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," Antonio said aloud, determination coursing through him. "I won't give up just yet."
He believed that once Valerie was back at his brother's house and feeling healthier, she might have a change of heart about his proposal.
"Maybe she was just scared," he reasoned, trying to understand what had gone wrong. "She needs time to adjust."
He thought back to the hospital when he first held the baby in his arms. The warmth of his tiny body, his small fingers curling around his—it was a feeling he couldn't describe. A sense of fatherhood washed over him, solidifying his love for this child. He hadn't even known he was capable of such feelings.
Strange concept...love was. He had never thought he'd love something, let alone someone. He hadn't even known what love was until...
Until he held that tiny human in his arms. As soon as the baby opened his eyes to look at him and gave him that tiny smile, he knew...he knew what love meant.
"See?" Antonio murmured to himself, picturing the moment vividly in his mind. "I can be a good dad. Valerie just needs to see that."
"Who're you talking to?" a voice cut through his thoughts, making him jump.
"Jesus, Sam!" Antonio exclaimed, turning toward his right-hand man, who had snuck into the room without him noticing. "Don't sneak up on me. I could've shot you in the face!"
"Sorry, Capo," Sam grinned sheepishly. "But seriously, what's going on? You've been acting weird ever since you came back from the hospital."
"Nothing," Antonio said grimly. "What news do you have for me?"
Sam gave him a rundown of how his businesses were going, but Antonio barely listened. His mind was occupied with thoughts of the child and the mother. He had proposed to Valerie Blackwood on a whim so he wouldn't have to let the child go, but now that he thought about it, he wouldn't mind having her as his wife either.
She had a fiery attitude that matched the color of her hair and those intense green eyes that seemed to pierce into his soul. And her lips...those full pink lips...
He wanted to bite them.
"Enough," he muttered to himself, trying to stop daydreaming.
To distract himself, he decided to go check on his grandmother. She had raised him and was the only living relative he had left. No one could understand him better than her.
"Nonna?" he called out, turning the corner to find her sitting in a cozy armchair. Her fingers worked nimbly, knitting a small scarf of some sort.
"Ah, Toni, my darling," she smiled gently, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses. "You look troubled, nipotino. What's on your mind?"
"Nonna, I need your advice," Antonio said, his voice cracking slightly. "Valerie...she rejected my proposal."
Her eyes crinkled in confusion. "Valerie? Who is that?"
Right...he should've started from the beginning.
Antonio took a deep breath and sat down on the floor beside his Nonna's chair. She continued knitting, her needles clicking rhythmically, a comforting sound that had always soothed him as a child.
"Nonna, there's this woman... Valerie. She just had a baby, and there was a mix-up with the paperwork at the hospital. My name ended up on the birth certificate as the father."
His grandmother's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't interrupt. He continued, "I thought it would be a good idea to propose to her, to make things right, you know? But she turned me down."
Nonna paused her knitting, her sharp eyes studying him. "Toni, amore mio, you can't force someone to marry you, especially not in such a situation. And you say the baby isn't yours?"
"The baby isn't mine," he replied.
"Then why do you want to adopt it, amore mio?" she asked, confusion evident on her face.
He shifted uncomfortably. "I... I don't know, Nonna. When I held the baby in my arms, I felt something I'd never felt before. A sense of responsibility, maybe even love. But..."
She put her knitting aside and reached out to cup his face with her wrinkled hands. "Toni, you have a good heart. But love isn't something you can rush or force."
"Hmph..."
"Sometimes, Antonio, life doesn't go as planned," Nonna continued softly, resuming her knitting. "But if your intentions are pure, then perhaps this Valerie will come around."
Antonio's mind wandered back to the moment in the hospital, holding the baby girl and feeling her tiny fingers curl around his. He smiled. "Yes, you are right."
"Of course I am right," she nodded, her eyes never leaving her work. "Just remember, love takes time and patience. Don't force it."
"Grazie, Nonna," he whispered, his heart swelling with gratitude. He knew what he had to do now.
She finally looked up from her knitting, a small smile teasing her lips. "Now, Toni. Care to tell me how you came to sign the birth certificate by accident?"
"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
Suppressing a laugh, Antonio watched as Valerie jumped in surprise. Apparently, she hadn't heard him approaching from behind."Hello, beautiful. I'm here to check if you need anything," he said with a smile.Valerie nervously bit her lip. "That won't be necessary," she responded shortly."Nonsense." Antonio waved off her protest. "What can I help you with? Unpacking? Babysitting? I'm a jack of all trades," he said as he eyed Landon in his crib.Valerie scoffed. "For some reason, I don't see you as a babysitter.""I will prove you wrong," Antonio challenged, raising an eyebrow.Valerie looked at him for a moment, then, without another word, turned and walked away. But Antonio knew that was just part of the game, the push and pull they found themselves in. He wasn't going to let her go that easily.He followed, keeping a few steps behind her.She went to the room next to hers and looked around. For a moment, her facial expression softened. "You have a library," she stated."Yes," Antoni