Chapter 30: The Partiality Was Too Apparent

Nora approached Madison with two glasses of wine in hand. Madison glanced at the drinks and instantly knew what would happen next. A sharp pain throbbed in her temples.

Indeed, the very next moment, Nora extended a glass of drink to Madison. "I'm sorry, Madison. I've caused some work delays and potentially some misunderstandings. I want to apologize to you for that."

Madison glanced at the drink before locking eyes with Nora. "No need to apologize. Friction is inevitable at work; what matters is communication. And please, no drinks for me—I haven't been feeling well lately."

She didn't take the glass. Without another word, she continued walking away.

However, Nora swiftly blocked her path. "Do you not forgive me, Madison? Is that why you won't even have a drink?"

Madison smiled. "Ms. Nora, like I said, it's just work-related friction. It's not about forgiveness. Besides, I'm genuinely not feeling well."

Still, Nora persisted. "It won't hurt—it's just a little drink. Didn't I hear that you could hold your liquor back in the day?"

Madison, indeed, used to be able to handle her drinks. When she first joined the company as Grayson's secretary, the firm was only finding its footing. Whenever she accompanied Grayson to business meetings, she drank glass after glass without hesitation.

However, times they had changed. The sip she had yesterday already filled her with regret. She couldn't afford to have this one today.

"Sorry, Ms. Nora. Once I'm feeling better, I'll make it up to you, okay?"

Nora pouted. "So, you really don't want to forgive me."

Taking a deep breath, Madison replied, "I'm sorry, I just don't want to drink. I'm truly not well."

"What's wrong? You look fine to me."

Madison's head buzzed with irritation. She couldn't fathom why Nora was insistent on her drinking this glass.

If it was really to seek forgiveness, Nora was being too magnanimous. Otherwise, there was no other reason.

Suddenly, Madison remembered how Nora was looking through her prenatal vitamins yesterday. A chilling thought struck her. She didn't know if Nora was growing suspicious.

If so, it meant she had to drink this glass tonight, no matter what.

She forced a laugh, pushing down her unease. "It's my body—I know when it's not well. Please understand, Ms Nora."

Seeing Madison's firm refusal, Nora began to tear up. She played the role of a damsel in distress, making Madison seem like the villain.

"Am I making this hard for you? I want your forgiveness..." Tears began to stream down her face as she spoke.

Someone chimed in, "Madison, it's just one drink. If you drink it, it'll all be over, right?"

"Exactly, Nora is personally toasting you. What more do you want?"

"Come on, Madison, drink up, and all will be forgotten."

Voices overlapped in a chorus of persuasion.

Nora's eyes brimmed with tears, yet she showed no sign of backing down.

Madison looked up at Grayson, who sat at the head of the table, his expression unreadable. Feeling a bitter smile tug at her lips, Madison asked herself what she was hoping for.

It was ridiculous that she expected Grayson to come to her aid, perhaps throwing her another lifeline.

However, that would only happen if it didn't cause any trouble with Nora.

Suddenly, Madison remembered the stark, cold warning he had given her the night before. She had no right to challenge Nora. If she did, she'd only be the one to suffer. She had to take the drink tonight to avoid even bigger trouble.

With a laugh, Madison grabbed the glass from Nora's hand and gulped down the contents in one swift motion.

"Ms. Nora, may I go now?" she asked after setting the empty glass down.

Nora still looked at the picture of vulnerability. "I didn't mean anything by it, Madison. Please, don't be upset."

"There's no reason to worry, Ms. Nora."

With those words, Madison turned and left the private room. Just as the door shut, she caught sight of Grayson passing a tissue to Nora. Nora didn't take it. He resignedly dabbed at her tears himself, wiping them away.

"You're a grown up. Yet, you're still always crying?" he teased with feigned exasperation.

"I can't help it," Nora replied, sniffing.

"That's not very attractive." His words said one thing, but the smile on his face suggested he wasn't really bothered.

Madison clenched the doorknob so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Just yesterday, Grayson had told her with brutal honesty. Tears were useless, and she shouldn't expect them to soften his heart.

In Madison's view, the man's heart was made of stone. He was always ruthless in her presence, he had never been swayed by her tears, nor would he bend to her pleas.

The Grayson that Nora saw was not the Grayson everyone else knew. As for Madison, she was just 'everyone else.'

Although she had long known this, it still caused her a twinge of pain—a small, suffocating type of pain. Her fingers trembled as she reluctantly released the doorknob.

The very moment the door clicked shut behind her, a wave of nausea overcame her, uncontrollable and intense. Rushing into the bathroom, she threw up everything from the drink earlier and all the food she had consumed that evening.

After regaining her composure in front of the mirror and fixing her messy hair, she gathered the strength to leave the restaurant.

She didn't call for a cab; instead, she found herself being swept along by the crowd into the lively Night Market Street nearby.There, at a stall, she bought two pairs of socks.

Further along, she treated herself to some street food at a food stand. With her stomach no longer in turmoil, she began to feel a bit better.

Eventually, she stopped to listen to a street musician, losing track of time as she enjoyed one song after another. Before leaving, she handed the musician a hundred-dollar bill.

"Thank you," he said to her with gratitude. "Is there a particular song you'd like to hear? I can play it for you."

Madison thought for a moment and then said, "I'm going to be a mother; can you congratulate me?"

The musician paused, then smiled and sincerely said, "Congratulations."

Her eyes crinkled in happiness.

...

Leaving Night Market Street, Madison waited by the curb for a ride when a car pulled up right in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Nathan's face from inside.

"Madison?" he asked with a smile, "Waiting for a ride?"

She nodded and smiled back. "Just got off work, Nathan?"

He nodded. "Hop in; I'll give you a lift."

"No, that's all right."

The message from Grayson last time had been clear enough; he didn't approve of her spending time with Nathan even though there was nothing romantic between them. Grayson didn't care about that.

"I'll just hail a cab."

However, Nathan got out of the car and opened the door for her. "Come on, I can fill you in about that case on the way."

With the conversation turned to work, Madison found it difficult to refuse. She had committed to help, after all, and couldn't avoid all interaction. "Well, if you insist. Thank you."

"I should be thanking you," Nathan replied, and after dropping Madison off at her apartment complex, he drove away.

Madison went up to her apartment. She hadn't expected Grayson to be back so soon; after all, he was with Nora, and she thought he would stay with her a while longer.

When she stepped inside, he was seated on the couch still in the same shirt he had worn at dinner, the cigarette between his fingers burned down to the stub.

The ashtray was littered with several butts. He should have been back for a while now. Snuffing out his cigarette, he looked up at her. "Where have you been?"