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

Van stood by the window in the dining room, watching her figure get farther and farther away, until she disappeared at the edge of the distant cliff, becoming a tiny dot that contrasted sharply with the blue sea and sky.


"She was fine yesterday, why is she suddenly so irritable today?" Eric teased as he held a cup of coffee.


"She asked me for money, and I didn't give it to her," Van smiled and took a sip of his coffee.


"70 million in advance, 30 million loan, a total of 100 million."


"That's quite a sum," Eric raised an eyebrow. "But it's already a big deal for Miss Loxley to ask you. Her personality makes it hard for her to ask for help. Are you really not going to help?"


Van smiled lightly, a trace of amusement in his eyes. "She's smart and independent. If I really lend her the money, she'll only see me as a creditor. Our relationship will become complicated. Why would I want to make things more troublesome for myself?"


Chapter 113