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, her hand still tightly holding his. They rushed through the sliding doors and straight to the front desk. "Valerie Foster," River said urgently to the nurse behind the counter. "She was brought in a few minutes ago. She's in labor." The nurse nodded, quickly scanning her computer. "Room 304," she replied, pointing them in the right direction. "Follow the signs for maternity." They hurried down the hallway, River's heart pounding in his chest. Ellie kept pace beside him, her presence a small comfort amidst the chaos. When they finally reached the room, they were greeted by an unexpected scene. There he was, the notorious Antonio Costello. In his hands, he held a small bundle wrapped in a blanket, which River could only assume was Valerie's baby. "Antonio!" River roared. Antonio's head shot up, and his black eyes locked with River's. "Hush, Foster. You will wake up the baby." River blinked in confusion, the adrenaline of the drive and the chaos of the situation crashing to a halt. His eyes darted around the room, searching for Valerie. But she wasn't there. Ellie gripped River's arm tightly, her eyes wide with shock. "River," she whispered, pulling him back to the present moment. "What the hell are you doing with my nephew?" River demanded, his voice a harsh whisper as he stepped closer. Antonio's expression was unexpectedly gentle as he looked down at the infant in his arms. "Holding him." "Why?" River asked. "Because babies need to be held. It's science. Something about needing skin-to-skin contact, etcetera, etcetera. I read it on Goo*le," Antonio said dryly. The absurdity of the situation momentarily stunned River into silence. Antonio Costello, his enemy, was standing in a hospital room cradling a newborn and citing G****e as his source for childcare advice. River took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging storm inside him. "Where is Valerie?" he asked, his voice still tense. Antonio nodded towards a door at the side of the room. "She's in there. The nurses are taking care of her because she passed out. But don't worry, she is stable. She was just dehydrated. Didn't you give your sister water at your house, Foster?" River glanced at Ellie, who was still holding onto his arm. Her expression was nothing short of amusement. Reluctantly, she moved toward Antonio. "Can I hold him?" she asked, extending her arms. Antonio hesitated for a moment before carefully placing the baby into her arms. As soon as Ellie held the baby, her face softened with awe and tenderness. The baby gurgled softly, his tiny fists waving in the air. "He is so adorable," Ellie whispered, her eyes misting over as she gazed down at the newborn. River stepped closer, his heart finally starting to calm as he looked at the baby. He had pitch-black hair and big brown eyes with a hint of green in them. "He is quite beautiful. Hopefully, he won't have her father's ugly mug when he grows up. I'd rather not have my son grow up looking like that Russian sleazebag," Antonio declared. River slowly turned to him. "Excuse me. Did you say your son?" Antonio shook his head vigorously, a grin spreading across his face. "Si. I ...may have accidentally signed the birth certificate." "What the actual fuck!?" River exclaimed. "Hush, I prefer you didn't curse in front of my son," Antonio said. Would it be so terrible to shoot this bastard right here? River wondered.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
"I need you to be honest with me, Antonio," Valerie said.Antonio sat across from Valerie, his eyes filled with warmth and sincerity. "I will always be honest with you, Amore," he said, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his lips.Valerie's expression twisted into a scowl, her distaste for endearments evident. "Stop it with the nicknames," she barked.It was clear that she wouldn't tolerate any form of affectionate language from him, but Antonio found it all the more entertaining to push her buttons. He lifted his arms in mock surrender and offered her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," he said, meeting her intense gaze. "But I can't seem to help myself."Her body grew taut with tension as she glared at him, demanding answers. "What is your game, Antonio? Why are you forcing yourself into my life?"Antonio leaned in closer, his expression grave as he rested his elbows on his knees. "Would you believe me if I told you that all of this was for the chance to win your affection?" The