All Chapters of A Bitter Marriage Contract: Chapter 231 - Chapter 240

However, Anthony was too smart not to notice that something was wrong. His mother’s delay and the absence of Mary, who hadn’t returned with them from school. He grabbed his cell phone and called his mother, then Mary; since he couldn’t reach either of them, he called his father.When John saw the call on the screen, he felt a tightness in his chest. His heart raced, as if he sensed he wouldn’t be able to hide it for much longer. He answered, trying to sound natural:“Hi, son.”“Dad… what’s going on?” Anthony’s voice sounded firm, but laced with suspicion. “Why haven’t you, Mom, and Mary gotten home yet?”John took a deep breath, his hand trembling. On the other end, or , he heard Emily’s muffled voice crying.“Emily’s crying, she wants Mom,” Anthony said, almost in a whisper.Those words broke down any wall of composure John had been trying to maintain. His eyes welled up, but he forced himself to reply:“Anthony… my son, listen carefully. I don’t know when I, Mom, or Mary will be bac

In an unknown placeThe room was cold, lit only by a hanging lamp casting shadows on the concrete walls. Elizabeth remained seated in the chair, her wrists marked by the ropes that bound her. She tried to stay calm, but the pain and exhaustion were already beginning to take their toll.One of the men entered, his face covered by a black mask. His heavy footsteps echoed across the concrete floor. Without saying a word, he leaned down and began to untie her.Elizabeth watched him intently, her heart racing. The mere fact of feeling the ropes loosening made her breathe a little deeper, but she didn’t dare move. She knew that any rash reaction could be used against her.Before she could ask anything, the familiar voice rang out, echoing through the room.“My dear Elizabeth…” said David, emerging from the shadows with that tone of false delicacy that repulsed her. He was wearing an impeccable dark suit, contrasting with the grime of the place. As he approached, she could see him limping. “

Walker Group Private Intelligence CenterThe hours passed slowly, and the operations room remained immersed in an almost suffocating silence, broken only by the cold glow of the monitors, the incessant clicking of keyboards, and the low hum of phone lines searching for any digital trace of the captivity. Every computer was working in real time, processing GPS data, triangulating cell phone signals, and tracking IP addresses.Everyone there spent the night awake, eyes red and hands tired, debating every minute detail, analyzing encrypted logs, call intercepts, and encrypted messages, while digital maps were updated every second with imprecise coordinates.That morning, the absolute silence was broken by an alert: an encrypted video call—the kind that’s nearly impossible to trace—was coming into the operation’s network.“Sir, it’s a connection via an anonymous end-to-end network with quantum encryption enabled. Any attempt to trace the source will be nearly impossible,” reported one of

David, laughing softly, almost contemptuously — Because of you, I lost everything. My family, my career, my life… I was nearly crippled and spent ten years in jail, Walker. And now it’s your turn to feel what I felt.Elizabeth pressed her daughter to her chest, her eyes fixed on the man, but also trying to catch every reaction from John. Mary looked at her father with wide eyes, not quite understanding, but sensing the tension that filled the air.“Let them go. I’m here; this is between you and me.”“Don’t be so cocky. Do you think I lured you all the way out here just to trade you for your beautiful, lovely wife and your sweet little princess, Walker? No…” David’s sinister laugh would chill anyone to the bone. “I want to have some fun first and watch you suffer.”John took a deep breath, feeling the weight of guilt mixed with despair.“That… that’s not going to happen, Graham. I’m going to get Elizabeth and Mary out of here, no matter what it takes.” His voice came out firm, full o

In an unknown place Half an hour earlier…The iron door creaked as it opened. First, one of the hooded henchmen entered, followed by David and Lily. Elizabeth held Mary tightly, feeling her heart tighten.“Did Daddy find us?” Mary asked, with the innocence typical of children.David flashed a cold, menacing smile, which Elizabeth noticed immediately.“Your father… is already on his way.”“What are you going to do to us?” Elizabeth’s voice trembled, filled with fear.“Me?” David replied, letting out a sadistic chuckle. “Nothing John wouldn’t want.”Elizabeth swallowed hard, not understanding, but sensing the worst. She looked at Lily, seeking some comfort, but the young woman looked away, unable to face the truth.“Let’s go. We need to be ready to welcome our distinguished guest,” David ordered, and the henchman shoved Elizabeth forward, pointing the gun at her back.Elizabeth hugged Mary even tighter, trying to shield her daughter from the sight of the gun.“Aunt Lily, I don’t like t