The little girl's name was Charlotte, but everyone called her Lottie. She adored Oliver Kingsley, following him around like a devoted shadow.

But lately, she had been avoiding him.

Because...

"My dad said I can't be friends with you anymore," Lottie whispered, her big blue eyes darting around nervously. "He told me Alexander Blackwood made it clear—anyone who talks to you or plays with you is going against the Blackwood family."

She bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder before leaning in closer. "I asked my mom about it. She said it's not really about you—Alexander isn't mad at you. He's mad at Liam's mom. I heard his parents got divorced, and she made him really angry."

Her voice dropped even lower. "Since you're close with Amy, you're getting caught in the middle."

Liam and Oliver were famous for their constant bickering—every kid at Royal Oaks Academy knew about their rivalry.

Most parents already knew Amy was Alexander's ex-wife.

Now that Alexander had publicly declared his stance, who would dare defy him?

But Sebastian Kingsley's son wasn't someone to cross either.

Luckily, through one of Alexander's old associates, people learned that this time, his anger was solely directed at his ex-wife. As long as Oliver distanced himself from her, things could return to normal.

This was Newhaven, after all.

No one wanted to provoke Alexander Blackwood—not when he had Nathan Prescott and Dominic Whitmore backing him, two of the most powerful men in the city.

When Alexander spoke, people obeyed.

No one would risk their family's reputation over something so trivial.

Every child at Royal Oaks came from influential families.

Lottie was bright and charming. The day Oliver transferred in, they had become instant friends. He adored her—whenever he got a new toy or candy, she was the first person he wanted to share it with.

Lottie had even made Oliver promise that when they grew up, she would be his first girlfriend.

He had agreed.

Their bond was special. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked warning him.

Everyone at school knew what was happening—except maybe Liam, who always seemed oblivious.

Lottie didn’t want to see Oliver isolated. "Oliver, please," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "Just stop talking to Amy. If you do, everything will go back to normal. The others will let you back in."

But Oliver's expression darkened.

His voice was quiet but firm. "Out of everyone, Amy is the one person I will never turn my back on. Lottie, you should go. I'll pretend this conversation never happened. But if I ever hear you say something like that again, we're done."

Lottie froze, her eyes welling with tears.

"Oliver, I'm only telling you this because I care! Haven't you noticed how everyone's been treating you lately? You promised I could be your girlfriend someday. Now you're choosing her over me?"

Oliver's gaze turned icy.

"I don't blame you for listening to your family and staying away from me. But don't blame me for choosing Amy over you. And let's be honest—you're not as important to me as she is. I can have a hundred girlfriends, but there's only one Amy."

He exhaled sharply. "From now on, we're not friends. But thanks for the warning."

With that, Oliver turned and walked away. His small frame radiated cold determination, leaving no room for regret.