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, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Get the car!" he roared at one of his men, who disappeared from the room like a shot. Her brother's man, Samuel, was by her side in a flash. "I... I will call Boss and take you away, Val." "There's no time for that, you fool!" Antonio barked at him. "I am taking her to the hospital. You come with me so Foster doesn't think I am harming his sister." Despite the pain, Val couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh at Antonio's expense. His confident facade had wholly shattered, and he looked utterly helpless now. His intimidating aura now ceased to exist. But damn...she could finally see how tall he was, and he was a motherfucking giant! She wondered how his mother felt while giving birth to him. Was he a big baby or was he... "Ouch!" Val cried as another contraction interrupted her thoughts. "What's wrong? Are you going to die?" Antonio squealed. Jeez...he looked like he was about to pass out. "Is this your first time witnessing childbirth?" she asked through gritted teeth. A fresh wave of pain hit her then and her body convulsed. Antonio looked at her with wide eyes and nodded mutely. "I have seen death," he admitted quietly. "But never life." "Well," Val gasped out between contractions, "you're in for a real fucking treat." Antonio watched her for a moment longer before he stepped toward her hesitantly. He reached out slowly and placed his hand on her arm. It was a comforting gesture but not nearly enough to take away the pain. And besides, Valerie wasn't exactly expecting to be comforted by a murderous Italian giant. "The car is ready, Capo," Antonio's goon informed them. Valerie yelped as Antonio scooped her up in his arms and strode toward the front door. "Breathe, Amore," he urged as he settled her into the car. She held onto Antonio's suit jacket, her fingers digging in as another contraction made her vision swim. His usually calm exterior was ruffled, his dark eyes wide and a frown creasing his usual smile lines. "Drive faster!" he barked at the man behind the wheel. "I'm trying!" the man snapped back, urgency clear in his voice. As the car sped through the streets, Valerie tried to focus on breathing as her doctor had instructed. Antonio's hand had been warm against her shoulder, but somewhere between the hospital entrance and being rushed into a room, his touch left hers. The sudden absence felt strange, though she should have been relieved he wasn't near. A nurse leaned over her. "Oh dear, you made it just in time." "Yeah, just in time," Valerie gritted out, her breath hitching as another contraction rocked through her. In a whirlwind of motion, doctors and nurses rushed around her. Valerie was lifted onto a gurney and wheeled down the hospital corridor at an alarming speed. The lights above her blended into one long, glaring strip as they whizzed by. A doctor appeared in Valerie's line of sight, her eyes full of kind concern. "You're doing great, Valerie. Just keep breathing." Valerie nodded, clenching her teeth against the next wave of pain that roared through her. Suddenly, the door burst open again, and Antonio was there. Wait...why was he here? "You'll need to gown up," the doctor told Antonio, handing him a sterile set. Antonio blinked at her, a look of bewilderment flashing across his face. But then he squared his shoulders and nodded. "Okay," he said, disappearing behind a curtain to change into the sterile gown. "Wai... wait..." Valerie tried to protest when another contraction hit her. Words failed her as she rode out the wave of pain. By the time she recovered, Antonio had reentered the room, garbed in sterile scrubs. Was he seriously planning on helping her deliver her child? Valerie cursed out loud. This could not be happening to her!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,"
"It's raining," Valerie whispered to Landon as she stared out the window.It had been three days since she had brought Landon back home. Lucas and Tiffany were overjoyed to see their cousin, and they were eager to help her put Landon to sleep or tell him stories that they had just heard from their mom.The house felt warmer with the sound of the kids' laughter and Landon's tiny coos. Despite the storm outside, there was a sense of peace within these walls.Valerie glanced down at Landon, his tiny hand curled around her finger. "Your cousins are quite the storytellers, you know," she murmured, smiling. "We are going to be very happy here."As if understanding her words, Landon gave a little yawn and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. Valerie gently placed him in his crib, tucking him in snugly. Standing there, watching him sleep, she felt a mix of overwhelming love and fierce protectiveness. Landon was her world now, and she would do anything to keep him safe.The past few days ha