Lying on the hospital bed was a young man of about fifteen or sixteen, Ethan Wate. Seeing Anastasia Steele, his eyes lit up, and he made an effort to sit up. Anastasia quickly put down the things in her hand and went to help him.
"Sis, why are you here? Dont you have to work today?" Ethan asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Sis has the day off today, so I came to keep you company," Anastasia said with a smile, ruffling his hair. Ethan had always believed she worked at an advertising firm.
Noticing Ethan staring intently at something, Anastasia seemed to realize what it was and pulled up her collar.
"Sis, do you have a boyfriend?" Ethan asked, both excited and worried. He wondered what the guy was like and whether he would treat Anastasia well once he learned about their family situation.
Anastasia didnt know how to respond and simply smiled, remaining silent.
Seeing her reaction, Ethan took it as a form of acknowledgment. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Sis, is he good to you?"
Anastasia gave him a playful glare. "Why are you so curious, kiddo? Im going to cut up some fruit for you."
Grabbing the fruit from the table, Anastasia left the room, her departure carrying a hint of evasion.
She walked to the end of the corridor and exhaled slowly, looking at her reflection in the mirror and muttering to herself, "Why cant you be more careful? What if Ethan notices? Are you going to find a boyfriend just for show?"
"What boyfriend?" a male voice beside her startled Anastasia, nearly causing her to drop the fruit she was holding.
Turning her head, she couldnt help but marvel at the smallness of the world, encountering him here of all places.
Christian Grey hadnt expected to run into Anastasia at the hospital while visiting a subordinate. If not for her genuine expression, he would have suspected her of having ulterior motives.
"Mr. Grey, isnt eavesdropping on others conversations a bit improper?" Anastasias face showed her displeasure.
Christian raised an eyebrow. "I was just passing by, thats all."
Anastasia was speechless, glaring at Christian before storming off with the washed fruit.
Watching her hasty departure, Christian slowly took out the pill from his pocket, his eyes flickering with a thoughtful gleam.
Recalling Christian Grey, Anastasia felt a mix of emotions. She stood outside the hospital room for a moment before going in, staying with Ethan until he fell asleep. She then proceeded to pay the hospital the full amount of 50,000 dollars and consulted with the doctor about his condition.
"Miss Steele, youre aware of your brothers condition; its quite difficult to cure. The only way for him to recover is through a bone marrow transplant. However, I must be frank, the treatment costs are substantial," the doctor said gravely, knowing her familys situation all too well.
"Could you tell me how much it would cost?" Anastasia inquired nervously, determined to do whatever it takes to cure Ethan.
The doctor sighed, aware of the girls predicament. Her parents had perished in a car accident, leaving just the two siblings, and now with Ethans leukemia diagnosis, the compensation money was nearly depleted. There was hardly any left for surgery.
"The preoperative costs for the bone marrow transplant, plus potential complications afterward, the total would be around 1.8 to 2 million dollars."
Hearing the doctors words, Anastasia felt her legs weaken, her eyes filled with despair.