Chapter 4 Gabriela's Husband

"So you really dared to climb into my car."

Coldness seeped from Jayden's voice like winter water, yet Ryann kept her smile intact, clearly unbothered and almost expectant.

"You're about to marry my sister. At this rate, we are practically family anyway." Turning her head slightly, she looked at him with playful eyes. "Adopted or not, I still fall under the Sullivan name, which makes me part of your future circle. Sharing a ride with family hardly seems strange, does it?"

Her tone dropped into something gentle and deliberately provocative, carrying a quiet charm. "It's only a ride. I'm sitting in your car, not on your lap. Calm down."

"Do I look like I'm not calm enough?" Jayden answered, and his stare cut toward her with sharp intensity.

Reaching out, he caught her chin between his fingers, and his low voice carried unmistakable aggression.

Even with her clothes stained in blood, Ryann's striking features and commanding presence remained impossible to ignore.

From the corner of her vision, she caught sight of Maren right outside the car, staring at them and burning with barely contained fury.

Closing the distance on purpose, Ryann leaned nearer to Jayden and let her eyes sharpen with playful provocation. "Mr. Yates, your fiancee is watching right now, so you might want to keep your hands where they belong."

Unmoved by her approach, Jayden let a faint curve touch his lips. "If this is your attempt to get even because I stopped you from killing them, then you should rethink your strategy. Such cheap tricks do nothing for me."

A gentle laugh escaped Ryann. "Really? Is that how you see it?"

Getting back at Jayden was never her true intention. What she wanted was to make use of the circumstances laid out before her.

If this marriage was going to fall apart, then Jayden was the first piece that had to be shaken.

Here in Elessall, she stood alone and without support, while the Yates family held power, influence, and protection.

Removing that shield was the only way she could confront her enemies properly.

Her eyes dropped to the delicate box resting near her feet, and she bent down to pick it up. "You have good taste. This dress fits me perfectly. Thanks."

Without hesitation, she began changing out of her bloodstained clothes right there inside the car.

Startled, the driver immediately turned his head away and kept his eyes firmly on the road.

Beside her, Jayden pressed his lips together while studying her closely, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

One piece of fabric after another fell away, and her elegant white lace underwear came into view, accentuating a figure impossible to ignore.

Startled by the sight, he turned his head aside, and his pulse sped up while his breathing grew uneven. A faint shift passed through his throat, and his composure clearly wavered.

At that moment, her gentle voice reached him once more. "Why pretend to be a prude when you have already seen everything?"

Despite himself, his eyes followed the sound of her voice, and when he finally looked back, Jayden froze.

A strapless satin gown traced her curves flawlessly, and when she slowly lifted her face under the dim light, the beauty before him felt unreal.

...

After fifteen minutes passed, the car arrived at the Yates Mansion.

Trailing behind Jayden, Monica and Maren followed closely, and smug satisfaction showed plainly on their faces.

Within the lavish living room, members of the Yates family had already been waiting for a while.

The moment they stepped inside, warmth and enthusiasm greeted them from all sides.

Just as Maren prepared to move forward and greet everyone, she froze when she saw them walk straight past her and gather around Ryann instead.

"Goodness, could this be the woman joining our family soon? She is even more stunning than any actress on silver screen!"

"That deep burgundy dress looks made for you, and your figure is remarkable!"

Jealousy burned through Maren at those words, and she said sharply, "I am the one who's about to marry Jayden and join the Yates family. She is nothing more than an adopted daughter from the Sullivan family!"

Awkwardness spread through the group, and they quickly shifted their attention to greet Maren instead.

With a gentle push to move things along, Jayden's stepmother, Rhonda Yates, spoke up. "We should proceed with the registration. Gael is waiting to hear the good news."

Gripping Jayden's arm tightly, Maren felt her excitement swell at the thought of marrying into immense wealth.

Lifting her chin with blatant provocation, she fixed Ryann with a smug look and whispered so only the two of them could hear, "With a background as low as yours, do you honestly think you can charm Jayden and marry into money? You should stop dreaming."

A cold calm stayed on Jayden's face, though a faint and unreadable curve lingered at the corner of his lips.

A sharp glint flashed through Ryann's eyes as she quietly mapped out how to ruin this arrangement.

But just as she was about to act, a startled cry from the staff shattered her focus.

"Please wait, the records show that Mr. Yates is already married! And the registered wife is not Miss Maren Sullivan, but Gabriela Sullivan!"

What?

The announcement struck like a bolt of thunder and instantly threw the Yates Mansion into chaos.

Shock rippled through Ryann, her pupils shrinking while her fingers trembled slightly. Was Gabriela already married? And the husband listed was Jayden?

How could something like this even happen?