You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 642

“What’s up? You’ve been staring at that photo forever.”

Inside the quiet study at Cloud Peak, Marian had already walked in and out twice, each time finding Patricia still glued to her laptop, eyes never leaving the screen.

“Here, take a look.” Patricia turned the computer so Marian could see what she was looking at.

“Aren’t those your parents? Wow, ‘98. That’s ancient history.”

Patricia tapped her finger against the screen, pointing at Brandon. “That guy right there? He’s the detective handling the Emerson case. He’s the one who gave me this photo.”

“Mr. Lantz?”

Patricia nodded.

Marian slowly straightened up, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “No wonder he always seems so comfortable around here. Maybe that’s why?”

“Yeah. That’s probably the main reason,” Patricia said, her voice soft.

She felt stuck.

If it weren’t for this connection, she could’ve dealt with Ruby and Tina and tossed Brandon aside without a second thought. But now that she knew there was history with Brandon, everything was tangled.

She was frustrated. Really frustrated.

“So, is your original plan still going to work?” Marian asked quietly.

Patricia sighed, leaning back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling like it might have answers.

Her plan had always been to pin everything on Brandon in the end. Force Ruby to snap, get her arrested for attacking a cop, and tie it all up with a neat bow. Now, though, things weren’t so simple.

Brandon wasn’t just anyone. He was a senator’s kid, orphaned young, grew up in foster care. His whole life had been dark until her parents pulled him out and gave him hope.

If she went ahead and destroyed Brandon now, wouldn’t that go against everything her parents had wanted for him? Wouldn’t that betray what they’d done?

“I’ll tell him myself.”

That night, Oliver was out for a rare business dinner.

He wasn’t hosting—just there as a guest.

Jaxon had work in Riverdale and needed to meet with the local management. They were at a private restaurant run by Pacific Capital. Oliver brought Sara and Roger along too.

The table was full of politicians and business leaders, all lost in conversation.

Oliver sat back with a cigarette between his fingers, eyes on the man talking across from him.

His phone started buzzing on the table, but he didn’t pick it up right away. It wasn’t polite to check his phone in the middle of a conversation.

He waited until the man finished and someone else took over, then finally glanced down at the screen.