Anna had suggested taking a taxi back to his house but Sullivan was insistent on driving her. Knowing she couldn't change his mind, she let him, staying to surf the internet on her phone while he drove back to work.
Around noon, she took a nap and when she woke again, she felt tired of looking at her phone and thought of something to do. She didn't have friends before her accident, just the fake ladies she sometimes moved with to take pictures for the gram and pretend they were women supporting women.
When in actual fact they would love to see the downfall of the classy, elusive, billionaire heiress. An heiress with no money to her name now that she had signed over her power of attorney and everything she had to Gigi.
Anna searched the internet for jobs but couldn't find a suitable one. She can't be a waiter, she would be horrible at it. And she couldn't work at a bar, she doubted if Sullivan would even let her stress that much with the wounds on her.
So when she came across a call for volunteers at the Stephen Doningman Foundation, a non governmental organization named after the very man, the father of the nation, they called him.
Stephen Doningman wasn't the president of the county nor the governor of the state but he was the heart of the country. Anna didn't think there was a single person who didn't like him. Including herself. She loved the man to the core and followed his pages on social media.
He is a senator and an activist that has dedicated his life to helping the less worthy. Given that when he spoke of his family background, the dirt and penniless core he came from, his need to consistently help others was understandable.
The government literally hated to see him coming because he spoke unabashed truth and was always backing the citizens. She suspected he might run for president and if he does, he most certainly would win. Even she would vote for him. They needed more people like Senator Doningman.
Anna signed up for the volunteer work and went to Sullivan's room, he had casually mentioned to her that he kept some cash in his drawer. She took some and left the house. If she told him about her whereabouts, he would definitely fret about how she needs more rest but she wasn't the type of woman that stayed at home before her accident. And spending three months in bed was already enough to make her bored to the core.
She got to the foundation half an hour later, an NGO that not only helped people in their country but across the word as well. In the past few years the SD Foundation has famously won the award for best NGO. Even Sullivan's foundation couldn't beat him to it.
Although Sullivan focused more on medicine and world poverty eradication, the man's foundation had its best moments but it wasn't the main focus of his company.
Stephen Doningman runs a stock company by the side and worked at the SD foundation most of the time. The man had once said SD Foundation was his main work and the SD stock company, his investments in other organizations and cooperation was just to rake in money to fund the NGO.
That statement seven years ago won the hearts of many citizens who were disappointed two years after that he did not run for president.
When Anna got to the foundation and gave her details showing that she had indeed registered for volunteer work, the woman was surprised.
She might not be as famous as a celebrity but her name was at least well known. "CEO Harbinger…" the lady glanced at the tag she had now pinned on her chest. "...I didn't know you volunteered."
"Just randomly." She answered before walking away to avoid further questions. No doubt her pictures would be on the internet soon with people wondering why the billionaire heiress was no longer at her company being the workaholic she was famous for.
The work wasn't as tough as Anna had thought. After she explained to the manager that she had just been out of the hospital and only came because she loves the foundation and volunteering—a little lie because Anna didn't really care about these things in the past, she just let her staff run the matters and threw money to the course like most socialites did—the manager had made sure to put her in a section that wouldn't require too much work.
Some women, who had been rescued by the foundation and the children were to be registered so they could get enough money to start a new life while the foundation continued to support on the side.
Anna had been put in charge of getting their information so all she did was sit all day and happily converse with these people.
It was night by the time she was done and when she clocked out—now a certified member of the SD foundation volunteer—she politely declined dinner with the few members she had interacted with and saw that Sullivan had called her six times and left her messages.
'Annabelle why aren't you picking?'
'You aren't home. Where are you?'
'Anna, please tell me you are safe.'
'Annabelle, you are making me worry. I am too old for worry.'
She laughed at the last message, patting her stomach as she stood outside the foundation. The night air, grazing her skin. It was nearing christmas period and the cold was now hitting the country atmosphere. No doubt it will start to snow soon.
She phoned Sullivan and he picked on the second ring.
"Annabelle, where are you?" he sounded anxious and it made butterflies flutter in her stomach.
Fary never sounded this way whenever she came home late. He just treated it like a normal thing. Now she even began to wonder if he ever loved her or if it had been one sided or for the sake of being tied to her father's company.
"Hello to you too. I am at SD Foundation. No need to give yourself a heart attack." He still has enough good years left in him.
The other line was silent for some time and Anna heard the slamming of his car door as the engine roared alive. "What are you doing there?"
She shrugged even though he couldn't see her. "Volunteering. Did you go home already?"
Doesn't he live most of life at work? Even three months ago when she had crashed into his building, he was just leaving work after three in the morning. But it was barely past eight and the man was home. It didn't add up for her.
"Yes. Stay right there. I am on my way." He hung up before she could even say a word and Anna wanted to call back and tell him she could find her way back home but she was interrupted.
"CEO Harbinger?" The voice was old yet firm and clear. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Stephen Doningman standing about six feet away. The old man laughed, the sound, carefree and lovely to the ears. "I thought my staff was joking around."
His team was waiting some few steps behind him. "Senator Doningman…" she greeted conversing with him when he asked why she was here.
Anna gave the simple explanation of volunteering and dodged the bullet question of when she would go back to work politely and swiftly. Quickly shifting the topic to his recent donation with the babies foundation.
It was the second time she will be meeting the man and he was still as easy to talk to as before.
She was so way deep in conversation with him, she didn't know when Sullivan arrived.
"Anna." His tone was sharp as he walked towards her, the door to his car still open. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, almost shielding her from the man she was conversing with.
"Vice Chairman Sullivan…" The Senator acknowledged, brown eyes blooming with delight under the bright lights of the foundation.