Bound By Tradition
There was this one family tradition my grandmother revealed to me right after I turned eighteen.
“Among the Avila siblings, the first one to have a daughter is considered lucky because that child will either receive a big inheritance or gain the rights to the Avila Clinic. But the very first granddaughter of the Avila family must marry the first grandson of the Fernandez family.”
“This tradition has been upheld for decades now, hija, so don’t disappoint us,” my grandmother added.
And honestly? It pissed me off. Why the hell did it have to be me? But since this tradition has existed for years, I didn’t want to be the reason it all fell apart.
Today might be the worst day of my entire life. Why? Because I’m supposed to meet my ‘future spouse’—at least that’s what my mom said.
Yuck. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.
Yes, I—Xierra Yllies Avila, third-year Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Fashion Design—am in a freaking arranged marriage.
And to make everything a thousand times worse, it’s with my sworn enemy: Kieran Fernandez.
Kieran fvcking Fernandez—the arrogant, self-obsessed son of Uncle Harold and Aunt Cara Fernandez. (Our families are basically a joint clan. Unfortunately.) He’s twenty-five and currently in his third year of law school.
Yes, fine, I admit he’s handsome. He has black hair, a sharp nose, and skin with just the right tone.
But for every point he gets in looks, he loses ten in personality. He’s full of himself, acts like he’s better than everyone—like he’s some sort of godwalking-on-earth. He didn’t even acknowledge me back then. Not even once.
Ugh. He’s so fvcking annoying.
