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 sleeping peacefully in her arms. "He is an adorable fella," he said in a strangely sincere tone. He reached out his arms as if to hold Landon. "May I..."
"Stay away from my son!" Valerie exclaimed, instinctively hugging Landon closer to her chest.
Antonio chuckled at her defensive reaction and slowly backed away. "Don't worry," he quipped. "I'm not here to steal your baby boy. But my offer still stands."
"And I am still not interested," Valerie snapped.
"Then I suppose I should take my leave now. Goodbye, my Bella."
With one last smirk, Antonio made his way to the room's door. But right before he stepped out, he turned around and said with a playful wink, "I will call you tomorrow when you are more...stable."
Valerie made an odd squeaking sound as if the air was sucked out of her lungs.
With a final wave of his hand, he walked out of the room, leaving behind a stunned silence. River was the first to regain his senses and rushed towards the door, intending to chase after Antonio.
"I'm going after him," River declared with a stern set on his face.
"No." Ellie stopped him again.
"But Elle..." River began.
"No buts, River!" Ellie shot back. "We need to focus on Valerie and Landon right now. You can deal with Antonio another time."
River gave Valerie an apologetic look before resigning himself next to Ellie.
"Yeah, you are right. This is not the time or place," he said.
Suddenly, the room felt full again, full of warmth and joy despite what had just unfolded, thanks to Antonio's outrageous antics.
Valerie sighed, a mixture of relief and exhaustion washing over her. "I can't believe Antonio signed the birth certificate. And then proposed! That man needs some serious psychiatric help."
Or maybe he just needed a wife, Ellie thought.
"We'll get it sorted out," Ellie assured her. "River will take care of it, won't you, honey?"
River nodded, though his eyes still flickered with residual anger. "Absolutely. First thing tomorrow, I'll speak with the hospital administration and make sure everything is corrected," he declared.
"He is such a strange man," Ellie said absentmindedly.
That man almost sounded genuine when he said he wanted to be Landon's father. But that couldn't be right. Why would a man like Antonio want to raise a stranger's son? Ellie thought to herself.
Valerie sighed again, leaning back against her pillows. "I just want everything to be normal. I want Landon to have a stable life, free from all this craziness."
"We'll make sure of it," Ellie said firmly, squeezing her hand. "We're here for you every step of the way."
The room fell into a comfortable silence, each of them lost in their thoughts. Landon stirred in Valerie's arms, letting out a tiny sigh before settling back into his peaceful sleep. The sight of the newborn brought a sense of calm and hope to the room, a reminder of the love and support surrounding them.
River cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "I will go and discharge you so we can go home."
Valerie looked up, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you, River. I just want to take Landon home and start our life together."
River smiled softly, brushing a hand through his hair. "We'll get you both home soon. Just sit tight."
As River stepped out to handle the discharge paperwork, Ellie sat down on the chair by the bed. "I'd have to admit, Valerie. When I arrived here, I didn't expect to see an Italian don cradling your son in his arms and declaring him as his adoptive son." Ellie giggled. "You have to admit, the situation is kind of funny and...adorable."
Valerie snorted. "Adorable? God...it's the most ridiculous thing I've experienced. What is wrong with that man anyway?"
"It's kind of sweet, though. Don't you think?" Ellie asked. "Him offering to be Landon's father I mean. Some men disappear because they don't want to be responsible for a child but he is trying to do the opposite. But I will say that the marriage proposal was insane." Ellie chuckled.
"Yes," Valerie said, suddenly going quiet.
"River did mention that the man is kind of...eccentric," Ellie continued, shaking her head with a chuckle.
"I guess so," Valerie said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore."
"At least we can look back and laugh about it someday," Ellie said, trying to lighten the mood. "One day, this will just be a crazy story we tell Landon."
"That a scar-faced Italian Don proposed to me right here at this hospital bed? He would never believe me." She laughed.
Ellie wrinkled her forehead. "How do you think he got that scar on his face? It looks pretty serious. Nearly covers half of his face."
Valerie shrugged. "He is in the Mafia, Ellie. He could've gotten it from an enemy. Maybe he was stabbed there. River has quite a bit of scars on his body, too, right?"
"Yes, but not like that," Ellie said.
"Julian also donned some scars. But I guess not like Antonio either," Valerie said thoughtfully.
Ellie frowned at the mention of Julian's name. Ever since Valerie moved in with them, she often wondered about him. Valerie told them about him but never in detail. She hardly ever mentioned his name unless someone asked. And if Antonio's men killed Julian, how come Valerie wasn't more hostile toward Antonio? Didn't Valerie love Julian? The father of her child? Ellie wondered.
She was curious but now was hardly the time to ask Valerie about that. Her thoughts were interrupted when River returned with a triumphant look on his face. "Alright, everything is set. You're officially discharged."
"Thank you, River," Valerie said, her relief palpable.
"Let's get you home," Ellie said.
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
Valerie's head was spinning when she returned home. Antonio's words played like a broken record in her mind.A family. With Antonio?She laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. Who did he think he was, her knight in shining armor?River was waiting for her in the living room, shooting out of his chair as soon as he saw her. Meanwhile, Ellie sat on the couch with her eyes wide open, waiting for the drama to unfold."What did that asshole say to you?" River demanded with a growl.Valerie looked at Ellie. "Sometimes I think men are great idiots," she declared, earning a snort from Ellie.River's face twisted with confusion and concern. "What do you mean by that, Valerie?"Valerie shook her head, trying to make sense of the chaos in her mind. "Antonio... he said he wants us to move in with him. Me and Landon. He wants to be a family."River's expression darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. "What?""Yup, and what's worse is, I think he is actually serious!" Valerie exclaimed. "
Glass shattered. Boots thudded.Instinct kicked in for River. He grabbed his gun and dove behind the cabinet while Ellie scrambled to her feet, grabbing Lucas's hand. She didn't hesitate for a second, and neither did Valerie and Tiffany. Valerie had Landon in her arms. All of them ran upstairs immediately.Gunfire cracked through the house, bullets splintering wood and punching holes in the walls. River peered around the cabinet and spotted masked men swarming inside, assault rifles blazing.This wasn't just a break-in. It was an attack.River squeezed off a shot, dropping one of the bastards. The others scattered, ducking behind furniture and returning fire.He heard his men rushing in, shouting. Bullets zinged by, chewing into the cabinet inches from his face. He leaned out and took aim, squeezing the trigger in a steady rhythm. The intruders fell one by one, their blood pooling on the hardwood.The gunfire slowed, then ceased. Silence descended, broken only by River's ragged breath
Antonio wiped a hand over his face, blood smearing across his cheek. "Ah. I guess I was shot. It's probably just a flesh wound. Nothing I can't handle." He grinned at Valerie. Valerie shook her head. Was this man for real? "I need to see to that," she said, her tone firm. "Why? Are you worried about me amore mio?" he smiled sheepishly. Valerie sighed, exasperated by Antonio's flirtatious antics. "Not the nickname, please." She looked at Ellie. "Would you mind watching Landon while I take care of Antonio?" Ellie nodded. "Of course." Valerie grabbed his arm. "Come with me," she said. "Ahem..." River cleared his throat. "I don't think you should be alone with him, Val." Valerie glared at River. "He just helped us, didn't he?" River hesitated. "Yes, but..." "Let Valerie help Antonio," Ellie scolded River and motioned Valerie to carry on. Valerie looked at Antonio. "Come with me." Antonio nodded and obediently followed Valerie out of the room. Valerie led Antonio to the bathro
River's voice barked out, sharp and urgent, as Valerie packed up her belongings into suitcases to move in with Antonio. Her hands trembled with nervous energy, and her heart raced in her chest. "Don't do this, Valerie. This is insane," he pleaded.It was two days after the event, and she had told Antonio to prepare for them to live with him. Antonio looked very excited and his excitement had seemed a little too much for her liking. River constantly badgered her about changing her mind but Valerie was firm with her decision.Valerie turned to face River, trying to stay calm and composed. "River, please. Just let me go. It's going to be okay," she said, though doubt gnawed at her insides.Desperate for support, River turned to Ellie, who stood beside Valerie with a worried expression on her face. "Ellie, tell Valerie she's making a mistake," he implored.Ellie let out a heavy sigh, her gaze shifting between the two of them. "Valerie, are you absolutely certain this is what you want?" sh