You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 394

The sky was gray and heavy, the kind of rainy day that just seeps into your bones. Every time the weather turned like this, Patricia’s old injury would flare up, making it hard for her to get comfortable.

Inside the Cloud Peak villa, the living room was thick with the smell of burning herbs. Marian hovered close by, following the doctor’s instructions as she moved the glowing moxa stick over Patricia’s knee, careful and focused.

Oliver stood off to the side, arms crossed, worry written all over his face. He kept peppering the doctor with questions, trying to find anything that might help Patricia feel better.

The doctor was patient. “With an injury like this, rainy days are always tough. All we can do is keep up with the therapy and hope it gets better over time. Mrs. Padilla, you haven’t been healed for long. Give it time.”

Oliver nodded, glancing at Johns, who quietly showed the doctor out.

Sara came back just as Johns was seeing the doctor to the door. She called out, “Is everything okay?”

Johns filled her in, and as Sara climbed the stairs, the strong scent of mugwort hit her.

“Aunt Patricia, are you alright?” she asked, poking her head into the living room.

“I’m fine,” Patricia said, leaning back against the couch. She looked better than Oliver, at least.

Sara looked between them and said, “Honestly, I think it’s Uncle Oliver who looks worse.”

Patricia caught Oliver’s eye, then reached out and hooked her fingers around his, pulling him closer. “Stop looking so grim. Marian’s going to have a heart attack if you keep glowering like that.”

Marian shrank back a little, grateful someone had finally noticed her. Her hands were tired from holding the moxa stick, and she was sweating like crazy even though she’d barely moved.

Oliver let out a long sigh, took the moxa stick from Marian, and said, “I’ll do it.”

“Ms. Padilla, why don’t we go downstairs?” Marian said, eager to escape.

Sara hesitated. “But I want to keep Aunt Patricia company.”

“Soon,” Patricia said quietly. “Everything’s almost in place.”

Rain drummed against the windows, drops sliding down the glass in slow trails.

Patricia’s phone started buzzing on the coffee table. She didn’t even have to check the screen to know who it was.

She picked up. “Patricia, let’s meet,” Theo’s voice came through, calm and icy.

She let out a dry laugh. “Is there really anything left for us to talk about?”

“Oh, I think so. I’ve got that cruise ship video of you pushing Judy toward the window, remember?”

He paused, then added, “And your loyal bodyguard. I’m sure you don’t want anything to happen to him.”