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

After showering and changing into her clothes, it was almost time for Winnie to head to the set. She wasn't wearing any makeup, dressed in casual, comfortable clothes, with her hair left loose and her face covered by a black mask.


The two of them left the suite, and as they reached the end of the hallway, the elevator door opened just in time. A stranger in a black suit walked out, still on the phone.


"What?" He glanced at the disguised star, lowering his voice. "I've already seen her. I can give it to her now."


Van motioned with his finger and took the phone from Eric.


The bodyguard, who had already been there earlier in the morning, got to hear his boss's instructions firsthand.


Chapter 22