You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 125

“Mom, what are you getting at?”

“You want Patricia to take over the planning department with me? Sit side by side? Is that really a good idea?”

“I’m not okay with this.”

Ruby stood in Emerson’s office, clearly annoyed. Having Patricia work right next to her? Knowing Patricia, she’d make it her mission to compete with Ruby on everything, turning every day into a battle.

How humiliating would that be?

Ruby had spent the last two years working her butt off to finally shake off the “boss’s daughter” label. If Patricia joined now, wouldn’t all that effort go right down the drain?

It wasn’t even about skills or tricks. Just the idea of Patricia sitting right there made Ruby’s chest tighten with frustration.

Tina glanced at Ruby, wanting to say something, but just sighed instead.

Patricia really was a problem for all of them.

Ruby stomped her foot. “Mom!”

“Ruby, having Patricia in the planning department is still better than letting her into the boardroom, you know that, right?” With the shares Patricia owned, she could easily land a real seat on the board and start meddling in how the company is run.

But today, Patricia settled for something less. Both Tina and Emerson felt a huge sense of relief.

“So now I have to see her every single day and get a headache? Can’t you guys come up with a way to make her quit?”

Emerson stood by the window, cigarette in hand, turning with an impatient look. “She’s right under your nose. Instead of whining to me and your mom, shouldn’t you be thinking about how to handle her yourself?”

Tina saw Emerson’s cold look and reached over to pat Ruby’s lower back, quietly telling her not to be dramatic or stubborn.

“You’re right, Dad. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

With Patricia so close, Ruby had plenty of ways to handle her.

The moment Ruby left, Tina closed the office door and turned to Emerson. “Ruby’s freaking out for a reason.”

The midday sun poured through the windows, heating the room just a little too much.

Emerson didn’t answer Tina. He walked away from the window, cigarette still burning.

When the black Bentley finally pulled out of the parking lot, Patricia rolled up the window, shutting out the harsh sunlight.

“Miss, why are you going to the planning department? Shouldn’t you just join the board and take some real power?” Jackson asked as he drove, watching Patricia in the rearview mirror, trying to figure her out.

Patricia sat in the back seat, fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on her thigh, hands loosely intertwined while she stared down in thought.

“You’re looking at the planning department. But what I see is Ruby. Emerson only has one kid, so of course he’s going to put everything into her—give her all the best resources. I’m still pretty young and I don’t know all the ins and outs of the company yet. If I rushed into a board seat and took on real power, I’d just be the first to get thrown under the bus when things go south.”

“But if I’m in the planning department, right beside Ruby, when something does go wrong, Emerson and Tina will think twice before making me the scapegoat.”

Jackson couldn’t help but be impressed by how clever his Miss was.