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 head chef, borrowed from a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Hong Kong, specialized in French-Chinese fusion cuisine. As soon as Winnie and Van were seated, he emerged from the kitchen to personally introduce the intricacies of the menu.


"For the cold appetizer, we've prepared white wine and herb-infused mussels. The hot starter is mango and red wine-poached pear with seared foie gras—a unique combination of flavors. The soup is a refreshing double-boiled chicken consommé with matsutake mushrooms and bamboo pith. The bamboo pith is sourced directly from Chaoshan, Guangdong, and has a crisp, fresh texture that complements the broth."


Winnie listened attentively, following along as he described each dish.


Chapter 26