Chapter 23: If You Can't Cut It, Replace Them

Fuming, Madison returned to the studio, spent a good deal of time smoothing things over with the crew, and then headed back to the office.

She was sure Grayson had deliberately withheld the information from her last night. Yet, she couldn't for the life of her figure out how she had managed to offend the man this time.

Sitting in her office, the call from Grayson came through. "Come up and make me a coffee."

"Sorry, Grayson, I'm in the middle of rescheduling the studio shoot."

"And?"

"There's no time. Have someone else prepare your coffee."

Madison cut the call short.

After hanging up, she felt a surge of defiance. Hanging up on Grayson's call was a bold move. However, he couldn't care less whether he would be mad or not. She really didn't want to see him.

'Is this his idea of fun?' Her irritation lingered.

This man never took a loss. Reflecting on it, she figured it must be because she had fed the meal meant for him to pets that had ticked him off.

She didn't know what he expected of her. It wasn't like he would eat them once he returned. He should have eaten at Nora's. There was no reason for him to be bothered about the simple fare she had prepared in comparison to Nora's cooking.

A short while later, the executive office line rang through to Sophia.

Sophia approached cautiously and knocked on the door.

"Boss, Grayson wants you upstairs," she said.

Sophia was well aware of the runaround Madison had been given today. Everyone at the studio today knew what was going on, even if nobody said it out loud. It seemed like there was another showdown between two women. And once again, Madison came out on the losing end.

Somehow, Nora didn't even have to show up to trounce Madison completely. Even Sophia sympathized with Madison's underdog status. But with Grayson perched on high, if he sided with Nora, no one would dare speak against him.

Madison slumped in her chair, not wanting to move. Yet, she was well aware that her inaction could spell trouble for someone else. Grayson had a knack for exerting pressure where it hurt the most. He knew exactly what she valued. If she didn't toe the line, it would be either Sophia or the Executive who paid the price. In Grayson's presence, the only option was to play by his rules.

"I got it," Madison finally conceded, pushing down her irritation and steadying her emotions before heading upstairs.

Approaching the door, she was stopped short by a thunderous crash from inside. She glanced over at the Executive, who came and informed her, "The Sales Manager is presenting a report."

After a brief silence, Madison responded, "I'll come back later, then."

The Executive's lips twitched slightly. "You can go in now."

Madison preferred to avoid walking into a battleground, especially knowing Grayson's high standards at work, except, she thought, in the case of the recent plan where someone was substituted at the last minute. However, it made sense once she considered that the replacement was Nora—Grayson's long-lost first love and his first love.

Undoubtedly, Nora enjoyed far too many privileges when it came to Grayson. So, Madison turned on her heel and headed to the break room instead.

She poured herself a glass of water and took a seat by the window, but the sense of unease lingered within her. For some reason, her mind drifted back to her childhood memories.

She remembered Grayson living in that Fishing Village for about six months when they were kids. It was just him and a Nanny back then. Madison always thought he seemed so lonely, even though she had her struggles, but at least she had her mother.

She used to feel so sorry for Grayson. Whenever her mother made something delicious, she would rush to share it with him. He would light up with each gift, greeting her with a smile and saying, "Lily, I really like you. You're the kindest person in the world to me."

That simple expression of affection stuck with her for years. Yet, he ended up falling for someone else.

It was only when she ran into Grayson three years ago that she realized he wasn't the pitiful one; it had always been her. It seemed she may have been loving the wrong person from the start.

Grayson was no longer the person he used to be as a kid. He wouldn't share his likes with her anymore.

The door to the break room swung open. The Executive stood at the threshold. "Madison, Grayson wants to see you."

Madison nodded and pushed open the door to Grayson's office.

Grayson was seated behind his desk, his head bowed, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he spoke without looking up. "Madison, you sure knows how to slack off."

Madison apologized, "Sorry, I thought you were busy just now."

"I am indeed swamped. Yet, you still find the time to laze around, sip water, and enjoy the view. Don't you feel guilty for accepting a paycheck for this?"

Madison said, "Sorry."

She hesitated before speaking up, "Grayson, do you know when Ms. Nora will be able to start shooting? If she can't recover in time, my advice is still to find a replacement. The new line launches next month, and any further delays could hinder the campaign."

Grayson finally raised his head to look at her. "That simply means your work is not up to par. As for a replacement, that's out of the question. You shouldn't even consider it. If you truly can't handle the job, perhaps it's better to have someone else do it!"

Madison stiffened. Grayson's talk of replacing someone wasn't just about handing off this project; it was about finding a new Marketing Department manager.

How absurd. Nora was the one not cooperating, yet Grayson was considering replacing Madison.

Madison took a deep breath; she needed the money, a lot of it, and she couldn't afford to lose her job. She met Grayson's gaze. "I'll do my best."

Grayson seemed satisfied at last. "Good. Then, I expect you to ensure the work is completed on time, with quality and quantity guaranteed."

After a moment of silence, Madison responded with a simple "okay."

Returning to her office, she began to call Nora's agent to reschedule. This time, the agent picked up and began with cordial apologies.

Madison listened, and after the agent finished, she said, "Please provide me with a time when Ms. Nora can shoot. I need to plan the next steps."

The agent laughed after hearing this. "It's a bit tricky for me to give you a specific time."

Madison felt her patience snap. "If Ms. Nora truly doesn't have the time, then maybe she should focus on her other engagements. It's not like she's irreplaceable for my project."

The agent responded with a chilly laugh. "Madison, Nora's schedule is indeed jam-packed. Grayson has just funded a new movie for her, and they're gearing up for the shoot. But Grayson made it clear that no matter how busy, the endorsement deal is reserved for Nora. You're not exactly in a position to switch spokespersons on a whim, are you?"

"Could you at least give me a specific timeframe?"

"Sorry, I can't pin that down yet."

Madison slammed the phone down with a click. She tossed her cell phone onto the desk and stood up, heading for the bathroom.

After splashing water on her face and calming down a bit, she returned to her office to find Sophia with a hesitancy in her eyes.

"What's up?"

Sophia, clearly agitated, dropped her pen on the desk. "Nora's here at the office, acting as if nothing's wrong."

Madison let out a scoff. "Isn't that to be expected?"

Unperturbed, Madison saw that Sophia was filled with frustration. "Our whole agenda's been derailed by her. Talk about hogging the limelight. If she doesn't want to shoot, why cling to the endorsement?"

Madison chuckled to herself; it wasn't necessarily that Nora was insisting on it. Maybe Grayson insisted on backing her. After all, snagging the Ivy endorsement was like unlocking the doors to the entire luxury goods market. For Grayson to welcome his first love back home with such a gift was hardly a tall order.

She gave Sophia a reassuring pat. "Relax, I'll talk to her."

Heading back upstairs to the top floor, as soon as Madison exited the elevator, she noticed the entire secretary pool was abuzz with excitement. Every one of them had a little gift in hand, murmuring among themselves.

Seeing Madison, their smiles turned awkward in an instant. It was common knowledge that Nora had singled her out.

"Madison," an Executive called out.

"I need to speak with Miss McMahon."

The Executive seemed troubled. "Grayson just made it clear that nobody should disturb her without his permission."