Chapter 1694: Chapter 1694

Chapter 1694

Skyler wasn’t one to turn down a free ride, but she wasn’t heading back to campus just yet. She had a shift waiting for her at a nearby coffee shop in the bustling business district.

Time had slipped away from her, and now she was cutting it close to the start of her shift. With swift strides, she made her way to the

café.

As a temp, she hadn’t graduated to the art of coffee crafting just yet. Her role was more about waiting tables, keeping the place spotless, and handling all sorts of odd jobs.

What she didn’t expect was to bump into Zavier again, so soon after their last encounter.

Zavier had set up a coffee meeting and, of all the joints in town, he chose the café where Skyler worked. If Skyler didn’t know any better, she might have suspected Zavier of engineering these run-ins on purpose.

Even though Skyler never felt any shame in waitressing, she couldn’t help but wonder if Zavier, with his air of nobility, would look down on her job. So, after delivering his coffee, she beat a hasty retreat.

She thought her cap and mask would render her unrecognizable, especially with Zavier deep in conversation. However, against all odds, Zavier’s eyes locked onto hers and he called out, “Skyler!”e2

Pretending not to hear, she quickened her pace, but Zavier reached out, gripping her arm. “Playing the stranger now?”

Skyler glanced away, hoping they weren’t the center of attention. “Sir, can I help you with something?”

Zavier raised an eyebrow, giving her a once-over. “Straight from my place to slinging coffee here. Don’t you get tired, Skyler?”

“Tired, sure,” she admitted.

It was tiring, indeed, but Skyler needed money. The thought of earning money to provide a better life for her sister made the fatigue seem insignificant.

“You’re tired and yet you’re working all these jobs?” Zavier probed.

Skyler shrugged. “There are plenty of people out there more worn out than me, but they keep pushing for a living, never daring to stop.”

Zavier released her arm, saying nothing more.

Skyler didn’t wait around, making her escape quickly.

The man sitting across from Zavier finally spoke up. “Zavier, if Hudson finds out that his chosen fiancée for you is working in a place like this, you know how furious he’ll be.”

Zavier took a sip of his coffee, unfazed. “She’s earning her keep honestly, not stealing or doing anything disgraceful. What’s the problem?”

The man chuckled. “For the average Joe, no problem at all. But she’s Skyler, your betrothed picked out by Hudson.”

“Zavier, if someone with an agenda finds out and blasts it online, it could hit the Rivera family’s stock. Even a single point drop, and she couldn’t make up the loss with a lifetime of waitressing.”

Zavier smiled thinly. “What’s her job got to do with the Rivera family’s stocks?”

The man leaned in. “You know the stakes. By not stopping her and acknowledging her here, are you aiming to blow her cover, stir the pot, and cause a loss for the Rivera family? That would surely get Hudson to kick her to the curb.”

Zavier’s gaze turned icy. “Is that who you think I am?”

The man shrugged. “You’re not, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t use such tactics.”

“If I want to annul the engagement, do I really need to frame a helpless girl?” Zavier stated flatly.

The other man simply said, “Do you?”

Their conversation was cut short by Zavier’s finging phone. It was the old butler. “Zavier, Hudson requests your and Miss Skyler’s immediate presence at the family éstate.”