NewEraCulture

A high-society romance where pretense turned into reality.
 
Van, the heir to a top-tier fortune and a regular on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, had been mocked for being perpetually single, with even rumors swirling about his "dysfunction."
 
Winnie, a Hollywood superstar desperate to escape her constant barrage of scandals, encountered this billionaire worth tens of billions. To her surprise, Van presented her with an unexpected proposal:
 
"Pretend to date me for a year. You won't have to do anything else. I'll pay you $100 million after taxes."
 
She planned to laugh it off but couldn't ignore the man's chiseled features—the way his shadowed face was lit up as he casually raised an eyebrow and lit a cigarette in the glow of firelight, his voice steady and laced with danger.
 
She remembered their first meeting in a torrential downpour—the man reclining in a silver Maybach, eyes half-closed, exuding charm yet utterly unattainable. She also remembered later, when everyone had believed him to be unshakable and untouchable, he had appeared alone, worn and weary, at her remote desert film set, quietly asking:
 
"Do you really have to shoot this kiss scene?"
 
Behind this contract lay something far deeper than money—a fixation, a love that had turned real, or perhaps an irresistible force neither of them had recognized.
 
$100 million had set the stage for a high-stakes battle of love and hate that would ultimately unravel.

A Love Confession from Las Vegas

Winnie was caught off guard by his direct question, and feeling the weight of his cold, commanding presence, she instinctively tried to hide the truth from him. "At… at home," she stammered.


Yulia, walking by with a face mask on, overheard the lie and immediately called out, "No, you're clearly at the hotel! Why are you lying?"


The lie was exposed, and Winnie hurriedly hung up the phone. To Van, it sounded like she was being forced into a crisis.


Van immediately dialed his assistant's internal line, ordering him to trace Winnie's location.


Winnie, after hanging up, placed her hand over her pounding heart and took deep breaths. Yulia watched her face flush and her heart race, and instantly came to her own conclusion.


Yulia, more clueless than ever, exclaimed, "So she's not a stalker fan?"


Winnie groaned and rubbed her temples. "You've ruined me. Do you think he's going to come after me now?"


Chapter 18