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 car drove out of the quiet neighborhood, turning the snowy street corner.


Winnie took the pills, swallowed them with a sip of water, and then pursed her damp lips. "Mr. Marlowe, you really are rich."


She threw sarcastic remarks at Van, but he only smiled and casually replied, "If I can afford to lose it, why keep it?"


Winnie felt something blocking her chest more than her nose, probably the large pill that had lodged in her throat.


"Winnie," he said, his tone slightly angry, "you still haven't explained to me what was going on with that Italian guy,"


He didn't let go. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She deliberately tried to provoke Van, saying, "We had a meal together, and we exchanged phone numbers."


"Stop the car." The cold command from the backseat made the driver obediently ease off the gas and steer the Benz to the side of the street.


"What's going on?" the driver asked, turning halfway.


Chapter 81