After bidding their farewells to Madison, and tipping Steph, the counter staff from Starb*cks, Derek and Amanda, left the cafe and made their way back to Derek's office at Quinton Tower.
They decided to take an alternate route back to Quinton Tower to ensure Madison does not see them. It is clear that Derek does not want to reveal his true identity to Madison. Not yet anyway.
"That was a surprise, meeting my cousin Madison here in the HNW zone. To my memory, she has never entered this zone." exclaimed Derek.
"Hey boss, how does everyone in the Smith family dress? As a woman myself, I must say she looks really classy." Amanda became curious.
"You know something.... that's the best-looking version of Madison I've ever seen. She never dolls up like that. The rest of the family do dress very professionally; but that's because they are outside meeting clients all the time. Madison never dresses up because she was always kept in the office." replied Derek.
"Wait a minute...Amanda...are you...jealous?" asked Derek jokingly.
Amanda couldn't help but blush with embarrassment.
"What's there to be jealous about? Look at yourself. You're a flammin' redhead in a blue dressed lookin' like a hottie. Any guy would be lucky to even ask you out on a hot date." Derek complimented.
That made Amanda blush even more.
"Stop, boss. That's too flattering." Amanda smiled. However, her smile faded instantly.
She noticed there was something bothering Derek. Amanda could see the worried look on his face.
"Boss, is everything all right? You look troubled. Is it to do with your sister Madison?" asked Amanda.
For some reason, Amanda had genuine concerns for her boss. Ever since working for Derek, she was made aware of his past and she in turn has shared her own personal story with him. In Amanda's eyes, Derek was more than just her boss, he was her friend; and friends are a rarity for her.
Although it was just a tease, Amanda took Madison's joke seriously. She is not completely in love with her boss; but she did start to have feelings for him. Thankfully, Amanda was smart and tactful enough to distinguish personal and professional matters.
"I am a bit worried." replied Derek, snapping Amanda out of her own thoughts.
"About Madison?" asked Amanda.
"In a way, yes. Let me clarify myself. In no way am I biased towards my cousin with regards to the proposals for the mall and beach resorts. The best proposal wins, no matter whose proposals it may be." clarified Derek.
"With that said, while I am confident that Madison can easily defeat her sisters and cousins, I am a bit worried for her." continued Derek.
"Boss, are you concerned because if by any chance Madison's proposals are selected, her family may potentially harm her?" asked Amanda.
"You read my mind, Amanda." replied Derek. "If we do accept Madison's proposals, one of two things can and will happen. Either the Smith family will find a way to claim credit and continue to keep Madison down, or, if Madison defies Madam Louise's orders, she could be kicked out of the Smith household and disowned."
"I understand, boss. I must admit, hearing Madison's story reminds me of yours too. I get angry just thinking about it." Amanda tensed up when remembering her boss's plight in the past.
"Whatever the case, Amanda, we need to get Madison out of that hellhole. Do you have any ideas in mind?" asked Derek.
"I do have one, boss." replied Amanda.
"Let's hear it then."
"Boss, we still have the condominium buyout taking place as we speak. In order to help Miss Madison, we'll have to speed up the buyout. Once done, I reserve a studio apartment aside for her."
"I see. That's good....and since you are moving into that condo, I feel safe that you are with her."
"In fact, Amanda, do you mind sharing a bigger apartment with Madison? We can rent out an extra apartment to the public."
"I would be honoured boss." replied Amanda. "Ms. Madison is your cousin. After meeting her today, I can see her as my sister."
"Thank you, Amanda. Get the buyout done on Monday. Meantime, after we get back to the office, let's wrap up the loose ends we still have in the office and you can go back home. My parents are coming back from New York this evening and I'll be picking them up."
"Understood boss. Send my regards to Mr. and Mrs. Quinton, as well as Mr. Beck."
"Sure thing." replied Derek.
Derek and Amanda proceeded back to Quinton Tower and took care of the remaining tasks for the week before going their separate ways.
Meanwhile, back at Starb*cks cafe, Madison was done with her designs and proposals for submission to the Quinton Consortium.
After giving some careful thought, she submitted her proposals through the link on the Quinton Consortium website; and she also sent her proposals to a safe contact on her phone.
It was evening by the time Madison had finished designing and submitting her proposals. It was time to head back to the Smith house.
Steph, the team leader at the cafe, approached Madison with another cup of coffee.
"This one is on the house, Ms. Madison" said Steph with a courteous smile.
"Thank you, Steph. And thanks for allowing me to stay here all day. I hope I wasn't a hindrance to your business." replied Madison.
"Of course not. You are Mr. Derek's cousin. He's my benefactor. That makes you family in my eyes. You're more than welcome to patronize the cafe." said Steph.
"Speaking of my cousin, there's something I've wanted to ask you, Steph. Have a seat." requested Madison.
"Ask ahead, Ms. Madison." Steph replied while sitting facing her.
"You said that my cousin's your benefactor. When I heard you greet him this morning, you thanked him for a big tip on his previous visit. What's that all about?" asked Madison.
Steph proudly replied, "Well, to keep the long story short, Mr. Derek came here some weeks ago. Apart from buying his coffee, he gave me a huge tip just to shut up a couple of female customers who were obviously making fun of his attire at the time."
"Really? Well, do you mind sharing with me how much he tipped you?" Madison's curiosity grew.
Steph then held out her index finger, indicating the hand sign for ' 1 '.
"One hundred?"
"Nope. One thousand!"
"WHAT???"