You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 118

Even if the job title was the same, everyone knew there was a world of difference between being a shareholder and just another employee.

As a sleek black Bentley glided past, Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling that someone inside was watching her. She lifted her gaze, but the tinted windows revealed nothing.

Then a Maybach S450 cruised by, its silver paint gleaming under the city lights.

Ruby glanced down, double-checking the license plate number she’d sent Tina. Satisfied it matched, she tightened her grip on her phone.

“Worried something might go sideways with Ruby?” Jackson asked, hands steady on the Bentley’s wheel as they pulled away.

Behind them, Aiden followed in the Maybach. They’d shown up in the Maybach and were leaving in the Bentley. The whole thing felt like a magic trick—one minute, everything was as expected, and the next, the pieces had quietly swapped places.

“It’s not worry,” Patricia replied, pulling out her phone for a quick glance. No new messages. She snapped it shut. “It’s just… inevitable. Emerson and his crew want me gone. Whatever it takes.”

“But even if I disappear, they still won’t get what they want,” she added, her voice cool and certain. “As long as Emerson doesn’t win, I can live with anything.”

“Did you look into what I asked about?”

“I’m still working on it. It’s not easy,” Jackson admitted. “Needs some time.”

“No rush,” Patricia said. Her biggest priority was getting into the Group. As for Grandma Martin, she had all the time she needed to deal with her.

That night, Patricia texted Marian to let her know she wouldn’t be home for dinner, then headed over to Chelsea’s lab.

When Chelsea opened the door, Patricia almost didn’t recognize her. Gone was the polished, glowing cousin she remembered—this woman looked tired, almost like a completely different person.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Chelsea shot her a look. “Your eyes are killing me.”

“I’m just drained by all this research, not a walking corpse,” she grumbled, her voice quiet but dripping with melodramatic misery.

“Waiting for a text from Mr. Padilla?” Jackson asked, sidling over with his eyes still half on his game.

“No,” Patricia answered, deadpan, snapping her phone shut.

Jackson didn’t even look up. “Come on, it’s not like it’s embarrassing. You used to wait on Theo’s texts, and he was a total loser. Mr. Padilla seems alright, at least for now.”

“And anyway, I heard Padilla Capital just landed in Riverdale. Pretty sure he’s buried in work. That’s probably why he hasn’t messaged you.”

Patricia frowned. “How do you even know all this? You know more about my husband’s schedule than I do.”

Jackson shrugged. “Security guys talk. It’s not exactly a secret.”

Suddenly, someone called out from behind them. “Patricia? Is that really you? You’re back?”