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

Yulia had been waiting at the door for Winnie since late in the evening, right up until after 11 p.m.. When she saw the Benz pull up, she didn't even care that her legs had gone numb. She limped toward the car as fast as she could.


But Winnie got out of the car alone. Yulia peeked into the car and asked, "Mr. Marlowe didn't drop you off?"


Winnie turned back and thanked the driver before walking up the front steps. She looked up at the bright moon overhead.


The wind was strong tonight, and the thick clouds had been blown away. The moon was distant but bright.


As her life assistant, Yulia lived with Winnie, sharing the same space. She knew that Winnie loved taking long baths, so she had already filled the tub with hot water. As the sound of the water flowed, Yulia asked, "What did Mr. Marlowe take you to do tonight?"


"Wow!" Yulia's eyes widened. "Did he buy you a gift?"


"Not exactly. It's more like something from him and Wyatt."


Chapter 37