Chapter 10

Madison steps out of the shower and looks at her naked body in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. "So many scars, and bruises." She mumbles as she runs her fingers over her fresh cuts and her old scars. A gentle knock on the door snaps Madison out of her thought. "Yeah?"

"You ok in there? You've been in there for just over and hour. I gotta get to work." Comes Eli's soft gentle voice through the door.

Madison smiles, "Sorry I'll get dried off and I'll go into your bedroom to get dressed." She says as she grabs a towel and wraps her hair up and then grabs another towel and wraps it around her body.

"It's ok I was just checkin' to see if you were ok."

"I'm fine Eli, You can have the bathroom." Says Madison as she opens the door to see Eli standing there wearing a midnight blue, skin tight turtle neck and a pair of dark blue baggy jeans.

Eli looks into the bathroom as the door opens and he sees Madison standing there in a towel looking him over and she has a slight smile on her face. "Hey beautiful."

Madison blushes and rubs her upper arms, "I..uh..i'm gonna get dressed in your room." She says nervously before walking quickly past Eli and to his bedroom.

Eli smiles and steps into the bathroom and gets ready for work.

Madison comes out of the bedroom about fifteen minutes later and walks into the living room to see Eli sitting on a chair waiting. "Ready?"

Eli looks up when he hears Madison speak. He looks her over and smiles. She's wearing a deep violet turtleneck, black leather pants, and her hair is falling gracefully around her body with its gentle curls. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Um Eli are you sure about me working with you?" asks Madison as she walks behind him to the front door.

"Why wouldn't I be?" says Eli as he turns around to smile at Madison and hands her, her boots.

"Well Li didn't seem to happy to have me around yesterday." Replies Madison as she takes her boots and slips them on.

"Li's always like that, the only emotions he shows are to Sakura and anger to everyone else. We all grew up together, middle school and high school. We are like a family and we all know Li likes people though he won't show it." Says Eli as he puts on his shoes.

"Oh well, I guess I'm the outsider." Says Madison in a little mousy voice.

Eli stands up and turns around so fast that he startles Madison. He gently grabs her by the shoulders and stares into her violet eyes. "Maddi you will never be the outcast. Don't ever think that, you are a teriffic woman and anyone who thinks otherwise is an asshole. Never think less of yourself because you will be none the better for it."

Madison just stands there looking over Eli's face. "Eli I didn't mean it like that, but your right. All my life I was left aside because of my family. No one ever liked me for who I really was, and now I have met you and your falling in love with me and not my money."

"Maddi I wouldn't care if you were dirt poor I would still love you no matter what. I like people for who they are on the inside more than what they show on the outside. I mean if I judged people like that I would run away from Li screaming like a child, the same with Meilin. Get my point?" says Eli as he takes his hands off Madison's shoulders and smiles at her.

Madison laughs a tiny bit, "I get your point. Come on you can't be late for work now can you."

"Neither can you." Replies Eli as he opens the front door.

Madison walks into the hallway and waits for Eli to close and lock his door. She hears a door just a little ways down the hall open so she looks and she sees an elderly woman step out into the hall. The woman looks up and sees Madison standing there behind Eli.

"A new flame Eli?" says the woman.

Eli doesn't reply he just stands up and looks at Madison and motions with his eyes to leave.

Madison looks from Eli to the lady and back to Eli before she starts to walk for the front door. Madison hears the lady mumble, "Stupid cop, he's here on a sting I know he is." Then she slams her door closed.

Once outside Madison stops Eli by grabbing onto his arm and holding him back.

"What?" asks Eli looking around thinking Madison saw someone she doesn't like.

"Are you doing a sting operation here?"

Eli is surprised by the question and wondered where she would ever get the idea to ask. "No, I'm not. But why did you ask me?"

"Cause I heard that lady mumble it before she slammed her door closed."

"Madison how can you hear so well?" asks Eli as he starts walking towards his car again and gently pulling Madison along.

"I'm not sure. I always could, it's something my mother told me was good to have cause I would be able to run the company well with it. I guess she was right." Says Madison as she waits for Eli to unlock his car.

"Wow, I have a talent like that but it's not always right. I sometimes have dreams about the future but they are like puzzles so it's very confusing." Says Eli as he unlocks his car and walks around to the drives seat.

Madison gets in the car and smiles at Eli, "Come on let's get to work."

"Damn he's late. Why isn't he here yet?" asks Sakura as her, Li and Meilin sit in Eli's office waiting for him to show up.

"He probably got like no sleep last night if what you said this morning was true, him and Madison were up late." Says Meilin with an evil grin.

"Meilin honestly Eli isn't like that." Groans Sakura as she looks at Meilin but sees Li grin out of the corner of her eyes. "Li don't do that."

"Now what is Li not allowed to do?" asks Eli from the doorway.

Sakura, Li and Meilin look up to see Eli standing there with Madison beside him.

"Madison!" says Meilin a bit worried that she heard her comment a moment ago.

"Meilin you have a strange mind in your head." Says Madison as she walks into the room and sits on the corner of Eli's desk.

"She heard me, oh shit." Mumbles Meilin under her breath.

"Meilin I heard you." Says Madison with a sigh.

"Oh well fuck!" says Meilin as she gets up and storms out of Eli's office and over to her desk.

Sakura stands up and walks over to Madison, "You're looking a lot better today. How do you feel?"

"Fine, I'm fine Sakura. But I have to ask you about Julian."

"He's somewhere in this world but not here. I had the airport declare his plane illegal and he can't come back." Says Li.

"He'll be back. I know this was his doing I just can't prove it yet." Says Madison.

"What are you talking about Madison?" asks Sakura.

"Nothing! Now I have news." Says Eli interrupting.

Sakura looks at Eli and wonders why he stopped Madison from saying anything. 'He knows something about her.' Thinks Sakura as she watches Eli walk over to Meilin and fight with her to get back in his office. Sakura smiles and walks over to Li and sits in his lap. Meilin and Eli finally walk into the room and Meilin slumps into a chair and grumbles a bunch of nothing words.

"So what's your news boss?" asks Li, as he wraps his arms around Sakura's slim waist.

"Madison is working with us. She is going to be around as my assistant." Says Eli as he walks over and sits at his desk and looks at Madison sitting on the corner of his desk and smiles.

"Oh no." groans Meilin.

"Madison it will be great to have another girl around the office now we out number the guys." Says Sakura cheerfully but squeaks when Li gently squeezes her waist.