STOLEN ILLUSTRATIONS

Stefan stared at his phone after Anna hung up. Two hundred thousand dollars. He wished he could help, but that kind of money required approval from Margaret, and she'd ask a million questions he didn't have answers for.

But Lewis might be able to help. Lewis was a medical doctor who abandoned medical practice to establish the Med-tech company that made him a billionaire, so he had his own money. 

His older brother picked up on the second ring. "What's up, little brother?"

"I need a favor. My friend's mom is in the hospital and needs surgery. She asked me for a loan, but you know I can't withdraw funds without Margaret's approval."

"How much?"

"Two hundred thousand."

Lewis didn't even pause. "Send me her details."

After Stefan texted Anna's contact information, Lewis opened her profile. The photo showed a young woman with auburn hair and bright eyes, laughing at something off-camera. He recognized her instantly, this was the woman who made him lose control and kiss her at that college party. 

And she was the one who'd crashed into him on his way to meet a friend at the cafe this morning and then yelled at him for not helping her gather her things.

Lewis leaned back in his office chair, remembering how her eyes had flashed when she'd snapped at him. Most people either feared him or wanted something from him. But Anna looked ready to punch him in the face.

He smiled. He liked that fire in her.

So this was the Stefan's friend who needed help desperately. That means they'll still meet again. 

He'd planned to call her right away, introduce himself properly and explain that Stefan had asked him to help. But remembering the fury in her voice that morning, Lewis decided to wait. Whatever had put her in such a bad mood would probably blow over by tomorrow.

Anna's hands were still shaking when she climbed the stairs to Jessica's apartment. She couldn't stop thinking about the way Casper had looked at her like she was an item on display. How had she ever thought she loved him?

A sharp pain stabbed behind her left eye. Great. A headache was exactly what she needed on top of everything else. Between getting maybe three hours of sleep and Casper's disgusting remarks, her body was finally giving up.

She tried the door handle. It was unlocked, as always. Jess never worried about security in her quiet neighborhood.

"How did it go?" Jess called from the kitchen the moment Anna stepped inside.

Anna didn't answer. She just walked straight to the couch and fell onto it face-first.

"That bad?" Jess appeared in the doorway, dish towel in hand.

"Worse than bad." Anna's voice was muffled by the cushions. "I want to forget that asshole exists."

"What did he do?"

Anna rolled over to face her friend. "He said he'd give me the money if I slept with him. Can you imagine that? Like I'm some kind of... prostitute."

"Oh, Anna." Jess dropped the towel and sat on the edge of the coffee table. "What a complete jerk."

Anna curled up on her side, pulling her knees to her chest. "And then he had the nerve to act like I owed him something."

The apartment fell quiet. Anna could feel Jess watching her, probably trying to figure out what to say next.

"Where's Louise?" Anna asked suddenly.

"Still at the hospital. She wanted to stay close to your mom."

Anna nodded. At least her little sister was handling this well. She had been worried about what Louise's reaction would be. 

"Are you hungry? I made some soup earlier."

"I can't eat anything right now." Anna closed her eyes, hoping the darkness would make her headache go away. "I just want to sleep and pretend this is all some horrible nightmare."

"Anna..."

"I know what you're going to say.” Anna spoke with her eyes still closed. “That everything will work out. That we'll find another way. But what if we don't? What if this is it?”

                                                                       * * *

Anna watched through the window as her friend's rental car disappeared around the corner, heading back to LA. Louise sat in the backseat, clutching her backpack like it might anchor her. At fifteen, she was trying so hard to pretend everything was fine.

Left alone now, Anna sat in the hospital waiting room area with a notebook, where she was trying to make sense of her options. 

She chewed the end of her pen, staring at the things she wrote. Even if she sold her art supplies, her car, and everything she owned, she'd be lucky to scrape together five thousand dollars. It was a far cry from what was needed.

The donation campaign Jess had set up wasn't doing much better. Fifty-three dollars from seven people, mostly college friends. Anna appreciated every dollar, but at this rate, her mom would need to live until she was ninety for them to raise enough money.

Anna started a new list.

Things I can do:

1. Get a second job (how many hours in a day?)

2. Apply for medical charity programs (takes weeks)

3. Sell everything I own

4. Beg strangers on the internet

She crossed out the last one, then wrote it again. At this point, she was desperate enough to consider almost anything.

The television in the corner of the waiting area was tuned to the local news, and something on the news caught her attention. A medical equipment company just launched their new cardiac imaging software. Was that one of her illustrations being displayed, or was she imagining things?

"Excuse me..." She turned to a nurse sitting close by who had been following the news. "Do you know which company this is?" 

"Cole Med-tech," the nurse smiled. "They are one of the best in the field, and they supply most of the equipment we use here. Is there a problem?"

"No," she paid attention to what the news anchor was saying.

"...Cole Med-tech's new cardiac imaging device is built with the latest software and is expected to save thousands of lives. The device uses advanced visualization technology to help surgeons..."

Anna's blood ran cold. On the screen, bold and clear as day, was the illustration she sketched some months ago.

The anchor continued, "...company CEO, Lewis Cole, says the device is a leap forward in cardiac surgery process..."

A short clip of a man in a suit standing in front of a gleaming machine was shown. Even on the slightly blurry hospital TV, Anna could tell he was handsome—dark hair, strong jaw, and eyes that looked right through you to your soul. He looked familiar, but she couldn't be sure because the video quality was not very good. She packed her things and left hurriedly.

As she eased her car out of the parking lot, her mind was working on how best to approach the matter. She was sure, no, she could bet her mother's life that those were her illustrations on TV.

How did they get it?

Why were they using it without her consent?

She has to find answers when she gets there. Letting her thoughts settle on the present task, she typed Cole Med-tech in the GPS as she hit the highway and stepped on the gas.