You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 904

Atticus burst into the police station. The second Chelsea saw him from her spot on the chair, every nerve in her body went on high alert. After so many years in the military, Atticus didn’t need to say a word to make his authority known. It was just there, a heaviness that filled the whole room. He looked every bit like a wolf king checking over his domain. No one dared to look up, not even the cockiest rookie. The police chief spotted Atticus and hurried over, all smiles and nervous energy. “Sir.”

Atticus glanced away from Chelsea and fixed his attention on the chief. His smile was polite, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks for your help. I’ll handle things from here. I’ll need to use your office for a bit.”

“Absolutely, yes, of course,” the chief stammered, nodding so fast he looked dizzy. He seemed so grateful to hand over the problem, it was like he’d let Atticus borrow his whole house if he asked.

“Did you get the security footage?”

“Yes, right here.” The chief grabbed a tablet from the desk and handed it over, already playing the video.

The whole thing was over in about six minutes. When the video finished, Atticus lifted his eyes and looked at Hector, standing off to the side. His stare was so sharp it felt like it could slice straight through you.

Atticus handed the tablet back. “Thanks.”

The chief took the hint and rushed out, mumbling that it was no trouble at all. The door closed with a soft click, and suddenly the silence was so thick you could almost feel it pressing in on you.

“George, wait outside,” Atticus said, nodding to Chelsea’s date, the eldest grandson from the Felix family. Both families had known about this arranged date and were secretly pretty pleased about the match. No one expected Hector to crash the whole thing.

Once they were gone, Atticus reached for the pack of cigarettes on the desk, pulled one out, and lit it. It was one of those cheap brands you see everywhere, nothing fancy, just right for a police chief.

He took a couple of drags, smoke curling around his face as he stared at Hector through the haze. His eyes were heavy with worry.

This guy had promise. That was obvious. But as a parent, you don’t always want your daughter’s partner to be too outstanding. Marriage is a balancing act. If one person is way ahead of the other, the one left behind ends up making all the sacrifices.

Chelsea’s career was just taking off. Right now, Atticus had the power and connections to keep her moving forward, to help her become something amazing in the next five or ten years. She could stand toe to toe with the best, fight her way to the top, and open doors for all the women who would come after her. That was the life he wanted for her. That was supposed to be her story.