You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 143

Ha.

Like I’d ever want that.

That place is nothing but a wolf’s den.

The terrace door swung open, then clicked shut. Then it opened again.

A burst of citrus—fresh oranges, maybe tangerine—filled the air. Patricia didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

Ruby stood behind her, swirling a glass of wine, staring out over the river—past Patricia, who was sitting on the swing.

When Ruby finally looked at her, her voice was thick with nostalgia. “This swing—Dad wanted it gone when we remodeled, said it took up too much space. But I wouldn’t let him. I had to keep it.”

Her fingers drifted along the wooden frame. There was something wistful in her touch. “Because I knew, this was your dream. It’s what you always wanted.”

“You wanted to sit up here on the top floor, right by the water, just listening to the river and living that life where you step outside and the first thing you see is the view.”

“But what can I say?” Ruby gave a helpless, almost guilty smile. “The life you always hoped for as a kid—somehow, I ended up living it instead.”

She tried not to smile but couldn’t help it. “Did you ever think it would turn out like this, Patricia?”

Patricia pushed off the ground with her toes and stood from the swing, crossing her arms, leaning back against the railing. She looked right at Ruby.

“You know, a long time ago, someone stole a gong. But the thing about a gong is, the moment you hit it, everyone hears it. So all the thief could do was hide it, never dare use it.”

She paused, eyes sharp. “That’s you now, isn’t it? You’ve taken everything that was mine. But what can you do with it? Can you ever really show it off?”

“Go ahead, Ruby. Parade around with your Hermès bags, drive your fancy cars around town. But the second you do, someone’s going to remind you that all of it used to be mine. You’re just the thief who took what didn’t belong to her.”

Patricia stepped in, her words slow, cold, and deliberate. “That includes your so-called childhood sweetheart.”

She gathered up her skirt and walked right through the main hall, all eyes on her as she headed for the door.

Neither Emerson nor Tina tried to stop her.

Instead, the guests started whispering, and the sound only grew louder as Patricia walked away.

The night wasn’t even over, but the Martin family was already the talk of the town.

What was supposed to be Ruby’s victory party ended up being all about Patricia. She didn’t even have to do anything—just being there was enough to steal the spotlight.

“I wish she would just disappear,” Tina fumed in the master bedroom, yanking off her jewelry in the closet. “We agreed we’d get rid of her for good, but you just had to go soft. Look at us now. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, waiting for her chance to tear us apart.”

She couldn’t help but complain to Emerson as she ripped off her last earring.