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 blazing with a fury that singed his very soul. "Antonio, you bumbling fool! What are you even doing in this room? Why...are you here?" The medical staff circled around her like a well-oiled machine, their movements precise, their focus unwavering. They must have seen this play out a thousand times, indifferent to the personal drama unfolding before them. "Helping" was all Antonio could muster, but it was lost, a mere whisper against the storm of her anger. Why was she so angry? Was it because she was scared of him? "Helping?" Valerie's laugh was sharp. "What the fuck for? Get out!" God, she was beautiful when she cursed! I should get out, Antonio thought to himself. What the hell was he doing anyway? He wasn't the father of the baby. It was Julian, who was now dead. Antonio had no right to witness the birth of Julian's child. This whole situation was absolutely absurd. "Stand next to her, Sir. I will tell you what to do next," the doctor said, and all thoughts of leaving fled Antonio's mind. He wanted to stay and see this through, for whatever reason. Valerie's curses didn't wane, but he tuned them out, focusing on the rhythm of her breaths and the clenching of her fists. Should he hold her hand? He remembered seeing in a movie once that was what you were supposed to do when helping someone give birth. "Deep breaths, Valerie," one of the nurses said, though Valerie likely heard none of it. "Shut up, just shut up!" Valerie's voice broke, raw and ragged. Antonio leaned in closer, his hand hovering above her arm, unsure if his touch would be a comfort or a spark to more fury. "You're doing great," he murmured, dodging another volley of verbal daggers. "Great? You think this is great?" The sneer in her voice could slice through steel. He smiled at her. Mamma Mia, he had never seen a woman get so angry! "Focus, Valerie. Almost there," he said. "Focus?" She spat the word like venom. "When I am done with this, I will kill you." Oh, she is feisty! Antonio thought. "We can revisit that after you are done, mio amore," he said gently. "Look!" A nurse pointed, and Antonio shifted his gaze. Time stopped. There it was—the baby's head, crowning, a sliver of new life fighting its way into the world. "Keep pushing!" The command came from the doctor. "Pushing! That's all I've been doing!" Valerie retorted angrily. Antonio watched, every muscle tensed, as the top of the baby's head emerged further with each of Valerie's Herculean efforts. "Push, mi amore, you can do it!" he encouraged, suddenly feeling joy erupting from within him. He had taken many lives before but never helped bring one into the world. The feeling of this was... exhilarating. "Shut up, Antonio! Just... shut up!" Valerie's fingers gripped the front of his gown, knuckles white, her body convulsing with the effort of each push. Antonio took her hand in his and squeezed it. He wanted to hold her and maybe kiss her a little, but he knew kissing her now would be a bad idea. She might bite his tongue off. "Almost there," a nurse said, her eyes fixed on Valerie's progress. "Can't... can't do this..." Valerie's voice wavered. "You are doing it, cara mia. You're incredible." The words fell from Antonio's lips with sincerity that surprised even him. "Feels like... punishment...for letting that asshole Julian fuck me," she managed between gritted teeth. Finally, something they could both agree with. He couldn't imagine what a magnificent woman like Valerie was doing with a man like Julian. "Ah, si, I agree," Antonio said and nodded, earning a death glare from his little redheaded firecracker. "Here comes another one, deep breaths," coaxed the doctor, his hands poised and ready. "Deep breaths," Antonio echoed, feeling useless next to the professionals yet compelled to stay by Valerie's side. His heart hammered against his chest. He was Antonio Costello, and he never got nervous, but this... this was the most nerve-wracking moment of his entire life. Valerie gave out a final outcry, and soon, he heard the sound of a baby crying. "Congratulations," the doctor announced, his voice a beacon of triumph amidst the chaos. "It's a beautiful baby boy." Valerie's head lolled to one side, her face ghostly pale against the stark white of the hospital pillow. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she slipped into unconsciousness, a silent surrender to the exhaustion that claimed her. Antonio watched as the nurse cleaned the baby and bundled her in a blanket. Then, she walked toward him. "Here you go," she said, her words clipped as she thrust the bundle into his arms. His hands, which had thrown punches and shot bullets, now cradled something far more delicate—a tiny, fragile baby. His skin was red and wrinkled, his head full of black hair. "Careful," the nurse instructed, her gaze scrutinizing his awkward hold. "Support his head." He adjusted his arms. He was light, nearly weightless. "Err... ciao," he murmured to the baby, his voice unsteady. His tiny fingers, impossibly small, grasped at the air. "Keep him warm," another voice commanded. Someone was moving in his peripheral vision, but he barely registered their presence. All that mattered was the infant in his arms, the steady rhythm of his breathing syncing with his own. "Is the boy... is he okay?" he stuttered. "Perfectly healthy," the doctor replied, a smile in her voice as she turned her attention to Valerie. Antonio looked down at the baby, his eyelids fluttering like butterfly wings, innocence personified. In that instant, he understood the depth of Valerie's pain and how strong she was. "Sign here, please," the doctor said, sliding a clipboard with a birth certificate toward him. Her hand hovered over a line marked 'Father's Signature'. He blinked, the sharp scent of antiseptic stinging his nostrils. His gaze flickered from the document to Valerie's unconscious form, then down to the baby cradled in his arms. "Uh," was all he managed, his brain scrambling. The pen was put into his hand, a gentle nudge against his palm. Without a thought, his name flowed across the paper—Antonio Costello—in ink as black as the uncertainty that filled him. "Congratulations," the doctor said, but her voice seemed distant, like an echo in a vast, empty hall. He stared at the signature, his signature, on the line meant for someone else. It was done. A simple act of confusion, and suddenly he was... what? A father? Questo è folle! "Ha!" The sound burst from him, a mix of disbelief and irony. He looked at the baby—his baby? No, not his. But he signed the damn birth certificate like he belonged to him. Oops!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
River's voice thundered through the room. "Absolutely not!""River," Ellie started, placing a hand on his arm, but he glared at her before turning back to Valerie."Under no circumstances do you need to be seeing Antonio again," he insisted.Valerie took a deep breath, trying to remain calm in the face of her brother's anger. "River, I understand your concern, but we need to sort out what Antonio wants from me. We never got to put that whole Julian thing to rest because I went into labor!" she exclaimed."You have bigger things to worry about now, Valerie. I will set things straight with Antonio Costello. All you need to worry about now is being a mother to your son," River argued."And what if he won't stop, River? What if ignoring him just makes things worse?" Valerie asked, frustration seeping into her voice. "We can't pretend he doesn't exist. He has already intruded into our lives, and we need to know what he really wants.""Valerie, you're not dealing with an ordinary man," Rive