You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 448

“He hasn’t come home yet.”

“When he does, let me know. And have Marian bring a cup of coffee to my study.”

Patricia was dressed that day in a black chiffon dress with a touch of business chic. The fabric hugged her waist and framed her shoulders and neck just right—elegant, but with a quiet confidence. When she turned, the chiffon brushed her lower back, every movement smooth and graceful.

In the study, she pulled some files out of the safe, then dropped down onto the carpet, spreading the papers around her. On her laptop, the calendar blinked with a date from eight years ago. She moved slowly, matching old evidence and piecing together the puzzle—working out exactly how to set the perfect trap for Brandon and the others.

The door creaked open. Oliver walked in, carrying a cup of coffee.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Patricia shifted, glancing up. “It’s clean.”

“That’s not what I meant. Aren’t your legs going to fall asleep?”

She let out a soft “Oh” and used the sofa to steady herself as she stood. For a second, she wobbled, and Oliver set the coffee down.

“Legs numb?” he asked.

Patricia hesitated, then gave in with a sigh. “Yeah.”

Without another word, Oliver scooped her up and set her gently on the sofa. “You know your knees aren’t great. Try not to sit on the floor.”

“I forget sometimes,” she said, holding the coffee close.

“That’s probably for the best. If you thought about it all the time, it would just hold you back.”

He rolled up his sleeves and scooped up the scattered files, stacking them on the little side table.

“Need help with all this?” he offered.

“Would you mind?”

“I’d love to help. I just don’t want you calling me a busybody again.”

Patricia pressed her lips together, but didn’t answer.

Oliver glanced at the files, reading between the lines. “You’re planning to use this to bring Emerson down, aren’t you?”

Patricia pressed her forehead to his chest. “But if it shows up late, is it still justice? Maybe it’s just the truth, nothing else.”

He smiled and brushed her hair back. “Silly girl. Your husband knows a thing or two about fighting back.”

“First the truth,” she said quietly. “Then we make them pay.”

She managed a small smile and hugged him, holding on tight. “Yeah. We’ll make them pay.”

“They won’t get away with it.”

***

“All the case files you wanted are here,” Brandon said, dropping a thick stack of folders on the table.

“I took a look after your call last night. The only reason the case was ruled a suicide back then was because the wife testified.”

Brandon pulled out a chair and sat down, flipping through the files. “Now she’s come forward again. Says she was threatened all those years ago.”

The man across from him frowned. “You really think you can overturn this? It won’t be easy.”