You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 455

May, right at the start of summer.

Martin Group had just taken over Skyline Entertainment. The acquisition meeting was a media circus, cameras flashing nonstop. Riley was there, cool as ever, barely blinking at the attention.

As things were wrapping up, Emerson came over and asked her to grab lunch. She didn’t say yes, didn’t say no, just shrugged and walked out, her expression unreadable.

Diego, Skyline’s vice president, hurried after her, trying to keep things from falling apart. He shook Emerson’s hand and put on his best PR smile, then chased Riley down in the parking lot, grabbing her arm.

“Come on, Riley, can you at least pretend to be civil? If not for yourself, then for the hundreds of people still depending on us,” he pleaded, desperation clear in his voice.

Riley jerked her arm out of his grip, eyes cold. “Is this really about the employees, or just about you, Diego?”

She paused, her tone cutting. “Let’s be honest. Whatever was between us, it’s over. Don’t try your old tricks on me. If you’re so capable, how did you tank the company in three years?”

Diego looked like he wanted to argue, but the slam of Riley’s car door ended the conversation.

“Blockhead,” he muttered.

“Hardheaded as ever,” Riley called back, not missing a beat.

Not far away, a black SUV was parked with the passenger window cracked just enough to hear everything but not be seen. Inside, Jackson glanced sideways at Aiden.

Aiden looked nervous. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Jackson nodded toward Riley, who was stalking away. “You two could be twins with how stubborn you both are.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “Maybe you should eat something sweet. Your mouth is way too sharp today.”

Jackson just smirked, stretched out with his hands behind his head, and watched as Diego pulled out his phone, made a quick call, and disappeared.

Without waiting for instructions, Aiden started the car.

Jackson checked his phone, following Riley’s route on the GPS as they tailed her down the street.

“Turn onto Qingping Street,” he said.

“Let’s get out of here before the cops show up,” Jackson said.

Their job was simple: keep Riley from getting grabbed. So far, so good.

Aiden, still catching his breath, asked, “How did the boss know someone would come after Riley today?”

Jackson dug through the glove box, found a lollipop, unwrapped it, and popped it in his mouth. “Easy. People who gamble big are always scared someone’s coming for them.”

Aiden frowned. “You mean Riley’s the gambler?”

Jackson shot him a look. “No. Diego.”

Aiden nodded, finally getting it.

Jackson kept talking, lollipop stick bobbing. “Diego’s drowning in debt. That’s why he wanted to sell Skyline. But he knows Riley built that company from nothing, and she’d never just let it go. So he trashed it from the inside, made it unsellable, and then put it on the market. It was the only way he could get out from under all that debt.”