The Secret First Lady: From Scorned Wife To National Obsession

"Ma'am, all hostile units positioned along the eastern front have been fully eliminated."

Across the battlefield, the smoke from spent gunpowder still lingered, while the fading rumble of the final blast drifted upward and signaled the close of another brutal conflict.

Standing on top of the armored vehicle, Ryann Sullivan surveyed the aftermath, and her black combat uniform was covered in layers of dust mixed with dried blood from the fighting.

Raising her arm, she brushed the blood from her cheek, and her eyes moved slowly across the ground that had only just returned to an uneasy silence.

"Begin clearing the area and record every casualty," she said, and her voice sounded strained yet unyielding. "We will pull out in one hour."

After she climbed down from the vehicle, her second-in-command stepped forward and placed a freshly decrypted file into her hands.

She accepted the file without concern at first, but her movement stopped the moment she read what was inside.

"Has this information been verified?" she asked, and her tone wavered in a way she could not fully conceal.

"The genetic comparison shows a ninety-nine point ninety-seven percent match. Your twin sister has been located in Elessall."

Ryann crushed the document in her fist, and the paper bent under the pressure of her grip.

Long before this moment, fifteen years had passed since Gabriela Sullivan vanished during a violent upheaval, and Ryann had spent those years scouring half the world for her missing twin.

Once an orphan with nothing to her name, she had risen to command a mercenary organization feared across nations, and the hope of finding her only family had always pushed her forward.

At last, that long pursuit had reached its end.

"Get the helicopter ready," she said, and she ripped the epaulet from her shoulder before throwing it toward her second-in-command. "I will handle this personally."

"Ma'am, this is extremely risky. Elessall? That country is beyond our control, and-"

Before he could finish, Ryann cut him off without hesitation. "This directive stands."

Exactly an hour later, she flew the helicopter herself beyond the border, leaving her formidable forces behind as she slipped into Elessall's airspace unnoticed.

Intelligence reports claimed that Gabriela had been taken in by a wealthy household and was supposed to be living in a privileged district.

Instead, the coordinates led her straight into the poorest and most decayed section of Gansborough.

Without waiting for the rotors to slow fully, Ryann leapt from the cockpit and hit the ground running.

A deep crease formed between her brows when she took in the area around her.

All around her, crooked shacks threatened to collapse, heaps of rotting trash lined the paths, and a foul smell clung heavily to the air.

Nothing about this place matched the life of an adopted daughter of a rich family was supposed to have.

Had the intelligence failed her? Or was there something else at play?

Without warning, a woman's scream tore through the silence from somewhere deep within the woods.

Within an abandoned and crumbling factory, a frail woman lay slumped against the wall, and her body looked no different from a walking skeleton. Heavy chains weighing more than two hundred pounds locked her feet in place and kept her from moving.

Her torn clothes barely covered her body, one leg had rotted beyond saving, and dried blood stained her skin.

Even in that condition, two large men continued to strike her with wooden sticks.

"You're already half dead, yet you still refuse to speak. That stubborn attitude of yours is really something! Gabriela, your adopted mother made it clear. If you don't tell us where your adopted father's inheritance is hidden, you won't survive today. Think carefully. Do you really want to keep living like this? I'm sick of dragging this out."

All at once, a dark figure surged toward them from the shadows.

Neither man managed to respond before sharp strikes shattered their arms and legs, and they collapsed while screaming in agony.

The moment Ryann caught sight of a face that mirrored her own, panic seized her, and she rushed forward. "Gabby!"

"Ryann?"

Emotion surged through Ryann, and tears gathered as she slowly checked every wound on Gabriela's body.

Her left leg lay twisted from a severe fracture, several fingernails were missing entirely, her shoulder had decayed until bone showed through, and her skin bore marks from rats and cockroaches.

With every injury she noticed, Ryann felt the air tighten in her chest.

She had always believed that Gabriela would be safe and comfortable after being taken in by a wealthy family.

Never had she imagined that her sister had been trapped in a life this cruel.

"There's nothing to fear anymore, Gabby. I'll get you to a hospital," Ryann muttered while lifting Gabriela gently, until a weak pull caught her sleeve.

Facing the end, Gabriela gathered what little strength she had and curved her lips into a faint smile.

Blood suddenly spilled from her mouth and stained Ryann's hand as she spoke. "I... I missed you so much... Ryann..."

With tears burning in her eyes, Ryann wiped the blood from Gabriela's lips, and her hands shook despite her effort to stay steady. "You don't need to be scared, Gabby. I'm bringing you home..."

"They..." Gabriela tightened her hold on Ryann's hand, and the light in her eyes began to dull. "What they are looking for is at our secret base... Please... Don't let them..."

Before the sentence could be completed, her weak arm slid down from Ryann's shoulder.

The instant Ryann realized that Gabriela's life had faded away, her gaze shifted toward the two men lying broken on the ground.

Throughout the night, the air filled with cries and screams, and Ryann inflicted torment on them until the first light of dawn appeared.

Once Gabriela was laid to rest, Ryann made her way to the Sullivan family villa, and her presence carried a chilling intent to kill.

Without warning, the villa's door burst open under a violent kick.

Inside, Maren Sullivan and her mother, Monica Sullivan, had been preparing to go shopping, but both collapsed to the floor in terror when they heard the loud noise from the entrance, thinking it was a home invasion or something.

Fear still lingered in Monica's body, but recognition crossed her face the moment she saw who was there and it forced her expression to harden at once.

Pushing herself upright, she stared at Ryann with pure malice and shouted, "Gabriela? So you crawled your way out after all, you useless thing!"

Rising beside her, Maren sneered and spoke with open contempt. "Trash like you belongs in the gutter, not here. You even managed to ruin my mood for shopping."

While they flaunted their wealth and spoke of leisure so casually, the memory of Gabriela being abused to death slammed into Ryann's thoughts without mercy.

A faint, cold smile touched Ryann's lips, and her eyes filled with lethal resolve as she moved toward them.

"Why are you looking at me like that? How dare you stare me down! Do you really think I will not have someone deal with you?"

As the thought crossed her mind that most of the Sullivan family inheritance was still in Gabriela's possession, Monica felt her fury surge higher.

Driven by that anger, she lashed out and swung her limited edition designer handbag straight at Ryann's face.

To her shock, the adopted daughter, who had never fought back before, caught the bag midair and yanked it with force, sending Monica crashing onto the floor.

"Ah!" Monica slammed down hard, clenching her teeth while pain tore through her body, and it felt as if her bones were close to breaking apart.

Panicked, Maren hurried to her side. "Mom! Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

Anger then twisted her face as she spun toward Ryann. "Gabriela, you ungrateful trash! The Sullivan family took you in and treated you well! Not only do you show no gratitude, but you even dared to hit my mother? If you cannot recognize kindness, then maybe breaking a few more of your bones will finally teach you how to behave!"

While helping Monica to her feet, Maren lifted her arm and swung it forward, intent on taking revenge for her mother.

They actually claimed to treated her sister well?

What a complete joke!

Before Maren could even step closer, Ryann moved without hesitation, striking her with a sharp slap and following it up by driving her foot into Maren's stomach.

Barely two seconds passed before Maren, who had been full of aggression moments earlier, collapsed and curled up on the floor.

Maren shot Ryann a furious glare, and her face contorted with rage.

Never once had she believed that someone they locked away and treated as worthless could still possess such strength.

Nor had it crossed her mind that the girl they once bullied without consequence would ever dare to fight back.

Maren cried out in fury while clutching her face and abdomen. "Mom! She hit me! My face hurts so badly! My stomach too!"

Rushing to her side, Monica bent down and tried to soothe her daughter.

A cruel smile spread across Ryann's lips, and her eyes carried a lethal chill as she looked down at both of them.

"The Sullivan family kept me around for more than ten years, so today I came to repay that kindness. Why are you crying now? Shouldn't this make you happy? Didn't you say you wanted to break a few more of my bones? Then go on."

With deliberate steps, Ryann moved closer, and the pressure in her stare grew heavier with each pace.

Faced with the drastic shift in the woman's presence, both mother and daughter lifted their heads in disbelief at a face that felt familiar yet disturbingly different.

"What... what are you planning to do?"

At first, Monica failed to notice anything out of place, but a closer look made her realize that despite the blood covering "Gabriela", there were no signs of serious injury.

Alarm crept in, and Monica pulled Maren behind her while shaking as she forced out a warning. "Stop! If you come any closer, I will-"

"And then what?" Ryann replied flatly, while countless brutal endings raced through her thoughts.

Worried that Gabriela might lose control and really hurt them, Maren ignored the pain and dug through her handbag in a frantic attempt to find her phone and call for help.

Watching her calmly, Ryann spoke with chilling indifference. "Are you trying to call that obedient boyfriend of yours for help? There's no need. He's already here."

In the very next instant, Myles White, Maren's boyfriend, dragged himself into the Sullivan family villa, and a horrifying streak of blood smeared across the floor behind him.

With his voice torn and uneven, he struggled to beg for mercy. "Maren... Mrs. Sullivan... please... save me..."

The night before, Ryann had subjected him to torment that closely mirrored every injury her sister had endured.

Without the pill she had forced on him to keep his body barely functioning, Myles would never have survived the night.

"Mom... It's Myles!" The moment recognition struck, Maren's eyes flew wide as she turned on Ryann in fury. "You insane woman! What did you do to him?"

Frozen in place, Monica could only stare at the bloodied man sprawled on the floor, shock robbing her of any sound.

"I simply repaid what he gave me," Ryann said with casual indifference while casting a sideways glance at the man barely clinging to life. "I twisted his arms and legs, soaked him in concentrated salt water, tore out his nails, and made him swallow a few not-so-legal substances. Nothing more than that."

Once her words settled, she crouched in front of the two women and reached out with a hand stained by her sister's blood, gripping Monica's chin. "Now it's your turn."

Slowly, Ryann's slender fingers tightened, and the pressure against Monica's jaw grew crushing.

A piercing scream tore from Monica's throat, and all color drained from her face as pain overtook her.

"Gabriela!" In desperation, Maren rushed forward and grabbed Ryann's wrist while forcing out a threatening command. "Give back my father's property and leave this house quietly! If you do that, I can act as if none of this ever happened! If you refuse, I swear I won't let you go!"

At those words, Ryann let out a low, mocking laugh that carried pure disdain.

Fury hardened her expression, and she wrenched Maren's arm with brutal force until the bone snapped as she shouted, "Everything Mr. Sullivan gave me belongs to me by right! Who do you think you are to demand it back? And remember this clearly. The villa you are standing in was also left to me by Mr. Sullivan! You will not touch a single thing that is mine!"

Terror swallowed Monica whole, and she ignored her daughter's cries while trying to crawl away across the floor.

Before she could escape, Ryann seized her ankle and dragged her back, lifting a heavy vase with the clear intent to bring it down on her.

At nearly the same moment, a sharp gunshot split the air.

The vase exploded apart instantly, and fragments flew everywhere before burying themselves in Monica's body as her scream echoed through the room.

Reacting at once, Ryann turned sharply, and her eyes locked onto a pair of deep, unfathomable ones.

Having dealt with numerous figures who stood at the peak of authority, Ryann had never once felt pressure this suffocating.

Before her, the man did nothing more than stand still, yet the presence he carried forced her instincts into full alert.

Once she sensed clear hostility from the man, the heat burning in Ryann's gaze sharpened even further.

Without a hint of fear, she met the man's eyes directly, brushed aside the gun aimed at her, and spoke with open mockery. "This does not concern you! Move!"

Almost immediately afterward, black-suited bodyguards with stone faces poured into the villa and surrounded the terrified mother and daughter cowering on the floor.

Raising his gaze, the man spoke in a low and raspy voice that allowed no refusal. "These two are guests under the protection of the Yates family. I am taking them with me today."

"And if I refuse?"

Holding her position, Ryann did not retreat as the cold light in the man's eyes sharpened and the oppressive pressure around him grew heavier.

"So you intend to stop me?"

While the tension hung in the air, another man rushed over and spoke in a low, urgent voice. "Mr. Yates, your grandfather is waiting at the Yates Mansion. We are running out of time."

After that, he faced Monica and spoke with courtesy that felt distant rather than warm. "Mrs. Sullivan, Mr. Yates and Miss Sullivan are about to be married. We are here to escort Miss Sullivan to complete the marriage registration. The court officials are already waiting at the Yates Mansion."

Mr. Yates. The Yates family. Marriage.

Those words linked together instantly in Ryann's mind, and the man standing before her was finally revealed.

Jayden Yates, the eldest grandson of the Yates family head-the wealthiest man in Elessall-and the designated future heir.

Everything suddenly made sense.

The killing intent in Ryann's eyes slowly faded, giving way to measured thought.

Facing someone from the Yates family meant that pushing back today would only lead to unnecessary consequences.

Bit by bit, she relaxed her clenched fists, and the sharp edge of her presence eased.

Seeing Ryann's posture ease, Monica finally released a breath she did not realize she had been holding.

Taking advantage of the moment, Maren immediately shifted tactics and rushed to Jayden's side, her face full of grievance.

"Jayden, you have to speak up for me... My mother and I barely said anything, and Gabriela completely snapped. Look at my arm. She dislocated it, and it hurts terribly..."

A deep frown settled on Jayden's face, and impatience flickered clearly in his cold expression.

It was obvious that her act had failed to move him in the slightest.

From where she stood, Ryann observed everything with detached calm while quietly registering the trace of irritation in his reaction.

Turning his attention toward her, Jayden studied Ryann closely and spoke with faint amusement in his voice. "You are the Sullivan family's adopted daughter, Gabriela?"

Mistaking his attention for support, Maren hurried to press the advantage. "That's right! She's the ungrateful girl my family took in! After my father died, she grew more and more arrogant. She stole my family's money and even abused my mother and me repeatedly!"

Holding her injured face, Monica let out broken sobs as blood trickled from the scratch left by the porcelain shard. "Mr. Yates, it would be one thing if she only do this to me. But Maren is your future wife! Her actions show complete disrespect toward you and the Yates family!"

Listening to their accusations pile up, Ryann let out a cold, mocking laugh. Regret crept through her thoughts, and she briefly wondered if she should have been far more ruthless earlier.

"A wedding is supposed to be a happy event." She spoke without warning, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "I think I should see such a lively occasion for myself."

"Absolutely not. You are not going!" Monica protested at once, and panic leaked into her sharp tone.

Worried that Gabriela would stir trouble at the Yates residence, Maren hurried to scold her. "Why would an adopted orphan like you show up at my wedding? Do you honestly believe you belong to the Sullivan family?"

A slight crease formed on Ryann's forehead, and her cold stare moved from Monica to Maren until neither dared to speak again.

She never expected Jayden to support her, yet his deep and steady voice suddenly cut through the tension. "If you want to attend, then you may."

After saying that, he turned away and walked straight out of the Sullivan villa.

Surprise briefly flashed across Ryann's eyes.

Had he really agreed just like that?

Was he not concerned about the trouble she could cause at the Yates Mansion?

"Jayden! How can you allow her to come?" Maren stomped her foot in frustration before shooting Ryann a furious glare. "If you dare say or do anything out of line at the Yates Mansion, I will make you pay for it!"

Without offering a single word, Ryann casually raised her hand and smoothed the loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Reacting on instinct, Maren retreated a step, fear flashing across her face as she hurriedly pulled Monica along with her.

In their panic, they slammed the car door shut, fully convinced it would keep Ryann away, never realizing she had no intention of following them at all.

Inside the Bentley, Jayden reclined against the headrest and closed his eyes, and the dim lighting traced the sharp lines of his profile.

Moments later, the car door swung open, and a slender figure slipped inside with unhurried calm.

As if the world around them did not exist, Ryann settled into the seat beside Jayden, and her red lips brushed close to his ear while her warm breath almost touched him.

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Yates."

Jayden gave no response, and his presence remained steady and unreadable. Then, beneath the low glow inside the car, his eyes opened slowly, and his deep gaze fixed firmly on Ryann's face.