Chapter 53 Grayson Arrives

Returning after dropping off Nora, Grayson was home past ten.

"It's about time you came back, Mr. Grayson," Sue said. "Madison's come down with a fever."

As he was taking off his shoes, Grayson's movement halted, and his brows furrowed instantly. "How did she get a fever?"

He strode toward the bedroom quickly. Upon opening the door, he realized no one was inside. His expression darkened at once.

"Where is she?"

"Madison went to the hospital," Sue informed. Witnessing his mood turn foul, Sue added, "She insisted on going alone. I wanted to accompany her, but she didn't allow it."

Now visibly upset, Grayson scolded, "So you didn't go because she said no? Don't you realize she's sick and shouldn't be alone?"

His voice normally carried an authoritative tone, and now, fueled with anger, it left Sue at a loss for words.

After a brief silence, he decreed, "Given her condition, from now on, you'll accompany her wherever she goes."

"Okay."

He nodded and took out his phone. It was only when he was about to dial that he noticed a missed call from Madison at six in the evening. It was connected but lasted merely seconds.

Grayson narrowed his eyes slightly. That was the time he had gone to pick up Nora. The only other person in his office was Nicholas. With his expression turning cold and eyes filled with displeasure, Grayson pieced the situation together.

Nicholas has an obsession with Madison. Even as he occasionally spoke ill of her, he couldn't hide the deep interest that sparkled in his eyes whenever he looked her way.

Grayson had no issue with other men finding Madison attractive. Several of his buddies had shown interest in her, and it was something he would typically shrug off. As he had said before, as long as Madison stayed loyal to him during their time together, he wouldn't mind. However, this tolerance didn't extend to the idea of her sneakily keeping in touch with others behind his back.

With a stern expression, Grayson dialed her number, but there was no answer. He wondered if perhaps Madison had missed his call. However, after the second and third attempts went unanswered as well, his frustration was evident in his scowl.

...

Madison glanced at Grayson's name flashing on her phone screen and then slammed the phone down on the table. She didn't want to take his call, not even lay eyes on his name. She was feeling a bit off-kilter.

It wasn't as if she hadn't been through similar situations before. Grayson had ditched her to see Nora several times in the past.

This time, she found it harder to tolerate, perhaps because she had just lost a child and felt a kind of resentment. Especially now, as she was sick, and Grayson had left her alone to go to Nora. A wave of self-pity washed over her.

She felt so aggrieved she didn't want to hear his voice or take his calls, let alone deal with his anger or temper tantrums.

...

After finishing her tasks, Amelia entered the room carrying a tray with medicine. "How are you feeling? Any better?" she asked.

Madison nodded. "Much better. At least I'm not in agony anymore."

Amelia touched her forehead. "The fever has settled for now, but you'll need to continue with the IV. You should stay here tonight."

"Okay," Madison agreed without hesitation, as she didn't want to go back home that night anyway.

Amelia gestured towards Madison's arm. "Let me change your dressing."

Madison nodded again.

Standing by the bed, Amelia carefully began unwrapping the bandage. Her brow furrowed instantly upon seeing the wound.

"Does it hurt?" she inquired.

Madison endured the pain and took a glance before quickly looking away. "It's manageable."

"Manageable? Your face has gone pale with pain," Amelia said, noticing her discomfort.

As Amelia finished speaking, she deftly changed the bandage. "This wound is definitely going to scar. Do you still have any of that scar treatment cream?"

Madison nodded.

Years ago, Ethan used to beat her to the point where her skin would break and bleed. It was then she began using scar creams, and even now, she always kept some in the house.

"What happened to that fan afterward?" Amelia asked, furrowing her brow.

"She was sued, as per the usual procedure."

"That's it? Just like that? No further investigation?"

Madison let out a sarcastic laugh. "What else can we do? The authorities have already made their judgment clear. They say it's got nothing to do with Nora."

Besides, Grayson was shielding Nora so tightly that even the mere mention of her would set him off. She couldn't investigate further.

"If you don't want people to know, don't do anything you will regret. Since Nora did what she did, there must be evidence left behind. If it's inconvenient for you, how about I infiltrate Nora's fan group and snoop around?"

Madison's gaze dropped to the cell phone on her nightstand.

After five calls, Grayson had stopped trying to reach her. She wasn't sure if he was angry or couldn't be bothered anymore.

After a moment of silence, Madison finally spoke, "Let's just drop it. It's not worth it.

"Even if there is evidence, Grayson's not likely to do anything to Nora. He'll just blame me for digging into it. You have no idea. For the sake of peace, he's already paid a settlement. Do you think he's never once doubted Nora?"

If Grayson had never doubted her, he wouldn't have paid that money.

So, in reality, he had doubted Nora, just like she did. But even with those doubts, he chose to silence her with money.

"What's so great about Nora anyway? Is Grayson blind?"

Madison couldn't fathom Grayson's feelings for Nora.

Owen once said that Grayson saw Nora as the sole light in his dark life. Later on, she couldn't help but wonder what experiences could make Grayson see Nora as his only light. She couldn't understand it.

"People have different tastes. Maybe he loves exactly the kind of person Nora is."

Amelia pursed her lips in distaste. "Nora's a tramp, and that makes Grayson a total jerk!"

Amelia's blunt words caught Madison off guard, and she couldn't help but laugh.

The two chatted a bit longer before Amelia took her leave. After Amelia left, Madison picked up her phone and sent a message to Grayson.

"Not coming home tonight."

She stared blankly at the screen for a while after sending the message. She knew in her heart that there was a good chance Grayson wouldn't reply, but the silent phone still made her feel uneasy.

With a slight sigh, she set the phone aside and headed into the bathroom to freshen up.

When she emerged, she was surprised to find Grayson standing in the hospital room with a dark look on his face. His black silk shirt, now drenched, clung to his body, and his hair had droplets of water in it as if he had braved the rain to get there.

"Grayson..." Madison started, suddenly unsure of what to say. After a pause, she managed to ask, "Why did you come?"

Grayson's gaze was intense as he looked at her, but he didn't respond to her question. Instead, he asked, "Why didn't you pick up your phone?"