Chapter 1620: Chapter 1620

Chapter 1620

She said, “I know.”

Those three simple words escaped her lips sounding soft and tender, sweet as a marshmallow.

Zavier teased, “Got a crush on some guy?”

Skyler shook her head.

“No, really?”

Skyler suddenly looked up at him, her gaze steady. “If you don’t believe me, feel free to check.”

Zavier let out a scoff, “Check? Do I look like I’ve got nothing better to do? Let me spell it out for you-I don’t like you, and whether you’ve got a crush on some dude is the least of my worries.”e2

Skyler replied with a calm certainty, “I know.”

You know what?”

“I know you don’t like me.”

“At least you’re aware of that much.”

Skyler continued, “Neither of us can change our parents’ decision. We’re bound for marriage, like it or not.”

Zavier laughed at that. “Are you really content with letting others dictate your life? Are you honestly resigned to marrying a man you don’t love?”

She wasn’t, not one bit. Just as he had said, being born into such families meant they couldn’t always follow their hearts. From an early age, she knew her family would arrange her marriage, which was why at eighteen, she dared not even harbor a silent crush.

Zavier eyed her. “I can’t lay a finger on a girl I don’t fancy, so even if we do get hitched, I won’t touch you. You get that?”

Instead of feeling downhearted, Skyler actually breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up at him, her smile radiant. “I understand. And when you’re ready, when you can marry the girl you really want, I’ll step aside. I won’t be in your way.”

Her smile was genuinely sweet. It was the sweetest smile Zavier had seen on her that evening, revealing that she was just as opposed to this arranged marriage as he was.

But he didn’t want to see her happy. Trapped in his own misery, he couldn’t allow her any joy. “Didn’t your folks tell you to get a move on and start producing heirs for the Rivera family?”

Skyler’s smile vanished, her face draining of color. She didn’t know what to say.

Yes, they had. Her parents had repeatedly urged her to secure Zavier’s affection and not wait for the marriage certificate; conceiving his child sooner rather than later would be ideal. She knew she was just a tool to them, a means to enhance the family’s legacy.

Watching her pallor, Zavier suddenly felt a perverse pleasure. “What’s your name?”

Skyler bit her lip, struggling to regain composure. “Skyler.”

“Skyler? Pretty name, but too bad the brains don’t match.”

Skyler remained silent.

“So, school’s starting soon. Which college did you manage to get into?”

“Capital College.”

Capital College was one of the top universities in the country, notorious for its sky-high entrance requirements. The kids who made it in were the cream of the crop.

Zavier couldn’t believe this seemingly dim girl could get into Capital College. “Did you pull some strings?”

Skyler replied, “No. I had extra points for my artistic talent. Even with the cutoff score being outrageous, I was well above it.”