Sebastian Kingsley was grooming Oliver to inherit Kingsley Holdings. Yet here was his son, unable to handle a simple playground dispute, returning home in tears. Sebastian wondered if the boy truly had what it took to lead their empire.

That was precisely why Sebastian never stepped in—not even when Oliver got hurt because of Liam. The boy needed to learn resilience on his own.

Sebastian’s parenting had its flaws. Professionally, he was shaping the next heir of the Kingsley dynasty—nothing wrong with that. But emotionally? He was distant, almost detached.

So when Amy Sinclair fretted that Oliver might be getting bullied, Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk.

"Celeste, trust me, Oliver’s usually the instigator. No one dares push him around. That boy’s tougher than he lets on."

The truth was, Oliver had an icy streak running through him. He only cared about what—or who—mattered to him. Everything else? Utter indifference. Hardly childlike at all.

Remembering Oliver’s upbringing, Sebastian exhaled quietly.

Amy, however, thought he was just trying to reassure her.

She didn’t press further. "If anything happens with Oliver, promise you’ll tell me immediately?"

Every month, without fail, Sebastian transferred a generous sum into Amy’s account. She’d insisted it wasn’t necessary—she genuinely adored Oliver. But Sebastian was firm: business was business.

The fortune she’d once squandered was long gone, but with a few more months of caring for Oliver, Amy joked she’d be set for life.

That morning, Oliver had barely stepped into the preschool when he noticed the whispers. A cluster of children huddled together, pointing at him.

Some parents spotted him and, as if he carried some contagion, quickly ushered their kids away.

Even the children who used to play with him now scattered the moment he approached.

Oliver’s expression remained unreadable as he strode into the classroom.

Across the room, the teachers exchanged uneasy glances. None approached him.

This had been going on for days. Teachers, classmates—everyone avoided him, leaving Oliver utterly alone.

At that moment, he was an island, isolated in a sea of people.

Liam Blackwood walked in and immediately spotted Oliver sitting alone, flipping through an English vocabulary book.

For reasons unexplained, Oliver had become an outcast overnight.

Liam didn’t know why, but seeing Oliver like this filled him with a twisted satisfaction.

He sauntered over, barely concealing his smirk.

"What’s wrong, troublemaker? Did everyone finally see through you? Is that why no one wants to be near you?"

Liam knew exactly how it felt to be excluded. That period of his life had been a nightmare—all because of his mother’s reputation.

Back then, he hadn’t known how to confront her about it. So he’d turned to his grandmother instead.

She’d advised him to never mention Amy was his mother when he switched schools. If no one knew, the teasing would stop.

It had worked.

Now, with everyone shunning Oliver, Liam was the only one bold enough to approach him.

Oliver glanced up briefly before returning to his book, silent.

When it became clear Oliver wouldn’t rise to the bait, Liam slunk back to his seat, disappointed.

After lunch, Oliver walked alone down the hallway toward his classroom.

Suddenly, a small hand tugged him into a secluded corner.

A girl his age peered up at him with wide eyes.

"Oliver, do you know why everyone’s avoiding you?"