Chapter 4

Christopher walked into his cabin, expecting to see his assistant, Suzy, sitting at her desk, ready to tackle the day's tasks. But as he scanned the room, his eyes fell on an empty chair, and a sense of unease crept over him.

"Where is Suzy?" he muttered to himself, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.

He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Suzy's number. She picked up on the first ring, and Christopher's voice was firm but controlled. "Suzy, where are you? Why aren't you at your desk?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Christopher wondered if the connection had been lost. But then Suzy's voice came through, her tone hesitant and unsure. "Mr. Reed... I'm sorry... he fired me."

Christopher's eyes widened in shock, and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "What? Why? Ask your business partner?" Suzy's voice was cryptic, but before Christopher could press her for more information, she hung up.

Christopher's mind was reeling as he walked towards Austin's cabin. He burst through the door, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Madison, who was sitting at Austin's desk, typing away on her computer.

Both Christopher and Madison looked up, their eyes locking in a brief, charged moment. Christopher's voice was slow and soft, but laced with an undercurrent of tension. "Where is Austin?"

Madison's cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she replied, "He's in the meeting room."

Christopher nodded, his eyes never leaving Madison's face. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air thick with unspoken tension. Then Christopher turned and left, leaving Madison to wonder what had just happened. As the door closed behind him, Madison let out a soft breath, her cheeks still burning with a gentle blush.

Christopher stormed into the meeting room, his eyes scanning the space until they landed on Austin. He didn't even acknowledge the other people in the room, his focus solely on his business partner.

"Why the fuck did you fire my assistant?" Christopher demanded, his voice loud and unapologetic.

Austin looked up from the papers in front of him, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. He glanced around the room, taking in the curious expressions of their colleagues.

"Can we have the room, please?" Austin requested, his voice firm but polite. "Chris and I need to discuss something."

The others nodded and began to file out of the room, closing the door behind them. Austin leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked on Christopher's.

"Come on, Chris, don't be pissed," Austin said, his voice laced with amusement. "I did it for your own good. You only hire women who are here to seduce, not to work. Someone needed to show them their place."

Christopher rolled his eyes, his expression incredulous. "Austin, that's not your decision to make. If anyone needs to fire my assistant, it's me, not you."

Austin chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I'm just trying to protect you from yourself, buddy. You're too distracted by your... distractions."

Christopher's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in mock anger. "My distractions? You're the one who's always getting us into trouble, Austin. This isn't over."

Austin grinned, unfazed by Christopher's mock anger. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots, Chris."

"Fine, then find me a suitable assistant," Christopher said, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Someone... um... someone like Madison."

Austin let out a low chuckle, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Someone like Madison, hmm?" he repeated, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Christopher's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "Austin, don't even think about it."

But Austin was already on a roll. "Then I have to ask Madison if she has any twin sisters," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Christopher rolled his eyes, a look of exasperation on his face. "Oh, come on, Austin. Give it a rest."

Just then, Madison walked into the meeting room, her laptop clutched in her hand. She looked around, surprised to see that everyone had left. "The meeting ended already?" she asked, confusion etched on her face.

Austin and Christopher were still seated at the table, their eyes fixed on Madison. Austin spoke up, a sly grin spreading across his face. "We need an assistant for Chris, and we were wondering if you know anyone who could be... well, like you, Madison."

Madison's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back, her laptop still clutched in her hand. "Um, not now," she said, her voice hesitant. "But I'll... uh... I'll tell you soon."

Christopher raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Madison's reaction. Austin, on the other hand, looked like he was enjoying the exchange, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Madison turned to leave; Austin called out to her. "Hey, Madison? Chris is upset about losing his assistant. Can you book a table for us for lunch at his favorite restaurant?"

Madison quickly nodded and named the restaurant, "Bistro Bliss."

Austin smiled, impressed. "You know already. Okay, tell me, what's my favorite restaurant?"

Madison thought for a moment, a look of concentration on her face. But before she could answer, Austin asked another question, his voice laced with amusement.

"Whose assistant are you, Madison?"

Madison's face flushed with embarrassment as she realized her mistake. She looked down, her eyes avoiding Austin's gaze. "Y-yours," she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

The room fell silent, and Christopher's eyes locked onto Madison's, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Austin chuckled, clearly enjoying the awkward moment.

****

Madison walked into her apartment; she was greeted by the familiar sight of Sara lounging on the couch, watching cartoons. But as she looked closer, she noticed that Sara's hand was propped up against her cheek, a telltale sign that something was wrong.

Madison's instincts kicked in, and she quickly dropped her bag onto the table. "Hey, what's going on?" she asked, her voice laced with concern as she walked over to the couch.

Ara looked at Madison with an upset pout, her brow furrowed in frustration. Madison's eyes locked onto Sara's, and she could see the disappointment and anger simmering just below the surface.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Madison asked, dropping down onto the couch beside Sara. "You look like you've lost your last friend."

Sara let out a deep sigh, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "I had the worst day ever," she said, her voice laced with frustration. "I went to that job interview, and it was a total disaster."

Sara said, shaking her head. "Franklin was there."

Madison's eyes widened in surprise. "Franklin? Your old boss?"

Sara nodded. "Yeah, and it gets even better. He's Nova Carter's fiancé now."

Madison's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "No way. What was he like?"

Sara's face scrunched up in distaste. "He was his usual creepy self. He made me uncomfortable the whole time, and at one point, he even touched my thigh."

Madison's eyes flashed with anger. "What? That's disgusting."

Sara nodded, her face still twisted in disgust. "I know, right? And then he had the nerve to offer me the job. But I wasn't having it. I threw a hot cup of coffee on him and told him I wasn't interested in the job."

Madison burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Sara, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you."

Sara couldn't help but laugh too. "Thanks, I guess I just lost my cool. But it gets even better. My mom called me after that and told me that if I don't get a job soon, I have to come back home and get married."

Madison's laughter stopped abruptly, and she looked at Sara with concern. "What? That's ridiculous. You can't let her dictate your life like that."

Sara threw up her hands in frustration. "I know, right? I'm so annoyed with my situation. I just want to be able to make my own choices and live my own life."

Madison wrapped a supportive arm around Sara's shoulders. "You will, Sara. You're strong and capable, and you deserve to make your own choices."

Madison looked at Sara with a thoughtful expression. "I might have a job opportunity for you, but I'm not sure if you'll be interested. It's a position as an assistant to my boss's business partner."

Sara raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "An assistant job? I don't know, Madison. I'm not really cut out for that kind of work."

Madison nodded in agreement. "I know you're not made for an assistant job, Sara. You're too talented and capable for that. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and for now, you just need a job to get by."

Sara sighed, considering Madison's words. She did need a job, and she couldn't be picky. "What's the job like?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Madison smiled. "I'll tell you all about it. But first, let me ask you, are you willing to take on a job that might not be your dream job but will at least pay the bills?"

Sara finally agreed to take on the assistant job, and Madison let out a sigh of relief. "Great, I'm glad you're on board," Madison said, smiling. "Now, let me tell you what you'll need to do. You'll be working as an assistant to Christopher Grayson, who is Austin Reed's business partner."

Sara's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the two names. "Austin Reed and Christopher Grayson? I've heard of them. They're like business moguls or something."

Madison nodded. "That's right. They're both very successful and influential in their respective fields. And as Christopher's assistant, you'll be working closely with him to manage his schedule, coordinate meetings, and handle various tasks and projects."

Sara took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "Okay, got it. What are they like to work with?"

Madison leaned in, a conspiratorial look on her face. "Well, Austin is... a character. He's charming and charismatic, but also a bit of a handful. He's always pushing boundaries and testing limits, which can be both exciting and exhausting."

Sara raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what about Christopher?"

Madison's expression turned serious. "Christopher is...intense. He's very focused and driven, and he expects a lot from the people who work for him. But he's also fair and loyal, and he'll do whatever it takes to protect and support his team."

Sara nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation. "Okay, I think I can handle that. When do I start?"

Madison smiled at Sara. "Before you start working as Christopher's assistant, you'll need to meet him and Austin first. They want to get a sense of who you are and how you'll fit in with the team."

Sara nodded, feeling a sense of nervous anticipation. "Okay, that makes sense. When do I meet them?"

Madison checked her watch. "Tomorrow, at my office. But don't be late, okay? They're not exactly the most patient people in the world."

Sara nodded again, making a mental note to set her alarm clock early. "I'll be there at 9 am sharp."

Madison smiled and stood up. "I need to leave early, but you can stay here and relax. We can catch up some more later, okay?"

Sara nodded, and the two friends hugged each other tightly. "Thanks for everything, Madison. I owe you one."

***