I stayed in bed all day. 

No one disturbed me, thank god. They probably assumed I was nursing a hangover—or pretending to. 

By dinner, there was a knock. 

“Hey, Izzy,” Damian said gently through the door. “You okay? You’ve skipped every meal today.” 

“I’m fine,” I lied under the covers, voice muffled. 

“Come on. Just join us for dinner.” 

Of course, he didn’t come alone. 

Alessia chimed in next. “Isadora! Come eat with us!” 

And then—because fate hated me—my mother joined the chorus too. I was officially outnumbered. 

So I dragged myself to the table, sat down, and hoped no one would speak to me. 

Cassian sat beside Alessia, dutifully cutting her steak like she was some helpless debutante. 

“Cassian,” Alessia cooed, “I can cut my own food. I’m not a child.” 

She said it like a joke. 

Cassian’s gaze snapped to mine—sharp, burning. “You’re my girlfriend. Who else would I be taking care of?” 

I focused on my steak like it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen. But their performance was impossible to ignore. 

They were practically glued together. Whispering. Touching. Kissing. Playing the happy new couple like they were auditioning for a reality show. 

The rest of us sat in awkward silence. 

Until Damian slammed his fork down. 

“Would it kill you to have some manners?” he snapped. “There are other people at this table.” 

Alessia giggled, saccharine and smug. “Oh, don’t mind us. We’re just in that phase—you know, newly together, can’t keep our hands off each other.” Then she turned her attention to me, voice sugary sweet. “And we owe it all to Isadora. If it weren’t for her, Cassian and I wouldn’t be together this fast.” 

She raised her glass. “To Isadora—the matchmaker.” 

She winked. 

It looked cute. But I knew a dagger when I saw one. 

I smiled back, effortless. “Of course. You two deserve each other.” 

I clinked my glass against hers. 

Cheers to hell. 

The look that flickered across her face—brief and irritated—was almost worth it. 

I stood, pushing my chair back with grace. “I’m full. If you’ll excuse me…” 

And just like that, I walked out. 

… 

Damian found me later that night, pacing like a storm with nowhere to go.