You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 834

Patricia just wasn’t like everyone else.

“Ms. Martin, why are you so hostile toward me? Is it just because my last name is Stone?”

Patricia lifted her eyes slowly. Her long lashes quivered as she looked at him, her voice cool and even. “Isn’t that reason enough?”

“But Ms. Martin, I haven’t done anything.”

“Innocent? Where’s the innocence, Mr. Stone? If your name is Stone, I simply dislike you. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t even have a seat at this table.”

She clearly wasn’t in the mood to chat. Selara still hadn’t come back, so Patricia waved over the server to settle her bill.

She only paid for her own drink.

When the server glanced at Jamie, Patricia let out a soft laugh. “We’re splitting the bill. I’m sure you get it, Mr. Stone.”

“Not really.”

She arched a brow. “Seems like you’ve let other people’s nonsense get stuck in your head, Mr. Stone. There’s this thing called the internet. Try using it sometime.”

Patricia grabbed her bag and headed for the door. As she reached the entrance, she spotted Selara coming in, laughing and chatting with someone who seemed familiar. When Selara saw Patricia, she looked puzzled. “Why are you out here?”

“I ran into someone I know. We just caught up for a bit.” Selara turned to the person next to her and smiled. “This is my sister-in-law. Oliver’s wife.”

The man beside her was older, about retirement age, with perfectly groomed silver hair and the sharp, put-together vibe of someone who probably ran a university department.

“A real beauty,” he said warmly. “Oliver’s a lucky man.”

Selara grinned. “Let me introduce you. This is Dr. Owen, from the Golden Bay University Physics Institute.”

“Dr. Owen.” Patricia nodded politely.

“Sir, should we go?”

Inside the black Mercedes, Jamie watched Patricia from the window. She was standing at the curb with Selara, waiting for their ride. The way she dressed gave her this effortless, almost magical vibe. Even the sound of waves from the harbor behind her felt like it was part of her story.

He finally looked away, sighing. His finger hovered over his phone, staring at the search bar that still showed his last query: “Jaxon’s new appointment.” He switched the phone off and leaned back against the car door, frustration radiating off him.

He couldn’t stop picturing the moment she’d looked down to smooth her dress, her attention focused on something only she could see.

“Tell me,” he asked quietly, “is there anyone in Golden Bay who comes close to her?”

The driver hesitated, a little lost. He hadn’t seen what happened inside the café, so he just assumed Jamie had his eyes on another girl, like always.

He offered the answer he thought Jamie wanted. “Sir, whoever catches your eye, no matter how amazing, is already yours for the asking.”