In a rental apartment in a small district, Estrella curled up like a ball in her room.
It was very dark. The curtains were drawn, and there was no source of light in the room.
Her mood was as dark as the room. Her eyes held no trace of light.
Under where she laid her head was a large wet patch.
The doctor's words rang in her head, just as they had been doing for the past week since her discharge.
"You are lucky it was discovered at an early stage. It gives you a high chance of successful treatment." He paused.
Then he continued, "Surgery is the best treatment for now. But before that, we will place you on weekly medication for three months."
He then listed various drugs and said, "These are all to shrink the cancer and prepare your body for surgery."
He stopped to look at her.
"You can get them at the pharmacy downstairs."
Estrella didn't say a word. She stood up to walk out.
But just as she reached the door, the doctor warned,
"The drugs are expensive."
Estrella paused for a moment, then walked out.
Once she reached the counter, she gave the prescription to the pharmacist.
The pharmacist checked through the list and brought out the drugs.
She wanted to tell her the total cost, but Estrella didn't bother to listen.
She handed over her card for the pharmacist to swipe.
The pharmacist understood her mood, so she proceeded with the payment.
She issued a receipt and handed it over to Estrella.
"Your receipt, miss," the pharmacist said.
Estrella took it and skimmed through it.
Her jaw dropped in shock when she saw the total cost.
"Is there some mistake here?" she asked, pointing at the amount.
She frantically hoped the pharmacist would say there was a mistake.
But the pharmacist shook her head.
"I am sorry, ma'am. There is no mistake."
It had taken almost all her life savings. Only a few pennies were left.
Just a week's drugs?
How could they be that expensive?
Estrella remained rooted to the spot, her eyes scanning the receipt again…
Trying to check if she had misread the figures.
But she hadn't.
Suddenly, a loud alarm rang, bringing her back to the present.
She slowly stood up. It was time to take her drugs.
There was only one dose left of each.
That meant she was going to finish them today.
Estrella took a deep breath and swallowed the drugs with water.
And just like that, she had spent her life savings in a week.
She had to get more drugs tomorrow.
But how was she supposed to do that?
She had no money left.
She broke into tears, covering her face.
She had thought the worst thing she would ever go through was losing her parents at a young age.
But now, her boyfriend had abandoned her after she was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
The word cancer felt so dark to her. It was like a deep pit pulling her in, leaving her with no ray of hope.
She sobbed harder. She felt broken.
She desperately wanted to move on, but her life seemed to have come to a halt.
She kept sobbing, and after some time, she fell asleep.
That had been her routine for the past week.
Take her drugs, cry, then sleep.
Unknown to her, a convoy of cars lined up in front of her apartment.
The cars were all black, each expensive enough to buy the whole district.
A small crowd gathered to watch.
"Who could this be?" one asked.
Another whispered, "It must be someone prominent."
Several bodyguards got out of the cars.
A man rushed to open the door of the most expensive car in the convoy.
A man stepped out. He was fully dressed in black.
His presence was commanding, his outfit screaming luxury.
One person gasped.
"It's Luciano Banks!"
The crowd stared in disbelief.
"What? You mean Lucifer?" one said in disbelief. "How could that be?"
"It's him," another said. "I have seen him many times on the business news."
Luciano Banks, the heir to Banks Coop—a man rumored to be so ruthless that he was called Lucifer.
What was he doing in a small district?
Luciano paid no attention to the crowd.
He only turned to his assistant, Berry.
"Lead the way."
Berry led the way to Estrella's apartment.
When they got there, they knocked for a while, but there was no response.
"Break it down," Luciano said.
"Sir?" Berry looked confused.
"I have no time to waste." Luciano's gaze remained fixed on the door.
Berry immediately understood his words.
He meant to break it down.
He turned to the bodyguards and gave them instructions.
Within a few minutes, the door was down.
Berry stepped in first, and Luciano followed.
It was so dark inside that they could not see anything.
"Is anyone here?" Berry called out.
But there was no reply.
Berry turned to Luciano.
"There seems to be no one here."
Luciano remained composed. He walked straight toward the bedroom.
He seemed very comfortable in the darkness.
He pushed the door open and immediately sighted a figure on the bed.
He knew someone was there.
He walked over and hit the bed frame with a powerful kick.
Thud.
The sound echoed in the bedroom.
Estrella jolted awake immediately.
She looked around in confusion, and when she spotted a figure in the dark, she said in terror,
"Who is there?"
Fear rose in her heart.
Luciano said nothing. He walked straight to the window and pulled up the curtain.
Light streamed in.
The sudden light was overwhelming for Estrella, and she had to close her eyes.
After all, she hadn't seen light for a week.
She squinted and slowly opened her eyes until she could adjust.
By the time she could see clearly, she took in the figure before her.
The light reflected his features. He was like a knight in shining armor.
"Who are you?" Estrella asked.
"I am here to talk," Luciano said simply.
"You haven't answered my question," Estrella said sternly.
"Do you want to do this calmly?" Luciano asked.
The arrogance in his voice irked Estrella.
She stood up in anger.
"You broke into my house and expect me to talk calmly? Who does that?"
"Me," Luciano replied calmly.
Estrella's anger rose to its peak.
"You think I am playing word games with you? Wait until I call the police."
She reached for her phone and dialed 911.
She expected Luciano to panic, but he remained calm.
Estrella immediately lodged her complaint.
"Someone broke into my apartment."
Luciano crossed the distance between them and grabbed the phone from her.
Estrella tried to grab it back, but Luciano pinned her to the wall.
"You—" Estrella started.
"Please, can you provide more information?" a voice said from the other end of the phone.
"It's Luciano Banks," Luciano said into the phone.
The person on the other end seemed to hesitate for a moment…
Then ended the call.
Estrella was stunned.
How could that be?
He stared down at her. His black eyes boring into her soul.
"No police in Milan dares to take up my case."