You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 453

"Mr. Lantz!"

"Hey, Johns. Sorry to bother you again. Just checking in about Cloud Peak—have you seen any suspicious people around like we talked about before?"

"My apologies, Mr. Lantz. Nothing unusual from security so far."

"But my boss is home today and would like to invite you inside for some tea."

Brandon blinked, caught off guard.

Oliver?

He stood there in the courtyard, briefcase in hand, thrown off for a second by the invitation. It took him a moment to find his words. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

The tea room on the first floor had this floor-to-ceiling window that doubled as a hidden glass door, sliding open without a sound. Johns led them around the garden and up to the window, gesturing for them to come inside.

Inside, a kettle was already heating up. Steam curled into the air and faded away. Early spring sunlight flooded through the windows, making all the teacups on the wall sparkle—there had to be at least a hundred, each one catching the light.

Maybe some of those cups only cost a few bucks, but in a place like Cloud Peak, who’d ever believe that?

This was billionaire territory.

Even the wood and stone carvings above the windows were works of art, so you knew the cups they handed you weren’t anything ordinary.

"Mr. Lantz, good to see you again."

"Mr. Padilla."

Oliver sat at the head of the table. He reached into the sterilizer under his seat and pulled out two cups, speaking with a relaxed, almost offhand tone. "Mr. Lantz, do you remember what day Mrs. Wilma disappeared from Cloud Peak?"

"Right after the holidays. January twentieth."

Brandon twisted open a bottle of water and took a drink. "You think the only weak spots are in the tech?"

"Well, what else could it be?" the trainee asked.

"It’s the people. People make the weak spots," Brandon said, answering every question patiently, no matter how basic. Still, sometimes he couldn’t help but marvel at how innocent kids straight out of college could be.

The trainee thought it over, then said, "That Mr. Padilla... he’s even more impressive in person than on video. How does someone manage to be so classy and so intimidating at the same time?"

"He seemed polite, but honestly, he kept us at a distance. Four sentences, one cup of tea, and we were done."

"Honestly, just getting to meet someone like him is rare. Most people never even see the big boss, even if they’re investigating something serious."

"He let us in today to show who’s in charge. Giving us access to their security system so easily? That was a statement. He’s telling us this is a one-time thing. Once is fine, twice might happen, but there won’t be a third. That’s the kind of distance power creates."

The trainee’s eyes widened as it clicked. "So… this was our last time at Cloud Peak?"