Turning her head abruptly, Ryann looked toward Jayden and once again met that unreadable gaze.
In that instant, Maren's fantasy of marrying into wealth collapsed completely, and panic overtook her. "No way! How could Jayden end up marrying her?"
Losing all restraint, Monica rushed forward and screamed, "How dare you steal my daughter's fiance?"
Reaching out in fury, she tried to seize Ryann while shouting, "Say it clearly right now! What exactly is going on?"
Before her hands could touch anything, Ryann shifted aside with ease, and Monica lurched forward, slamming into the floor as blood spilled from her mouth.
"Mom!" Ignoring the pain in her injured arm, Maren hurried to Monica's side and glared up at Ryann with burning hatred. "You vicious woman! How dare you hurt my mother!"
Remaining perfectly still, Ryann looked down at Monica's trembling figure with cold indifference, and a faint, mocking smile curved her lips. "What are you even talking about? She fell all by herself."
"You!"
"Enough!" A sharp command tore through the chaos as Lorenzo Yates, Jayden's father, spoke with cutting authority, his piercing gaze locking onto his son. "Explain this right now. What exactly is happening?"
Seizing the moment to fan the flames, Rhonda stepped in at once. "Jayden, you married the adopted daughter from the Sullivan family without telling any of us? How could you do this?"
Long accustomed to Rhonda's manipulations, Jayden showed no reaction and answered with detached calm, "I don't know any of this. It could be a system error."
At once, the staff conducted another check, yet the system showed no sign of malfunction.
What stunned everyone was the result tied to Gabriela's record, which clearly listed her as married, with Jayden Yates named as her husband.
Even more unbelievable was the date of registration, which was marked as exactly three days ago.
Hearing this, Lorenzo slammed his palm against the table and jabbed a finger toward Jayden, his voice shaking with fury. "You idiot! Are you really saying that you are married and you know nothing about it?"
The revelation caused Monica and Maren to exchange a stunned look as the words "three days ago" echoed in their minds.
How could Gabriela have registered for marriage when they had locked her away in the wilderness during that time?
All eyes shifted toward Ryann, and she only said coldly to Monica and Maren, "Three days ago, you both know exactly where I was. Do you really want me to lay everything out here?"
Panic struck Maren without warning.
Worried that their ugly secrets would be exposed and damage how the Yates family viewed her, she hastily changed her approach.
Turning toward Lorenzo and Rhonda, she forced tears into her voice as she spoke. "Everyone in Elessall knows that I am Jayden's fiancee. Now his legal wife became my adopted sister. How is the Sullivan family supposed to live with such humiliation? Gabriela is nothing but a lowly orphan my family took in. She is not worthy of the Yates family, much less Jayden. We cannot allow this marriage to stand!"
Her emotions spiraled further, and she shot Ryann a vicious glare. "You shameless woman! Divorce Jayden right now!"
Rhonda observed the chaos in silence, recalling how she had arranged the engagement in the first place to keep Jayden under control after the Sullivan family began to decline.
Learning that Jayden had accidentally married an even less favored daughter in the family brought her quiet satisfaction.
Putting on a mask of concern, she spoke in a gentle and measured tone. "Maren, don't panic. Divorce is not that simple. There are rules that must be followed."
Turning her head toward the staff, she sought confirmation with a pointed question. "Is that correct? If I remember properly, there is now a one-month cooling-off period before a divorce can be finalized, isn't there?"
Without hesitation, the staff nodded in agreement and answered promptly, "Yes, ma'am. Under the current regulations, a mutual divorce must go through a thirty-day cooling-off period."
Picking up from there, Rhonda spoke again with a composed tone. "Everything I say is for Jayden's sake. Divorce isn't really a badge of honor to wear on your chest, not even these days, not even for a man. It would be better for Gabriela to remain and see how things go from here. She and Maren are both daughters of the Sullivan family, after all. If Jayden develops feelings, then marrying either one makes no real difference."
Already inclined to side with Rhonda and harboring resentment toward his difficult son, Lorenzo immediately gave a stern nod. "Exactly. In the Yates family, divorce is not permitted. That is our rule."
Shock overtook Maren, and she shouted, "Rules can be changed! If we keep quiet about it, who would ever know—"
"That's enough!" An authoritative and aged voice thundered from the entrance, cutting Maren off instantly.
Silence swept through the room as everyone turned to see Gael Yates, the true head of the Yates family, stepping inside with the butler at his side.
The entire living room fell into absolute stillness.
"Grandpa." Jayden stood up at once and moved to support him.
Even Lorenzo, still burning with anger, forced himself to hold back and greet respectfully. "Dad, what brings you here?"
Rhonda hurried to add her own bright greeting, eager to appear agreeable.
Paying her no attention, Gael allowed Jayden to guide him to the main seat, and his commanding gaze moved slowly across everyone present.
His eyes settled on Maren first, and then he spoke at an unhurried pace. "In the Yates family, divorce is never treated casually. Our ancestors set this rule to remind every generation to respect marriage."
Turning his attention back to Maren, a trace of conflicted emotion showed in his eyes. "That said, rules are not unchangeable. What the Yates family values most is responsibility, and commitments must be honored once made. Since their marriage has already been registered and the law requires a one-month cooling-off period, we will follow the procedure and handle the divorce after that time."
Relief washed over Maren at his decision.
Although a month of waiting remained, knowing Gael supported her was enough.
She quickly dabbed at her tears and bowed obediently. "Thank you, Mr. Yates, for your fairness."
After everyone unrelated was dismissed, Gael summoned Jayden and Ryann to the study.
"Whether what happened today was intentional or a misunderstanding no longer matters. Since the marriage exists, let it stand for now. Gabriela, the Yates family will not wrong you, so stay here without worry."
With a respectful nod, Ryann responded calmly, "Understood, Mr. Yates."
Once Gael left and the room fell quiet, Ryann instinctively stepped away, and her sharp gaze settled on the man standing nearby.
"So now that no one else is here, would you like to explain yourself, Mr. Yates?" she asked.
Fixing her eyes on Jayden's unfathomable stare, Ryann searched his expression for any hint of intention.
Instead of reacting, Jayden answered with calm interest, "Shouldn't that question be directed at you, Ms. Sullivan? You seem awfully determined to marry me."
Surprise flashed through Ryann.
Her goal had been to sabotage his engagement to Maren, yet it seemed he had drawn a very different conclusion entirely.
Closing the distance, Jayden moved forward and pressed her back against the desk, his voice dropping as he spoke close to her ear. "I don't know how you managed to do that, but given the current situation…" A ghost of smile crossed his face. "I suppose I'll go along with it—despite my reluctance."
The closeness felt overwhelming, and Ryann turned her head instinctively, avoiding the warmth of his breath brushing near her ear.
Her gaze dropped briefly to his pronounced Adam's apple, and on impulse, she leaned in and pressed her lips against it.
As soon as her gentle warmth touched him, Jayden's breathing faltered, and a visible tremor passed through his pupils.
A quiet laugh escaped Ryann. "Mr. Yates, that doesn't look like reluctance at all."
Sound and contact blended, sending a sudden rush of heat through Jayden.
What he had barely managed to restrain earlier in the car flared back to life without warning.
Tension pulled tight at Jayden's lips.
With one swift sweep of his arm, he cleared the desk and forced her back against it, trapping her beneath him.