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,
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