be right there with you the whole time,” he promised.Together, they made their way downstairs and out to the waiting car. Tiffany and Lucas were already inside, waiting.Tiffany reached for Riley and pulled her into a hug. “I am sorry, Riley,” she mumbled in
Riley’s heart pounded in her chest as fear tightened its grip around her throat. She could feel the eyes of the man boring into her, his words dripping with malice and hatred.This wasn’t the first time she dealt with her father’s enemy. Heck…her own husband was his enemy, but she had never seen someone who hated him this much.But before she could muster a response, River erupted in a roar of fury. “Take my wife? Over my dead body.”The man sneered, his lip curling with contempt. “I wouldn’t mind if you were already dead, Foster.”Tiffany and Lucas cowered behind the armed men, their bodies trembling with terror as they waited for the signal to attack.River’s hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white as he seethed with rage. “You think you can stroll in here and threaten my family without consequence? You have no clue who you’re messing with.”The man stepped forward, a mockery of confidence in his demeanor. “Oh, I have every idea, River. We just don’t care.” He glanced at R
River felt his blood run cold as he watched Riley crumple to the ground, a scream of agony tearing from her lips. In that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world around him fading into a blur of muted colors and distant sounds.His mind flashed back to that fateful day when Ellie had been ripped from his life, her lifeless body cradled in his arms as he howled with grief and rage. The memory hit him like a physical blow, stealing the breath from his lungs and sending a wave of nauseating terror through his veins.No, not again. He couldn’t lose Riley too. Not like this. Not when he had just found a glimmer of hope and love again in her fierce, unwavering presence.No, no, no.Someone suddenly shoved him to the side.“Get it together, River! You almost got shot!” It was Antonio. He must’ve come back to defend them.“Riley….she…” River choked, pointing at her on the ground.“Go to her now. I got this!” Antonio shouted, his voice sharp and commanding, pulling River from the dark sp
Christmas day…Everyone gathered around the table for our holiday meal. Antonio, as always, sat at the head of the table with Valerie. Next to her, was the newest member of her family: baby Maxwell.River and Riley sat to his left, next to them was Tiffany and Lucas. In the middle sat Landon, who insisted on sitting next to Tiffany. At the age of two, he was already chatty and declared Tiffany was his favorite.“Can you pass the gravy, please?” Valerie asked River.“Of course,” he replied, handing her the boat of gravy with a smile.Valerie took the gravy with a grateful nod, pouring some over her mashed potatoes before passing it to Antonio.“Mmm…everything smells amazing. Great job, mia cara,” Antonio grumbled in approval as he took a bite of his chicken.Valerie smiled brightly. “I couldn’t have cooked everything without the help of my family. Thank you everyone for helping.”“Lucas didn’t help,” Tiffany teased, nudging her younger brother. “All he did was sneak into the kitchen to
"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 st
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,