"I told you to stop talking to him," Raymond muttered, his voice sharp with irritation.
Isabel Harrington, dressed in a pink frilly dress that screamed wealth and privilege, flicked her golden curls over her shoulder. "And I told you I can do whatever I want, Raymond," she shot back, pouting. "Jeffrey is my friend."
At the mention of Jeffrey Adams, Raymond's scowl deepened. His eyes darted to the corner of the playground, where Jeffrey sat quietly on a bench, flipping through a second-hand textbook. Unlike the other kids, he didn't wear designer clothes or expensive watches. His uniform, though neat, lacked the arrogance of wealth.
Raymond hated that.
He hated the way Isabel giggled around Jeffrey. Hated the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about him. A poor boy had no right to take her attention away from him.
"Don't be stupid, Isabel," Raymond scoffed. "He's not one of us."
"He's smarter than you," Isabel shot back.
Raymond's jaw clenched. That was true. Jeffrey was top of the class, while Raymond barely cared about schoolwork. His father always said grades didn't matter when you were born into power. Still, it stung.
Before Raymond could reply, a soft voice interrupted them.
"You shouldn't fight."
They turned to see Jovita Blake, the quiet girl who rarely spoke unless necessary. Her uniform was slightly faded, her shoes worn at the edges. Like Jeffrey, she was here on scholarship, surviving in a world of privilege that didn't welcome her.
Raymond barely acknowledged her existence most days. But now, as she stood in front of him, her brown eyes steady, he felt something unfamiliar.
Irritation. Curiosity.
Why did she look at him like she wasn't afraid?
"I'm not fighting," Raymond said coolly. "I'm just telling Isabel to stop wasting her time on people who don't matter."
Jovita's gaze didn't waver. "That's funny," she said. "Because I thought people like you had everything, but you still sound jealous."
The words struck deep.
Raymond narrowed his eyes at her, but Jovita simply turned away, walking toward Jeffrey without another word. As she sat beside him, Raymond watched the way Jeffrey smiled at her, the way their shoulders brushed.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew one thing: this wasn't over.
And for the first time in his life, Raymond Kingsley wanted something he couldn't have.