Chapter 1627


    Chapter 1627


    Skyler let out a sigh of relief, her nerves finally unwinding after a day stretched taut like a violin string.


    She sank into the armchair in the corner of the room, the kind you’d find in a cozy, book-lined study,


    and pulled out her phone. Tapping on the WhatsApp icon, she scrolled to her chat with Iris. [Hey, Iris,


    you asleep yet?]


    Iris replied almost instantly, [I’m really scared!]


    Reading that simple line, Skyler felt a lump forming in her throat. [Don’t be scared, kiddo. I’m just


    getting hitched in the Capital, not walking into a lion’s den. And hey, your future brother-inw is a gem.


    Plus, I’ll be on the lookout, making sure no one ever messes with you again.]


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Iris typed back, [Skyler…]


    Skyler continued, [Did you finish your homework from the tutor today?]


    iris responded, [Yes, I did everything like you told me. I’m working hard so I can get into the same


    college as you did…]


    [That’s my girl. I’ll settle down here in the Capital, and in a few years, I’ll have you join me for


    college.]e2


    Iris excitement was palpable even through text. [Does that mean I can see you every day?]


    [Absolutely!]


    [Yay! I can’t wait to be with you every day.]


    Iris was just eleven, and she couldn’t fathom what her sister faced in the Capital. She took Skyler’s


    words to heart, believing them without question. Skyler couldn’t help but smile at her sister’s


    happiness. [It’ste, Iris. Time for bed.]


    [Goodnight!] Iris added a kiss emoji.


    [Night, Iris…]


    After ending the chat, Skyler scrolled through her contacts, seeking someone to confide in, but no


    name felt right. The ruckus from Zavier and the others ying video games downstairs-gunshots and


    explosions from their war-themed game-was giving her a headache.


    She took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. “Skyler, you got this. No hurdle too high, right? Just


    believe in yourself. You’re gonna change things, for you and for Iris. You’ll get out from under your


    family’s thumb.”


    Empowered by her own pep talk, Skyler unpacked her suitcase swiftly, hanging a few dresses and


    neatly storing away her undergarments. Her natural beauty meant she traveled light, bringing only a


    couple of moisturizing lotions tobat the Capital’s dry air.


    Dressed in her pajamas after a quick shower, she applied lotion andy in bed, but sleep eluded her,


    Back home, she would have yed her violin or another instrument to soothe herself to sleep, but that


    wasn’t an option here.


    Fortunately, she had brought a book, a travelogue that she cherished. Maybe it was her ownck of


    freedom that made her so drawn to it. While she felt caged, confined to live at the whims of others, the


    author of the book-a woman her age-had journeyed across her homnd and the world, seeing the


    mountains and rivers that Skyler could only dream of. With the book in her hands, she could escape, at


    least in her mind, and maybe find the slumber that reality denied her.