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 nodded. "I think Spanish sounds beautiful, but I can't learn it. Actually, Spanish is the second most spoken language in LA, after English, but everyone around me speaks English."


Van noticed she was talking more, but didn't show any signs of irritation. Instead, he asked, "What do you want to learn?"


Winnie paused for a moment, then laughed. "I can only say 'Te amo,' 'Te echo de menos,' 'Te vi,' and '¿Qué estás haciendo?' The rest, I want to learn."


Van chuckled softly at her words. She said "Te Amo" in a cute, almost childlike way.


He noticed the slight furrow of her brow and, after thinking for a moment, smiled lightly before asking, "How about I teach you one more phrase?"


Winnie's eyes sparkled with a smile, and the light in them unexpectedly struck Van's heart.


Suddenly, Van found himself caught off guard by her beauty. "Quiero verte."


The beautiful Spanish words came from Van's lips, so effortlessly, like they belonged there.


Chapter 36