You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 760

Since she was a teenager, Ruby had always dreamed of marrying Theo. If that didn’t work out, she wanted at least to live like Patricia, wrapped in silk and privilege, the kind of girl who never had to worry about anything. But now? All of it had disappeared. Everything she wanted, everything she fought for, just slipped through her fingers. For Ruby, that was the kind of pain that left scars. She had schemed, she had struggled, and in the end, she was left with nothing. No love. No money. Nothing at all.

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“Miss, where to?” The voice came from the front seat.

Patricia sat in the back of the van, her head resting in her hand. Aiden was behind the wheel, tense, not sure if he should start the car or just wait. He kept glancing at Jackson, hoping he’d break the silence and ask for him. The truth was, Aiden wasn’t unwilling to speak. He just didn’t dare to.

Patricia didn’t say a word. The air around her felt heavy, almost suffocating. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, and the woman who always seemed so put-together now looked like she was barely holding on. She’d argued all night, hadn’t slept at all, and then spent the whole day cleaning up Ruby’s mess. Fighting at night, fighting during the day—no one could keep that up without breaking.

Finally, her voice drifted from the back seat. “Back to the office.” Aiden didn’t hesitate. He started the car and drove away.

By ten-thirty, Patricia was walking into her office. She didn’t even sit down before calling Colby in and asking for the legal team. The audit had already uncovered everything: Tina had been funneling company money into Ruby’s Skyline Entertainment. If the money was supposed to be an investment, there should’ve been results. If it was a loan, it was time to pay it back, with interest. Either way, Ruby wasn’t leaving the country. Patricia was set on keeping her here and making sure she paid for every mistake.

The morning passed in a blur of meetings, paperwork, and decisions. Lunch was just a boxed meal in the conference room, eaten between calls. In the break room, the coffee machine was working overtime, cup after cup sent into the boardroom.

It wasn’t until ten at night that Patricia finally lifted her head from the endless stack of documents. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her aching neck, her brow drawn tight with fatigue.

“Mr. Martin…” Colby knocked and stepped inside, but before she could say anything, Patricia waved her off. “You can head home. Thanks for today.”

“Would you like a ride?”

Brandon replied right away. Successful.

A moment later, he sent over the first trial verdict.

Patricia didn’t bother to text back. She called him instead. When Brandon saw her name pop up, he was caught off guard. Before he could say anything, Patricia spoke first.

“Tina’s case… I owe you one. If you ever need anything, Mr. Lantz, just let me know.”

Brandon chuckled softly. “A favor from Mrs. Padilla? That’s not a debt I’d dare to collect.”