You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 233

Her fingertip pressed hard against the touchscreen, the skin turning pale from the pressure.

She shook off her thoughts.

After finishing the last bite of her peach, she called Jackson upstairs.

“What’s Greg been up to lately? Has he gotten close to Kelly yet?”

“He has,” Jackson replied. “Honestly, Kelly’s probably having nightmares every night.”

Patricia’s tone was heavy. “It’s time to wrap this up.”

Jackson was caught off guard. “Isn’t it too soon?”

“We said we’d do it before the end of the year. It’s only September.”

Jackson noticed something off in Patricia’s face. He paused, eyeing the peach pit in front of her, and started to piece things together.

While Patricia fell quiet, lost in her own head, Jackson discreetly picked up his phone and texted Chelsea: SOS. Help. Please get Miss out of the house.

Chelsea was sitting on the toilet, scrolling through her phone when the message popped up.

She called Jackson right away.

Jackson glanced at Patricia. “Miss, I need to take this call.”

Patricia just waved her hand, telling him to go.

Jackson stepped out and explained the situation to Chelsea over the phone.

Chelsea got it right away. As soon as the call ended, she started making plans to get Patricia out.

Meanwhile, Jackson went downstairs and pulled Marian to the side. “Why’d you have to bring Miss a peach today?”

Marian looked puzzled. “She asked for one, so I bought it for her.”

Jackson let out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah, but you should’ve just let it go today.”

He shook his head. “Now she’s eaten herself into a mood. I know what that’s like.”

That feeling of being stuck, heavy, sinking in your own emotions.

A little while later, Patricia came down again.

Jackson saw her getting ready to leave and started to get the car, but she waved him off.

He watched the black Bentley disappear down the road before heading over to the guest house.

Inside, Aiden and a few bodyguards were crowded around the dining table, tearing into a pile of KFC.

Aiden waved him over. “Hey, come eat.”

No one wanted to make it worse.

How much does it hurt, really?

No amount of sugar from a lollipop could wash away that kind of bitterness.

Ever since he was eight, every time he saw a woman in a blue dress on the street, he’d lose himself for a moment.

They all reminded him of his mom the day she left.

Patricia arrived at the address Chelsea sent her. As she walked in, a server was placing bowls of steaming tom yum soup on the table.

The tangy, spicy smell made her stomach rumble.

“If you’re feeling down, don’t just sit around at home,” Chelsea said. “You’ll drive yourself crazy.”

“Want a drink?”

Patricia nodded. “Yeah.” She hadn’t had a drink in a long time.

She couldn’t drink during rehab, and ever since then, there hadn’t really been time—or a reason.

Being with Chelsea made her want to relax for a change.

“Jackson told me what’s going on,” Chelsea said. “You’ve held out this long. You’re right at the finish line. There’s no need to rush. If the net isn’t tight enough, what if the fish gets away?”