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

Since there was still time for promotional material to be filmed, they all got into the Alpha shuttle bus to head to the venue. While Winnie was walking the red carpet, Wendy and David went into the venue to wait, while Yulia skipped out to head home for a nap and to keep an eye on the live stream and trending topics.


At exactly 3 PM, the red carpet began on time.


David had secured a great spot for Mia, and as the opening guest, Mia seemed a little nervous. She wore a complicated petal train dress, walking carefully on the red carpet, her eyes filled with tension.


After Winnie finished taking her photos, she sat in the shuttle, watching the live stream of the red carpet.


'Mia's doing pretty well, getting the opening spot. I remember when I won Best Newcomer, I was placed somewhere in the middle of the line-up," she remarked.


Chapter 92