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

"Am I the first person to see your tattoo?" Winnie whispered, still lying beside him.


"Yes," Van breathed softly, his tone subtly tense.


"Are there any other 'firsts'?" Winnie asked innocently, her fingers lightly resting on his chest. Her hand was as soft as silk, almost weightless, yet her actions held an unconscious boldness, as if teasing him.


"Winnie," Van called her name in a deep voice, his tone betraying his tension, "Please don't do that."


Winnie persisted, "How about this? Am I the first for this too?"


Van's Adam's apple moved involuntarily.


After a moment, in the darkness, Winnie leaned down and gently pressed her lips to his tattoo.


She didn't wait for an answer; Van suddenly pulled her up, her knees buckling slightly as she fell into his embrace. His grip was strong, almost making her wrist ache.


"Do you do this with others too?" Van looked down, his gaze sharp as he asked.


Chapter 107