You Looked Down on Me Once, Now You Look Up. novel Chapter 177

“Sir, Mrs. Padilla says since Howard’s here, she won’t be joining us.”

Inside the private dining room, Oliver’s chest tightened the moment he spotted Howard. He had a bad feeling about tonight, and it was already coming true.

Howard came in apologizing, downed three shots of liquor in a row, and only then finally looked at Oliver.

Oliver, who’d just lost his rare dinner with his wife, wasn’t even trying to hide his annoyance.

“If you’re busy, Mr. Holmes, maybe we can reschedule?” Oliver said, voice chilly.

“Mr. Padilla?” Kyle was still processing Howard’s sudden entrance when he saw Oliver stand up abruptly and leave.

Oliver’s face was stone cold, his whole vibe screaming tension as he walked out.

Kyle felt a headache coming on. He’d spent almost half a month trying to get Oliver to this meeting, and just like that, Howard had messed everything up.

“Mr. Padilla!” Kyle dashed after him and watched helplessly as Oliver climbed into a waiting van.

As Oliver slid into his seat, the soft outline of a woman’s face came into view—a little familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Did I mess things up for you?” Patricia’s voice was careful, her eyes searching his face as she noticed his dark mood.

“No,” Oliver said, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. He tried to sound casual, but she could tell he was still wound up.

“That was Mr. Holmes, right?” Patricia asked.

Oliver glanced at her. “You know him?”

“He and my uncle served together back in the day,” Patricia explained.

“Did Howard show up because of the energy project?” Patricia always seemed to have a sixth sense for anything related to the Newtons or the Martins.

Oliver had picked up on that a while ago.

The Martins were easy—he could make those introductions. But the Newtons? With Theo, her ex, still in the mix? That was complicated.

Anytime she brought up someone from the Newton family, it just put him in a bad mood.

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