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 stopped in her tracks and glanced back. Van's hand had already dropped. "Sorry," he apologized for his touch, then added, "It'll be over soon. I'll take you back."


Reluctantly, Winnie returned under his umbrella, looking up at the rain-sprinkled light through the edge of the umbrella.


The man kept his word. Since he had promised, he didn't make her wait long.


After a few brief words on the phone, he hung up, put his phone away, and took off his suit jacket, handing it to Winnie.


Holding the umbrella in one hand, he somehow managed to remove the jacket with only one hand. It seemed difficult, but Winnie couldn't understand how someone could do it so gracefully, so slowly, as if every movement was deliberate and almost pleasing to watch. But halfway through, the man paused, folding the suit jacket over his forearm. He then took off the deep gray cashmere cardigan beneath and handed it to Winnie.


Chapter 14