The shock of it wiped away all remnants of sleep. I nearly slapped him, my palm twitching midair before I stopped myself.
Thankfully, the kiss had been brief.
“Good morning, my sleepy little mooncake,” he teased.
Disgusted, I turned away and wiped my mouth. “It’s the weekend. Can’t I sleep in for once?” I mumbled, still groggy and annoyed.
Isaac gave me a long look, then sighed. “You had a fever last night. Did you even realize that? Get dressed—we’re going to the healer.”
I studied his face as he spoke, wondering whether his concern came from genuine affection or merely from obligation. His expression was filled with worry, but somehow, I felt like he wasn’t really seeing me.
I didn’t argue. I was too tired for that. Wordlessly, I followed.
At the healer’s clinic, we crossed paths with someone I wasn’t ready to see—Candice. She stood awkwardly in the hallway, trying to walk on what looked like a swollen foot. Isaac’s demeanor shifted immediately.
In a flash, he was no longer at my side. “Candice! What happened?” he asked, alarm in his voice as he rushed toward her.
She gave him a sweet, knowing smile, her eyes flicking briefly to me. “I twisted my ankle. Such a coincidence, bumping into you two. Here for a check-up too?”
Isaac paused, glancing back at me as though remembering I was still there. There was a flicker of guilt in his eyes—barely visible but impossible for me to miss.
“Yeah. Brought my ‘little sister’ in. She wasn’t feeling well last night,” he explained, his voice suddenly cool.
I didn’t flinch. There was no reason to. He’d introduced me that way before—plenty of times. I had long since learned to live with the label. From the day he refused to reveal our bond, I had become the invisible girl in the background, the sibling of a friend he was doing a favor for.
Only a few in his inner circle knew the truth.
Candice nodded politely. “Since she’s staying at your place, it’s only right you take care of her.” Then she motioned toward another building. “Well, I better get going. My healer’s over there.”
As she limped away, Isaac moved without hesitation, swooping her into his arms. “I’ll carry you. No need to strain yourself.”
Then, as though I were an afterthought, he called over his shoulder, “Wendy, wait here.”