It was only two months of wedding preparations, but for Elizabeth, that time was filled with high expectations. 

She was thrilled with the wedding details. Together with Martha, she took charge of hiring the wedding planner and closely monitored all of John’s requests. 

Elizabeth agreed with everything; she, too, didn’t want a grand ceremony. She liked the idea of something simple and low-key, something intimate, far from the spotlight of high society.

During the preparations, however, she and John didn’t see each other. 

Martha said her son was buried in work, but would devote himself to her afterward. 

Elizabeth accepted the explanation, though she was disappointed. Deep down, she had hoped they could at least get to know each other better before the ceremony.

Martha treated her with courtesy, but Lizzie sensed a certain veiled resistance on the part of her future mother-in-law, as if there were something behind every smile.

John’s father, Roger, was a quiet man, completely submissive to his wife, and Lizzie rarely saw him.

During this time, she met Oliver Walker, John’s grandfather. An eighty-nine-year-old gentleman with a still sharp and perceptive mind, though age had compromised his mobility. He preferred to get around in a motorized wheelchair or with the help of his faithful butler, Jeremy.

Oliver welcomed her with kindness and warmth. They talked for quite a while, and a genuine connection soon developed. 

Elizabeth had always been good with older people, and it wasn’t hard to win over the old patriarch with her kindness, simplicity, and politeness.

The wedding day arrived quickly. 

The ceremony would be held in a small chapel, chosen reluctantly by John, who had agreed to the marriage but imposed several conditions. 

He wanted something discreet, without media coverage, without photographers, just a brief announcement of the event without revealing the bride’s name. 

If it were up to him, it would have been nothing more than a signature at the registry office. However, his grandfather insisted on a religious ceremony.

“A marriage needs God’s blessing. Without that, it’s not a marriage,” old Oliver would say with conviction.

Elizabeth’s family, for religious reasons, also would not accept a civil union alone. 

At Martha’s insistence, a small reception was organized at the Walker mansion after the ceremony.

Martha had even suggested an engagement dinner, but John vehemently refused. He said he only wanted to see the bride at the altar on the wedding day. 

Although she found it strange, she didn’t insist. The most important thing for Martha was that her son become the next president of the Walker empire, and nothing could stand in the way of that.

John, for his part, found it strange that Elizabeth had accepted all his demands without question. In his suspicious mind, this was just another ploy to deceive him. 

The thought filled him with bitterness, and his increasingly gloomy mood drove away any trace of kindness.

*****

The wedding day arrived.

At the altar, when he saw Elizabeth entering the chapel arm in arm with her father, John kept his expression cold and impassive. But he couldn’t help but be struck by the sight of her. 

She looked stunning in a classic white dress, with a romantic and elegant cut that delicately accentuated her curves. Her makeup was subtle, and her hair, pulled back in soft waves and adorned with a veil, gave her an ethereal air.

For a brief moment, John’s heart raced. However, he soon remembered the reason for that wedding, and the coldness returned to his chest.

When Elizabeth’s father approached to greet him, extending his hand, John deliberately ignored it. 

He offered his arm to his bride coldly. Lizzie, surprised, let her smile falter. For the first time, doubt crossed her mind: 

Did he not want her as his bride?

She tried to push the thought away, focusing on the priest’s words.

During the vows, John repeated each phrase in a controlled, emotionless voice. Elizabeth, even sensing the coldness, kept the sparkle in her eyes.

For a moment, something inside him hesitated. But a lingering glance was enough for his suspicion to return with full force:

“She’s here for the money.”

And then, he closed himself off completely.

As soon as they left the church, John led Elizabeth to the luxurious black car waiting for them. 

The driver opened the door for her to get in, and John closed it behind her.

Elizabeth assumed he would walk around and get in on the other side. To her surprise, he walked over to another car, got behind the wheel, and drove off alone. 

Visibly shaken, she watched the vehicle drive away.