You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 804

Aiden’s warning hit hard, maybe because it was just so true.

Raymond was stuck. No job, no prospects, just scraping by on his parents’ pension. If things really blew up now, it would destroy his family. Patricia could see how close they were to the edge, so when the argument started winding down, she let her gaze drift away.

The air was sharp with winter, but classes were still in session, so students crowded the university district. People had stopped to watch the drama play out, some of them whispering and shooting looks at Cecilia. These days, parents worried their kids would drag them down, while kids worried their parents would suck them dry. Somewhere along the way, families had turned into battlegrounds.

Sometimes Patricia couldn’t help thinking how strange it was. The person everyone else had thrown away like garbage was the one thing she’d never get back, the one thing she’d always treasure.

She leaned her head on her hand and scrolled through her phone. Chelsea was complaining about her experiments again, saying they were even harder to deal with than men. Patricia was about to type a reply when—

The car door on the other side flew open.

She jerked in surprise. Before she could even process what was happening, a man with a lined face and gray hair dropped to his knees right there on the pavement.

Tears streamed down his face as he begged, “Mrs. Padilla, I’m Dylan from North County Energy. Please, I’m begging you, talk to Mr. Padilla for me. Don’t let him ruin me.”

Patricia’s chest tightened. She shifted away, trying to avoid his desperate gesture. “What are you doing?”

A moment later, Jackson and Aiden walked up carrying bags, only to stop short at the sight. For a second, they just stared.

Seriously? Was this for real? Kneeling on the sidewalk in broad daylight? The monarchy had been gone for ages, but people were still dropping to their knees.

He ran a small energy company in North County, just three or four hundred workers. He’d been at it for over twenty years, always supported by the local government. Even when the economy tanked, his business kept people employed and the money coming in. He really thought things were finally looking up. Then last month, government officials paid a visit, saying it was just a routine inspection. Not long after, someone came knocking, talking about a buyout.

Dylan refused, so things turned ugly. The officials cut his water and electricity, started finding all sorts of problems—environmental violations, fire safety concerns, you name it. It didn’t stop there. They even set up his son and got him arrested.

That’s when Dylan knew he was in real trouble. He went to beg the people in charge, just asking for a way out.

All he got in response was a shrug and, “It’s not us. Ever heard of Pacific Capital? They want to expand, and your company is in the way. Old Wu, try to see our side. Would you pick a few hundred jobs, or tens of thousands? If you were the one making the call, what would you do?”

“Just let it go. If you do, your son’s problems will disappear.”