"It's all on me today."
The words landed like a quiet thunderclap.
Isabelle froze. Madeleine blinked. Miri made a faint surprised noise. Chessa looked immediately suspicious.
"…What?" Madeleine asked.
Damien didn't flinch. "Celebration, right? I'm part of the group now. Let me handle it."
"…You're paying for all of us?" Chessa asked, half-incredulous.
Damien just shrugged again, easy and relaxed. "Yeah. Celebration tax. I barged in, didn't I? It's only right."
Madeleine tilted her head. "You don't have to—"
"I know I don't," Damien said with a grin. "That's why it counts."
Isabelle's lips pressed into a firm line. The unease she'd pushed down earlier came rushing back—twice as fast, twice as loud.
'No.'
It wasn't just the money.
It was the implication. The imbalance. The feeling of being someone's responsibility.
She stepped forward, voice low and even. "I can pay for myself."
