Vanessa quickly stood straight, she then pushed Ethan and Emma behind her, as if trying to hide them from Riccardo's gaze.

The anger she had been trying to subside seemed to be rising, and she balled her hands into a tight fist. She stared up at him with a death glare.

"What are you doing with my kids?" She asked, her voice rising higher than she intended.

"Mommy! We got lost, and he helped us find you." Ethan explained, tugging at Vanessa's dress. She spared him a glance before turning back to meet Riccardo's gaze. There was a look in his eyes that she couldn't quite decipher.

"So, you're their...