Estrella returned home feeling extremely down. She had thought she had overcome her financial crisis by marrying Luciano—but that was far from the truth.
Aunty Smith saw her enter and greeted her with a warm smile. "Welcome, Estrella."
Estrella nodded briefly and walked straight to Luciano's room. She wasn't ready to deal with Butler Neil today.
Her head was pounding, and all she wanted was a calming shower.
Standing under the shower, water ran down her body.
The number the doctor had mentioned echoed repeatedly in her mind.
Her heart tightened.
The water did nothing to soothe her.
With a frustrated sigh, she turned off the shower, picked up her night robe, and put it on.
She walked out and collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
The last thing she wanted was an argument.
Instead, she began thinking of ways to raise money.
Her salary from the café wasn't even worth mentioning.
Just then, the door opened, and Luciano walked in.
He didn't say a word.
He simply dropped a file beside her.
Estrella picked it up and flipped through it.
It was the property transfer document.
The entire district—under her name.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face.
He had really bought a whole district for her… just to manipulate public opinion?
How rich was he?
Her eyes moved to the monthly income generated from the district.
It was… a lot.
If she combined it with the monthly allowance Luciano gave her—
It would be enough.
Enough for the surgery.
Under normal circumstances, she would have rejected it and returned everything to him.
But now…
She needed it to survive.
She made a decision.
She would keep it—for now.
Just for three months.
Then she would return everything.
"I'll keep it for—"
"Of course you will," Luciano cut in coldly. "That's what gold diggers do."
Estrella froze.
She slowly looked up at him.
But he didn't even spare her a glance as he unbuttoned his cuffs.
Her chest tightened.
The words stung more than she expected.
She wanted to throw the file in his face.
Tell him to take his money and leave.
But she couldn't.
She had no other way to get the money for her surgery.
For her life—
She had to endure it.
Turning away, she placed the file beside her and closed her eyes.
Tears slipped silently down her face.
She had never felt this humiliated.
She hated Luciano.
And she hated crying even more.
From the corner of his eye, Luciano watched her.
Unaware of her tears.
Disappointed.
He had expected her to react.
To argue.
To reject it.
To prove she wasn't what he thought.
But instead—
She accepted it.
Silently.
His expression darkened.
Anger rose in his chest.
He tugged off his tie roughly and walked into the bathroom.
Meanwhile, in a high-end restaurant—
A man sat at a table with a woman and a little girl.
He was Chryston, the owner of Golden Entertainment Hub.
He cut a piece of steak and placed it gently on the girl's plate. "Eat more, dear."
The girl beamed. "Thank you, Daddy."
A doting smile appeared on Chryston's face.
The woman across from him watched them warmly. "You seem really happy today."
"Of course," Chryston replied with a smile. "The company's stock has gone up significantly."
The woman's smile faltered. "Did Tania invest again?"
"No," he shook his head. "The news about Luciano's 'fake marriage' boosted it."
She sighed in relief. "I almost felt inferior to her again…"
Chryston frowned. He pulled her chair closer, cupped her face, and looked into her eyes.
"Ava, listen to me. You are not inferior to that barren woman. You're the one I love. She's just my money-making machine. Do you understand?"
Ava nodded, reassured. "I understand."
She leaned forward and kissed him.
As she pulled back, Chryston held her and deepened the kiss.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A slow, deliberate applause cut through the air.
"So romantic."
The voice was cold.
Chryston stiffened.
He pushed Ava away instantly and looked up.
His face drained of color.
"T-Tania… it's not what you think!"
But Tania ignored him.
She walked straight to the little girl and smiled.
"Hello, little one. Who is this man to you?"
She pointed at Chryston.
Chryston's breath caught.
The girl smiled proudly. "He's my daddy."
Tania looked back at Chryston.
"She says you're her father."
"I'm not!" Chryston denied immediately.
The girl's smile faltered. "Daddy… why are you denying me? Why are you afraid of this woman? Who is she?"
Tania smiled faintly.
"I am your daddy's wife."
The girl frowned. "That's not true. My mommy is his wife."
Tania shook her head slowly.
"No… your mother is his mistress."