You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 827

Halfway through the party, Patricia slipped away to the restroom. She already felt an itch to leave. On her way back, she passed a stairwell and froze. Somewhere behind the door, there were unmistakable sounds of something wild and secret. Her cheeks flushed, and she hurried past, pretending she hadn’t noticed.

She had just gathered up her dress to move on when a little boy came barreling around the corner. Reflexively, she stepped back to avoid him. The boy tumbled to the ground, sat up, and immediately burst into tears, accusing her in perfect Queen’s English between sobs.

Right then, the noises from the stairwell cut off, leaving an awkward silence.

A few seconds later, the stairwell door flew open. An angry-looking man stormed out and caught sight of Patricia, who was crouched down to help the boy.

She could feel his eyes on her, sharp and uncomfortable. She kept her gaze ahead, determined not to look back. Getting caught in a situation like this was the last thing she needed. Thankfully, she didn’t know most of the people at Golden Bay, and honestly, she didn’t want to know if the guy was married or not. That was someone else’s business.

“Are you alright?” Patricia asked the little boy, keeping her voice gentle. “Are you here by yourself? Where are your parents?”

Dressed in a tiny suit with his hair slicked back, the boy looked like a miniature adult. He wiped his eyes and pointed into the crowd. “Over there.”

Patricia didn’t bother to see where he meant. She was already desperate to get out of this awkward spot. There were few things more embarrassing than stumbling into someone’s secret rendezvous in a stairwell.

“Come on, I’ll take you,” she said, taking the boy’s hand and heading toward the ballroom.

Suddenly, the man from the stairwell caught up and grabbed her wrist.

Patricia spun around, finally seeing him up close. He had thick brows, small eyes, and a look that screamed sharp and calculating. Her first thought was to pull her hand away, which she did, with a clear look of distaste. For all she knew, he hadn’t even washed his hands after what just happened. Gross.

Gilbert had planned to ask if she’d seen anything, but from the way she recoiled, he already had his answer.

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