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

The sun had already dipped halfway below the horizon, but the temperature dropped sharply, as if the entire plain had suddenly sunk beneath the horizon. The scorching air slowly dissipated, turning into a fresh, damp atmosphere with the scent of earth, bringing a slight coolness.


The reserve wasn't large, and the accommodations were even more basic. There were only seven or eight large tents, their colors leaning toward a grass-like yellow-green.


Van pulled a cigarette from his pack, lit it, and inhaled deeply. With a flick of his wrist, he held the cigarette at the corner of his mouth. "I told you, the conditions here are rudimentary. You might not adapt well."


Harry took them on a tour, pointing out each tent, "This is the shower and bathroom area. The kitchen is over there. This tent is where I stay with another volunteer, and the two next to it are for other female volunteers."


Chapter 103