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

As the elevator doors closed, Winnie pressed her slender arms against the walls of the car, burying her face in them.


"Ugh…" She's a foolish girl, letting a good opportunity slip away.


The elevator didn't ascend. Instead, it made a chime and opened again. Winnie instinctively raised her face, the warm light surrounding her dejected, wronged, and exhausted expression.


Winnie snapped out of her daze, quickly took off the cardigan, adjusted it, and handed it over with both hands.


That's how she was— the more awkward it got, the more she forced herself to act composed, with a smile that was flawless.


The elevator doors slowly began to close again, at such a slow pace that Winnie felt like the time was dragging on endlessly, unbearably.


She kept her gaze lowered, politely avoiding looking up, her eyes only seeing the man's long, well-tailored black suit pants.


The scene narrowed as the doors slowly closed.


Chapter 15