Impulsive Vow to an Enigmatic Husband novel 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-in-law is a gem. Plus, I'll be on the lookout, making sure no one ever messes with you again.]

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...]d2

[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.]

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's late, 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 playing 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 to combat the Capital's dry air.

Dressed in her pajamas after a quick shower, she applied lotion and lay in bed, but sleep eluded her. Back home, she would have played 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 own lack 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 homeland 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.