You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 724

Before Oliver brought Patricia home, he made sure everyone knew about her so-called marriage before him. He explained how she’d been set up, how desperate she was for safety, and how if she’d been left alone, her parents’ enemies would have hunted her down. That marriage was nothing more than a desperate move, just a way to survive.

If Oliver hadn’t already put everything out in the open, the family would probably be bringing it up now—maybe even making a few snide remarks about the newlyweds just to get under their skin. But since he spelled it all out from the start, what could they really say?

Of course, when people want to cause trouble, they’ll always find a way.

That evening, Grace from the Brooks family let her eyes linger on Patricia’s stomach for a moment longer than necessary. “Oliver, Grandfather’s been talking about it for ages. He can’t wait for you to give him a great-grandchild to spoil.”

She smiled, a hint of sweetness in her voice. “You know, out of everyone, you’re his favorite.”

Lydia, Oliver’s mother, shot Grace a cool, unreadable look. “I heard you two are trying. Is that true?”

Under the table, Oliver gave Patricia’s fingers a gentle squeeze. He leaned back in his chair, looking as relaxed as ever. “We are. Aunt Tina, if you have any good remedies, don’t keep them to yourself.”

As soon as he said it, Grace’s smile faltered for a second. Her own daughter-in-law had struggled for years with health problems after her first child, and nothing had worked. Hearing Oliver say that felt like a pointed reminder.

Grace pulled her composure back together. “Of course.”

Oliver had a few more drinks that night. The old man was in a great mood, and nobody wanted to ruin it. Plus, Oliver hardly ever came home. Once dinner was over, the staff cleared the table, the women drifted out to chat, and the men stayed behind for another round.

Grace, sitting across from them peeling an orange, jumped in with a smile. “Oliver was such a possessive kid. He never let anyone touch his stuff, not even his pets. Even the cats and dogs had to stay in his yard. But Sara and the others just loved messing with him, probably because they were all close in age. Oliver liked his peace and quiet. He tried asking them to stop, but when they wouldn’t listen, he figured out that discipline was the only thing that worked.”

After laying out her story, Grace finally got to her point. “Oliver’s definitely going to be a strict dad someday.”

On its own, the comment was harmless, but with all that buildup, it almost sounded like she was hinting Oliver had a temper.

Selara, who knew exactly what Grace was up to, flashed her a sweet smile. She understood the complicated history between Grace and Oliver. “Strict is good. Kids need boundaries. If you let them run wild, they might destroy their own lives, and that’s their problem. But if they go out and hurt some innocent girl, that’s just a tragedy.”

There was a sudden thump as Grace’s orange dropped to the floor. She glared at Selara, her stare sharp enough to cut.