"Lucifer," Chryston muttered.
His face showed obvious surprise as he stared at the screen displaying Luciano Banks.
His tone immediately changed.
"Mr. Banks, it's nice to meet you."
Even through the screen, Chryston could feel the cold aura radiating from him.
"No need for the pleasantries," Luciano said, not bothering to pretend.
Chryston felt embarrassed by Luciano's straightforwardness, but he still forced a friendly smile.
"So, is there anything Mr. Banks wants from me?"
He expected an answer but instead noticed a deep frown on Luciano's face.
His heartbeat quickened.
The man who had brought the laptop spoke up.
"Mr. Banks doesn't repeat himself."
His voice was cold and robotic, like a programmed machine.
Chryston scratched his head, frantically trying to remember what Luciano had said.
His memory flashed back.
"I did."
Luciano had been responding to his question about who bought the stocks.
Wait...
Luciano was the one who bought the company's shares.
The smile immediately disappeared from Chryston's face.
"Mr. Banks, I don't remember ever offending you."
"Who published the news claiming my marriage was fake?" Luciano asked.
"I... I..."
Chryston stammered.
He couldn't bring himself to answer.
His friends had warned him never to publish negative news about the Banks family.
He had thought those warnings were empty threats.
Now Luciano was personally coming after him.
"Mr. Banks, I'm very sorry. I'll publicly debunk the news. I'll say it was only a publicity stunt to boost the company's fame. Please return the shares to me. The company is all I have."
Luciano remained unmoved.
"I'm not here for an apology," he said coldly. "I'm here to buy the shares you hold."
"No! I will never sell my shares!"
Chryston shook his head repeatedly.
He owned sixty percent of the company while Tania held the remaining forty percent.
The man beside him placed a file on the table.
It was a share acquisition contract.
Chryston immediately pushed it away.
"Even if I sell my shares, you still can't acquire the company. Tania owns part of it too."
Luciano wasn't surprised.
"You mean your ex-wife?"
He paused.
"She already sold her shares to me."
"What?!"
Tania sold her shares?
"What is your decision, Mr. Chryston?" Luciano asked.
"I said never!"
Veins bulged on Chryston's forehead.
Luciano simply nodded.
"Okay."
The screen suddenly went dark.
Chryston blinked.
That was it?
Hadn't Luciano been described as ruthless?
He expected threats or pressure.
Instead, Luciano had simply left.
The man picked up the laptop and closed it.
"Remember this."
He turned toward the door.
"The price currently being offered decreases by one hundred thousand dollars every hour."
His tone remained calm.
Then he left.
Chryston didn't need to be told those were Luciano's instructions.
His heart began pounding wildly.
Why was Luciano so certain he would sell?
He swept everything off the table.
"I will never sell my shares!"
Documents scattered across the floor.
His hands trembled with anger.
His assistant watched cautiously as a vase landed beside him and shattered.
Chryston breathed heavily.
Fear.
Anger.
Panic.
Everything mixed together.
He suddenly found himself thinking the same thing again.
If only Tania were here.
She would have handled everything.
His assistant's cautious voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Mr. Chryston... Madam's lawyer just sent over a lawsuit regarding infidelity during the marriage."
At the news, Chryston collapsed into his chair.
---
Meanwhile, at a modest restaurant, Estrella stopped by for breakfast.
She had left the house in anger and hadn't waited to eat.
Even though the food tasted like cardboard in her mouth, she still forced herself to swallow a few bites.
After eating, she took out her medication and swallowed it with a glass of water.
Now that her stomach was full, she finally had time to think about her situation.
If she could no longer work at Café Rosso, then she needed another source of income.
But there was no point finding another low-paying job.
That would be foolish.
She was Mrs. Banks now.
Besides, she still needed money.
Even if the income from the district covered the surgery, she would still need emergency funds.
The problem was that finding a good job in Milan depended heavily on connections.
And she didn't want to rely on Luciano.
Just then, a memory flashed through her mind.
Willow.
The owner of Glam House had once given her his personal card and told her to contact him if she ever wanted to try acting.
Estrella quickly opened her backpack and searched through it.
After nearly emptying the entire bag, she finally found the card tucked into a small compartment.
She let out a sigh of relief and dialed the number.
The phone rang for several seconds before someone answered.
"Hello," Estrella greeted.
"Hello," Willow replied. "May I know who's speaking?"
"Estrella."
There was a brief silence.
Then Willow said apologetically,
"I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember who that is."
Estrella sighed.
Even though she hated relying on her title, she said through gritted teeth,
"Mrs. Banks."
"Oh! Mrs. Banks."
His attitude changed immediately.
"My apologies. I didn't recognize you earlier. Is there any way I can help you?"
Having influence really was a powerful thing, Estrella thought.
"Yes. I'd like to discuss something with you."
"Of course. Where would you like to meet?"
"I'll come to your office."
"Wouldn't that be troublesome for you?"
"Not at all."
"Very well. I'll be expecting you."
"Okay."
Estrella ended the call.
She stood up, swung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out of the restaurant.