Chapter 56: Hitting Her Where It Hurts

Madison nodded.

"Yeah, I thought about it and decided to quit."

She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom without once looking at Grayson's face.

She could imagine his expression wasn't too pleasant, but since she had already sent it, there was nothing more to say.

When she finished freshening up, Grayson was fully dressed.

"The company's lawyer will reach out to discuss the termination today."

With that, he left with a hardened face, and Madison's lips twitched twice, but she said nothing.

Later, when Amelia came to check on her, she asked, "Did Grayson drop by last night?"

Madison gave a small nod.

Amelia snorted., "At least he's got a trace of conscience. But, man, your guy's not to be messed with. I ran into him outside earlier, and with that aura and that look, I'm even starting to admire myself for daring to talk back at him."

The edges of Madison's mouth twitched slightly.

"What 'your guy'? Don't start with that."

Amelia let out a laugh., "Isn't he, though? Didn't he show up here for you?"

Amelia continued, raising her eyebrows at Madison playfully.

"I was thinking all night after I left. The best way to get back at Nora would be to keep Grayson by your side forever, maybe even marry him. Imagine Nora's face watching you two be happy—that'd kill her!"

Madison was somewhat speechless.

"You think too highly of me. Do you really think I stand a chance against Nora?

"How could you not? You're prettier than her, have a better vibe, and have looks and smarts to boot. How could you not win over her?"

Madison chuckled, a hint of pain flashing in her eyes., "You can't rationalize matters of the heart."

Amelia pursed her lips, aware that feelings didn't follow logic, but she couldn't swallow her pride.

Her gaze flickered with a mischievous air as she pulled out her phone and passed it to Madison.

"Look, I've infiltrated Nora's fan group. Do you want me to add you?"

Madison furrowed her brows, hesitated for a moment, then tapped to join.

Her disappointment was palpable. She couldn't simply let Nora's bullies and Grayson's favoritism slide.

To be bullied by Nora, to endure Grayson's favoritism, she couldn't simply let it go.

It was nothing more than a begrudging compromise in the face of Grayson's warning.

Madison definitely didn't want to keep biting her tongue forever.

But Oonce she joined, she found the group filled with fanfics about Nora and Grayson.

The fans' shipped' the couple with an enthusiasm that exceeded even that of their colleagues.

The photo of Grayson picking up Nora last night wasn't only circulating in the company chat but had made its way into the fan community as well.

Madison's fingers paused briefly on the screen before Amelia swiftly reclaimed her phone.

"Don't worry about this stuff. It's just the fans fantasizing."

Madison smiled again., "I'm fine. And it's not entirely fantasy. If Grayson hadn't gone to pick up Nora, there wouldn't be photos. Their relationship has always been quite ambiguous, just shy of official confirmation."

Amelia frowned, , "Maybe you should stay out of the group. It was thoughtless of me."

Madison shook her head, . "It's okay, add me to it."

Amelia still hesitated., "You sure?"

Madison took a deep breath and grinned., "Positive."

Nodding, Amelia added Madison to the group.

After exchanging a few more words, Amelia went off to attend to her business.

With time to kill and nothing else to do, Madison began browsing the group messages. Surprisingly, the flurry of posts left her unfazed.

Only now did she discover that last night, Grayson and Nora had once again topped the trending searches.

Not only that, but Nora's fans had also swarmed Ivy Jewelry's official website yesterday.

Madison quickly checked the company's website. Though operations were back to normal, Nora's fans were still causing an uproar in the comments section.

"When are you going to marry Nora?"

"You two are so sweet together."

"Come out and confirm your relationship already."

Madison felt a heaviness settle in her chest.

The company's website was kept and secured.

Yet, those messages were still prominently displayed on the homepage.

It is only possible with Grayson's approval.

She took a deep breath and tossed her phone aside.

Just as she was about to lie down, someone knocked on her door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Madison's movements froze momentarily.

Standing before her was the firm's chiefChief lLawyer.

Grayson really meant business.

The man stood in front of Madison, the picture of professionalism in his tailored suit.

"WhitneyMadison, sorry to disturb you at this hour."

Madison managed a wry smile., "No problem, I should be the one saying sorry for the inconvenience."

The Chief LawyerThe chief lawyer nodded, cutting straight to the chase., "I have a termination agreement here. WhitneyMadison, please take a look, and if everything seems fine, you can sign it."

Madison took the document, her eyes immediately drawn to the penalty clause.

Fifty million.

Her temple throbbed painfully.

She had anticipated that Grayson wouldn't let her leave so easily, but .

But she had not expected him to present such an agreement.

"Do you think this agreement is fair, being a legal expert?" she asked.

The lawyer stood aside, a smile playing on his lips., "WhitneyMadison, this agreement is based on your employment contract."

While speaking, he produced an employment contract. .

"Whitney, Aarticle four, clause six, subsection three, please look here."

Madison frowned and looked at the specified section.

There it was, clear as day.

[During the term of the service contract, if Party B resigns, Party A has the right to demand a penalty of ten percent of the estimated business revenue for the remaining contract term.]

Seeing this, Madison's heart sank.

When she had signed this contract years ago, she had never considered leaving.

Even though the term was immensely unfavorable to her, she had signed it anyway.

Now, after three years at Grayson's side,. a

Aside from the initial six months as Grayson's secretary, she had spent the rest in the Marketing Department.

She generated annual revenues for the company well into the hundreds of billions, a.

And her employment contract still had two years to go.

By that calculation, even the penalty in this termination agreement seemed minimal.

"If everything looks in order, WhitneyMadison, you can proceed with your signature."

Madison clutched the termination agreement tightly.

She had to admire Grayson's shrewdness. The man had her absolutely cornered.

The legal team behind him was truly capable of leaving her picked clean to the bone.

Madison had been silent all this time, showing no intention of signing.

The lawyer stood by with endless patience.

"Grayson mentioned if Whitney you wants to take this to court, he's more than willing to oblige," he said.

A faint hue of pallor tinged the corners of Madison's lips. After a long while, she finally spoke.

"LawyerSir, I need to think this over."

The lawyer nodded., "Of course, WhitneyMadison. Feel free to call me once you've made your decision."

Madison gave a slight nod in response, waiting until the lawyer had left before pulling out her cell to call Grayson.

"WhitneyMadison.," Grayson's voice came through promptly, carrying a casual, calm tone.

"You needed something?"