Chapter 1
Sienna Sloan had just finished calibrating the monitoring equipment when a frantic figure burst through the door.
Her best friend, city detective Luna Lennox, angrily held up her phone. “Sienna! Look at this garbage trending online p>
On the screen, the hashtag #JarredSterlingSecretWife was climbing the charts at rocket speed.
The photo showed Jarred and a woman at his West End villa, with his jacket affectionately draped over her shoulders.
That woman was Celeste Carlyle, who always claimed to be Jarred’s “best buddy p>
Even more glaring was the social media post Luna opened.
Celeste had posted a selfie with a man planting flowers in the background, and Sienna recognized that silhouette instantly.
The caption read: “More beautiful than roses is a hardworking man p>
He had been away on a month-long business trip and was recalled for an emergency mission, yet instead of reporting back to the team, he went to plant flowers for Celeste.
“Jarred is an absolute piece of trash, attracting flies wherever he goes!” Luna said sarcastically.
“He’s always hanging around her under the guise of friendship. Last time you worked until dawn, he was out with her at a midnight movie.
And now this is just too much. Getting exposed online like this, completely disregarding your feelings. The Sterlings are just bullying you because you don’t have family backing you up p>
Sienna stared at the photo, her expression cold.
She had known Jarred since she was eighteen, seven years now.
The Sterling family had never acknowledged her publicly. Other than their close friends, no one knew she was Jarred’s wife.
Celeste was like a toxic thorn, infiltrating Jarred’s life under the pretense of being his “bro p>
And Jarred always had an excuse.
“Without Celeste, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I promised the elders I’d protect her like a real sister for the rest of my life p>
When Sienna was hospitalized with a hundred-and-two-degree fever, he was absent because Celeste was going through a bad breakup and needed company.
On their wedding anniversary, Celeste got harassed, and he ran off in the middle of the night to defend her.
Even during the most critical phase of her health treatments for pregnancy preparation, he ditched her to play escape rooms just because Celeste said she was bored.
Every single incident trampled all over her boundaries.
Sienna turned around and pulled out Jarred’s personal evaluation form from the desk.
Her pen glided over the psychological state section, writing without hesitation: Failed.
The reason: “Severe emotional fluctuations, easily distracted by personal matters, lacks the capacity for high-pressure mission execution p>
“Sienna? Are you out of your mind?” Luna gasped. “If you submit this report, Jarred will definitely be forced off the mission! If he takes it out on you p>
“He won’t,” Sienna said calmly. “Trash doesn’t deserve my time p>
She handed the report to Luna. “Process it through the standard channels p>
Luna didn’t dare to take it.
A few core team members saw the words on the report and their eyes widened in shock.
Seeing that no one dared to move, Sienna picked up the report and turned toward the chief’s office.
After reading the report, the chief frowned deeply. “Dr. Sloan, do you realize what this means?
Captain Sterling is the best candidate for this operation. Without him, the risks double, and p>
Before he could finish, the office door was pushed open.
Jarred’s handsome face was icy. His black tactical gear was dusted with dirt, clearly having rushed all the way back.
His gaze locked onto the report in the chief’s hands, his pupils constricting slightly.
Sienna remained expressionless. “I am only responsible for the mission. If personal emotions compromise our success, who will bear the consequences p>
The chief fell silent.
Everyone thought Sienna was surely dead meat this time.
Who was Jarred?
He was a SWAT legend, a heroic figure who had cracked countless cases, becoming the top commander at only twenty-eight.
But everyone also knew how fiercely protective he was of his own.