You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 782

The phone call lasted forever.

So long that Chelsea ended up falling asleep right there on the sofa, blanket pulled up around her shoulders. Patricia never hung up.

The next morning, footsteps echoed through the apartment. Chelsea, half-awake, tugged the blanket over her head, determined to ignore the world. A sudden thought jolted her upright. She squinted at Patricia, who was already at the door, slipping on her boots.

“You’re up early. Where are you going?” Chelsea mumbled.

“Work,” Patricia replied, her voice calm.

“Have you completely lost it? It’s only seven. Just because you don’t sleep doesn’t mean your team doesn’t need to.” Chelsea shook her head. “Bosses like you are the scariest.”

Patricia zipped up her boots and shot her a look. “Moss is already downstairs waiting.”

Chelsea just stared. The rumors were true. High achievers really were a little nuts.

Downstairs, Jackson sat in the passenger seat, munching on a plain bun. When Patricia slid into the back, he passed her a bun and a cup of soy milk. “From Mr. Martin. Breakfast places aren’t open this early, so this is all we could get.”

Patricia opened the bag and took a bite. “It’s perfect.”

Jackson smiled to himself. Distance really did make Patricia seem more approachable. When he was nearby, he never even thought about whether she cared for this kind of stuff.

The car headed toward the county town. Moss filled her in on the factory situation. Patricia got swept up in the chaos of the day, shuffling between meetings and negotiations with local officials. She and the legal team, more than a dozen strong, marched in and finally managed to get all the factory’s records released. At first, the officials refused to budge. It wasn’t until Patricia brought in some connections that they finally relented.

Elsewhere, in a hospital room in Riverdale, Oliver had just wrapped up a media interview. Lincoln slipped in, phone in hand, glancing at Oliver with a hint of nerves.

“Mr. Padilla, your wife went down to the county town to handle the mess Tina left behind at the factory.”

Oliver leaned back against the headboard, eyes half-closed. “Got it.”

Jackson hovered nearby, ready to help. “Are you okay, Miss?”

“Just tired,” Patricia managed.

“Want me to walk you up?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Jackson hesitated. “Is Marian home? Is there any food? Or I can grab something for you if you want.”

“I’ll just order takeout. You’ve had a long day too. Get some rest.”

Jackson chuckled. “This is nothing. I’ll walk you up, then pick up food for you and Chelsea.”