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

On the verge of collapse, she opened her mouth, her voice trembling, her shoulders shaking, but she spoke firmly, "Van, I'll call the police. I really will. Even if I'm ruined, even if the whole world calls me a slut, I'll call the police."


It was unclear whether her desperate threat had worked, or if the man across from her had lost interest, but in any case, the car fell silent. Only the faint smell of tobacco lingered in the air.


After a long while, Van focused intently on her, the smile on his lips now completely different from before.


"This is the first time you've called me Van."


It turned out that when he truly smiled, he was very gentle.


Winnie's body was still trembling, but the hands clutching her high heels had noticeably relaxed. She wasn't sure if that tenderness was just an illusion caused by the blur of her tears.


"You said that day you were afraid of me. Were you afraid of who I am, or afraid of what kind of person I am?"


Chapter 31