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

The black, silver-topped Maybach drove smoothly. As it passed the small town along the highway, it caused the same stir and attracted stares just like when they arrived.


This was a genuine heirloom, passed down since the 1920s and 1930s, not the common Mercedes-Maybach you'd see on the streets. A car worth 13 million was just Van's daily business vehicle. With a body length of over six meters, the car allowed ample space for both the front and back seats when the partition was raised.


Eric knew that when Van was in work mode, he was completely focused and didn't like being disturbed, so without waiting for any instructions, he automatically raised the partition.


Inside the Bluetooth earpiece, the executives' reports were orderly, and the meeting interface on the tablet displayed the quarterly data. Van listened intently, his gaze focused and clear.


Chapter 20