You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 512

“We’re here, but we can’t go in—there are way too many reporters outside.”

Aurora leaned against the break room window, looking down at the chaos on the street with a hint of amusement, like she was watching her favorite drama unfold. She took a sip from her coffee, though she honestly couldn’t remember when she’d started drinking it. There was still more than half left.

Inside the office, the air was thick with tension. Everyone pretended not to care, but their fingers flew across keyboards, desperate for the latest updates. No one wanted to miss a single detail of the unfolding gossip.

Her phone buzzed with a new message.

She glanced at the screen. Administration had sent an email, and her manager had already screenshotted it and tagged everyone in the group chat:

“No discussion of company matters on social media.”

Aurora looked up from her phone, eyes landing on the black BMW parked at the curb, unable to get past the crowd. She clicked her tongue, slipped her phone into her pocket, and headed back to her desk.

“Did you hear? They still haven’t found Ms. Klotz. Mr. Martin is furious—he’s about to lose it,” someone whispered.

“Where did Ms. Klotz go?”

A coworker scooted her chair closer, voice barely above a whisper as she stared at the manager’s office door. “Someone saw Mr. Martin at the hospital—he was helping a woman out of the OB-GYN.”

“You don’t think…”

She trailed off, but Aurora got the message loud and clear.

An affair, huh? Aurora caught on instantly and was about to say something when the manager’s office door swung open.

Both of them straightened up, acting like nothing had happened.

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At Chelsea’s apartment, Maggie was working on the pie filling. All those years taking care of Atticus out west had turned her into a pretty great cook, though the arid climate meant she mostly stuck to lighter dishes.

She and Chelsea were the type who could only handle a couple days of home cooking before they needed to go out for something different. That changed once Marian moved in.

In the kitchen, Patricia handled the pie crust while Chelsea mixed the dough. The three of them worked together like they’d been doing it forever.

“I watched the news this morning. Do you think Emerson’s actually going to get charged?” Maggie asked, only half paying attention as she stirred.

Patricia grinned. “Aunt Marian made it from scratch.”

“I’ll come by after work. Will I be too late?”

“Not at all.”

As soon as he hung up, Sara looked at him hopefully. “Uncle Oliver, where are you going for pie?”

“Can we come too?”

“Uncle Oliver, pleeease?”

He shot her a look. “Ask your dad.”

What was he, everyone’s dad now? Free babysitting, day after day.

He said he’d come after work, but he never really got off the clock. After telling Johns to pick out a few gifts from the Cloud Peak warehouse and have them delivered, Oliver finally set off for Chelsea’s place.