All Chapters of A Bitter Marriage Contract: Chapter 191 - Chapter 200

The sound of the stretcher’s wheels echoed through the hospital corridors, mingling with the hurried footsteps of doctors and nurses and the constant beeping of the monitors. John walked alongside, clutching Elizabeth’s hand, his face etched with anguish, while she, semi-conscious, moaned softly.“...darling, stay with me... please... don’t leave me,” he whispered, almost voiceless.As soon as they reached the door to the emergency room, one of the doctors stopped him from going any further.“Sir, you have to wait here. Let us take care of her.”“Please… let me know how she’s doing… don’t take too long…” he pleaded, holding her hand until the very last second, until the door closed, separating him from what mattered most in his life.Adam was with him; he stood in front of him, his gaze trying to reassure him.“I’m going in. I’ll let you know as soon as I can.”Adam ran into the emergency room.John stood still for a few seconds, staring at the closed door, as if trying to see through

At six months pregnant, the couple experienced another memorable moment: they were invited to be the best man and maid of honor at Adam and Sara’s wedding.After the ceremony in a chapel, the reception took place outdoors at the Santis mansion; it was a spectacle of flowers, music, and emotion. Elizabeth was radiant, dressed in an elegant gown that highlighted the beauty of her pregnancy. John didn’t leave her side for a moment, wearing a constant smile, as if he were bursting with happiness.During the party, Adam, already wearing his wedding ring, approached them with a broad smile.“You were perfect as godparents. But I have to admit… the real star of the show was the mom-to-be,” he said, winking at Elizabeth.“And the doting dad here with that silly look on his face,” added Sara, laughing, while John, feeling awkward, pretended not to notice the teasing.Meanwhile, the restaurant, under Elizabeth’s dedicated management, achieved unparalleled prestige. Reservations were highly soug

The christening was set for a Sunday morning, in the small chapel John had built in the house’s gardens. For the couple, that place was special: it was where, every night, they gave thanks for their son’s life and asked for protection for their family.Elizabeth looked radiant in her light blue lace dress, the baby in her arms, wrapped in a delicate hand-embroidered white romper. John, elegant in a light gray suit, couldn’t hide his pride as he looked at the two of them.The ceremony was conducted by a priest who was a friend of the family; he spoke calmly, conveying a sense of serenity. The little one didn’t cry at all; on the contrary, he watched curiously, as if he understood what was happening.At the altar, Adam and Sara, chosen as godparents, could not hide their emotion.“This is a blessed boy,” said the priest after the ceremony. “May he grow up surrounded by love and faith.”The garden party, held right after the baptism, brought together family and close friends. Tables dec

As dusk fell, the guests began to say their goodbyes. The children, exhausted, practically fell asleep on the sofa, lulled by the weariness of their play. Elizabeth stroked the little ones’ hair, observing every detail with that look only a mother knows. John, standing beside her, watched her, overcome by a love so intense that he sometimes wondered, in silence, if he truly deserved such happiness.The nannies came to pick them up, and Elizabeth instructed them gently:“Let them sleep like this, without changing their clothes… they’re exhausted.”Loving parents, they knew how to balance love and discipline. As much as they could offer the world to their children, they understood that the greatest gifts would always be their presence, their love, and the values they cultivated.When the house finally quieted down, with everything already in order, John approached his wife from behind, wrapping her in a tight, tender embrace, as if no time had passed since the beginning of their story.

At night, with the children already asleep, Elizabeth played the piano with the same delicacy with which she lived her life: with love, lightness, and elegance.John, standing, was mixing a drink while watching her, enchanted. He loved seeing her like this, lost in the music. And even immersed in that moment of peace, his mind inevitably carried him back to the past.Sometimes, he wondered if he truly deserved such happiness. After all, she had endured three long years of a marriage in which she was humiliated, ignored, and treated coldly. He had been a cruel husband, and not even he knew how he could have acted that way. It was as if that version of him belonged to someone else, a man he simply no longer recognized.Elizabeth would have every reason in the world to hate him... but she never did. She never judged him, never brought up, in conversations or arguments, the ghosts of those dark years.In an attempt to erase any trace of that past, John had the old servants’ quarters demol