"Perhaps botanically they are both fruits. But we're in a supermarket, aren't we? We are talking about them as culinary ingredients," Maddison said as she took a step closer.
The commotion caught the attention of some of the shoppers. They peeked down the aisle, wondering what Maddison was going to say next.
"Persimmon are fruits. Tomatoes are vegetables. I think you're the one who can't tell the difference. Are you sure you should even be working here if you can't tell the difference?"
With that, Maddison put on her sunglasses and walked away. She smiled triumphantly, ready to begin her shopping without disruption. But when she heard the commotion coming through the entrance, her heart sank.
The paparazzi found her again!
"We heard Maddison Lane has been spotted here!"
"She's here?"
"I think she was in aisle three!"
Maddison gulped as she took a step back. She had to get out of there before they got a hold of her! She looked around for another exit. She abandoned her shopping cart and hid in a busy aisle.
But the paparazzi were closing in on her.
"She's over here!" Someone yelled as she grabbed hold of Maddison by her arm.
"Let go of me!" Maddison pleaded as she tried to wriggle out of the woman's grasp.
The woman tightened her grasp, refusing to let her go. The commotion drew more attention to Maddison. Everyone was taking out their phones to record. Realizing how much trouble she was in, Maddison toughened herself up.
No one was going to come to her rescue. She had to fight for herself! Using all of the strength she could muster, Maddison broke free from the woman who grabbed onto her arm. She pushed through the crowd and made a run for the exit, never looking back.
She pushed through as best she could. When she made it out onto the streets, Maddison did not look back.
"She's out of the store!"
"She's over there!"
She continued running and did not look back. As she came up to King Tower, she tried entering from the front but security pushed her out.
"Miss, you're not allowed here unless you have an appointment," the security said.
Maddison looked down the street behind her in a panic. The paparazzi were hot on her tail. She had nowhere else to go.
"I'm Maddison Lane. If you don't let me in now, you're going to regret it!" She warned in a state of panic.
The security guard looked at her in bewilderment. He didn't believe a word she said!
"I don't know who Maddison Lane is and honestly I could not care less. No appointment, you're not allowed in," He reinstated his point before folding his arms.
Maddison tried to push through. But once again, she was pushed out. Losing her foothold, she fell to the ground wincing in pain.
"Miss Lane?" A familiar voice called out from within the reception area.
She looked up, only to see Jack. It was Elias's assistant! He walked over to the security guards and they immediately let him through.
"Jack, your name is Jack right?"
"Yes, what is going-" He looked to the right, only to see the paparazzi about to reach King Tower.
"Come with me," Jack declared as he grabbed Maddison by the arm and pulled her along.
The security guard looked as if it had seen a ghost.
"I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't-"
"Save it," Jack snapped back before giving instructions, "Keep the paparazzi out."
"Yes sir!" the security guard replied without hesitation.
Everyone in the reception area watched as Jack pulled Maddison into the private lift. Everyone knew where that lift led. They also knew that it was only reserved for Elias King himself! But his assistant just brought an unknown woman into it.
As the doors of the lift closed, Maddison heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Jack. I owe you one," She said as she tried to catch her breath.
She'd been running on adrenaline when she ran three blocks back here. Now that it was wearing off, fatigue took over swiftly.
"No trouble at all, Miss Lane. Just be careful when you're heading out," He replied with a smile.
Maddison nodded. She had to be more careful now that she was the top hot gossip in the city. She could not wait for things to mellow out.
"Jack, can I ask for one more favor?" She asked.
"Of course, how can I help?"
"Promise me you won't tell Elias what happened," She explained as she pursed her lips.
Jack turned to her, a little surprised.
"Why not?"
She hadn't expected him to ask her a question in return. Maddison pondered for a bit. Jack's question was justified. Why did she ask him not to tell? She searched high and low for a reason as she watched the numbers on the lift panel climb.
She pursed her lips as she forced herself to give a response. An awkward silence would only make things worse.
"He's got enough to worry about because of me. I can handle this on my own."
Jack didn't respond immediately. When he first saw Maddison Lane, he didn't have a good impression of her. He thought she would be like one of the many women who threw herself at Elias King's feet.
But it would seem as though he was wrong. Perhaps she was going to be different.
"Very well, Miss Lane. I promise not to tell him. However, if he does ask about the incident, I will not be lying to him."
It was a fair deal.
"If he doesn't ask, just don't mention it," She added.
"I can work with that. You have my word, Miss Lane."
When they reached the penthouse, only Maddison got out of the lift.
Despite all that had happened, Maddison was still determined to get what she needed. She wasn't going to let failure stop her from trying.
[Failure is always the first step to success!] She said to perk herself up.
So, later that day, when the clock struck midnight, Maddison put on a hoodie and headed to Yecirp once more. She kept a low profile as she walked in. Since it was late at night, there was barely anyone in the supermarket.
Maddison could shop with ease, going through aisle by aisle to find what she needed. But what she didn't expect to find was Hugo and Lizzie in the cheese aisle, making out.