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.
Los Angeles is famous for its sunshine and beaches, but every fall, when the humidity drops to 20-30%, the golden maple leaves clinging to the branches and the gentle breeze create the illusion of being in a high-latitude region. Yet, this is Los Angeles, the largest city in California, where cloudless blue skies and slightly sweet air are the norm.
Before stepping out, fully made up and ready, Winnie Loxley noticed that the previously azure sky had turned slightly grayish. Her assistant pointed out a 40% chance of rain from afternoon to evening and reminded her to prepare for the drop in temperature. Winnie listened but dismissed the warning, knowing how unreliable Los Angeles rain forecasts usually were.
The Alphard van rounded a corner and picked her up outside a modern concrete apartment-turned-studio. Without pause, it headed straight for California's Highway 1. This iconic coastal highway north of Los Angeles, winding along the Pacific Ocean, is renowned for its breathtaking ocean views. However, Winnie wasn't in the mood to admire the scenery, her thoughts interrupted by a soft female voice.
"Winnie, thank you so much for coming all the way to pick me up," the voice said. It was sweet and pleasant, though the overly cautious tone made its owner seem a bit uneasy.
Winnie shifted her gaze from the ocean to glance at Mia, seated beside her. "It's okay. The company hasn't assigned you a car yet, and it wasn't far for me."
Mia was a newly signed junior artist with a somewhat tongue-twisting stage name. She had explained that, lacking standout looks, she hoped the name would grab attention. At just 22 years old, fresh out of school, Mia had already starred in a couple of Netflix dramas and built up some recognition.
It was Mia's first time riding with Winnie, and she hadn't expected her to be so easygoing, without any diva-like behavior. Relieved, she let down her guard and asked, "It's my first time attending an event like this. Is there anything I should prepare for?"
Winnie smiled gently, as if reminiscing about her own first public appearance years ago. She raised her hand and lightly patted Mia's shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"Don't worry, just stick with me!" Winnie said softly.
Although she was still relatively new to stardom, Mia usually had three or four people surrounding her wherever she went.
Winnie chuckled, "So why didn't you bring them along?"
Mia pouted slightly. "The organizers didn't allow it."
"Exactly," Winnie replied.
"You can't pull any strings to make an exception?" Mia asked, her eyes sparkling with hope.
It was an understandable question.
Winnie was the biggest star in their talent agency. By the age of 27, she had already won two Best Actress awards and one Best Supporting Actress award-practically the pinnacle for a young actress. Yet here she was, attending this event without even being allowed to bring her assistant.
Winnie said, "Even I can't."
"It's just some rich person's banquet." Mia muttered under her breath. "Do rich people think they're so special?"
"Being rich is very special," Winnie responded simply, raising her eyebrows slightly, her expression becoming a bit livelier than before.
Mia laughed, her tone turning playful, almost childlike. "But you're really rich yourself."
"Money," Winnie said lightly, as if making casual conversation, "the more, the better, of course."
The coastal highway stretched endlessly into the distance. After a long drive, the scenery ahead finally began to change.
It was a marina.
Despite the forecast for rain, the seaside at just past four in the afternoon showed no signs of gloom. The sunlight filtered through the clouds in fine threads, clear and pure. Inside the harbor, hundreds of sailboats and yachts were moored, their sails neatly tied to the masts in preparation for the predicted storm. This was a playground for the wealthy, a sanctuary for the affluent. Yet, two months ago, it had quietly changed ownership. Nobody knew who the new owner of this marina was.
Reaching the marina meant they were nearing the hotel.
Across the bay, perched on the hillside, was a cluster of white buildings. Built into the slope of the mountain, their large glass windows reflected the emerald sea. Inside, dazzling crystal chandeliers had already been lit. From a distance, the scene looked like golden fireworks floating on the ocean.
The car glided smoothly along the asphalt road outside the marina. Mia leaned against the window, her eyes widening in astonishment. She caught sight of a towering, pure white superyacht docked at the marina, so massive she couldn't count how many decks it had at a glance. She wanted to gasp in amazement, but noticing that Winnie seemed entirely unfazed, she swallowed her surprise and sat quietly.
Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge on the top floor, Edison, the host of the banquet, stood by the window, taking a phone call.
The voice on the other end was deep and refined. "It's going to pour. The hotel says there'll be a massive storm. Commercial flights might not be able to take off."
Edison chuckled and shook his head. "Don't tell me you're still in Las Vegas."
From the top floor of the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, neon lights painted a kaleidoscope of indulgence below, amplifying the city's hedonistic atmosphere. Few people knew that hidden within the executive office on the top floor was a giant ocean-view window. The man on the call stood before the glass wall, his reflection outlined against the deep blue backdrop of a virtual sea.
"Still at the hotel. Just wrapped up a meeting," he said, exhaling a stream of smoke as he habitually tapped the ash off his slim white cigarette.
"If flights are grounded and the yacht's here at the marina, how do you plan to make it to the banquet on time?" Edison asked.
The voice on the phone carried a faint smile, tinged with unhurried nonchalance. "Since when was punctuality a requirement?"
After hanging up, Edison's assistant, in charge of public relations for the event, asked, "Mr. Marlowe is still in Las Vegas? Coming from there, wouldn't he arrive after midnight?"
Edison wasn't worried. He knew the man was meticulous in everything he did. The suggestion of a delay was likely just a joke.
As expected, moments after the call ended, a helicopter rose into the skies before the storm arrived, climbing steadily to the stratosphere. Against the darkening heavens, it prepared to cut through turbulent weather on its way to Los Angeles.
At the hotel's revolving doors, the sliding door of the Alphard van opened automatically. A leg in stiletto heels emerged from beneath the hem of a sleek black satin gown. The soft click of her heel echoed gently as it met the marble floor.
She is a wealthy and wealthy woman renowned in New York, and he is a financial tycoon in Washington. Their marriage is a family alliance without any emotional connection. In order to cultivate this love, she hid her identity and entered her husband's company, but unexpectedly, the first thing she did at work was the sexual hidden rules of her immediate supervisor.
'Sir, this card is rejected either!" Vanessa's eyes crossed with a trace of pity. Such a beautiful man was a penniless vagrant. But, luckily, he met her. Vanessa was worried about how to spend the 100,000 dollars, or her brother would nag her again. So she handed the card over directly, 'Use this." Aaron Anderson looked down and saw a fair arm stretched out from behind him. The girl was extremely good-looking, just looked cold. He raised an eyebrow, and for the first time in his life, he had the illusion of being a kept man.
Sophia Ysabelle, 26 years old, accepted the life-changing deal of marrying the famous billionaire, Daniel Kelley, not for his money but his name. They have different reasons for marrying each other. Daniel needs a woman to pretend as his wife to get the biggest investment for their company, which will lead them to the top-grossing company in the whole state of California. While Sophia needs someone 'powerful' on her back while still seeking justice for what happened to her in the past. But there is a big problem between the two of them, they couldn't stand alone in one place facing each other. Daniel is a cold and arrogant billionaire with a smile as precious as a diamond, and who already put her under his judgement from the very first time they met. And Sophia is a stubborn yet resilient woman who never backs down from anyone's judgement, not even from her future husband's rudeness. But in the end, will she tell him the real reason for marrying him? When he finds out the truth, will he continue to judge her? Will he be able to protect her from her dark past or he will just remain a cold and arrogant husband towards her? "Never judge someone without knowing the whole story. You may think you understand, but you don't"
Aviva~~~ I sat on the ground looking at the sight in front of me. I cried again and again. "Why did you leave us?"I screamed to the top of my lungs. " why us" I screamed a gain this time my lungs felt painful but not compared to my heart. " why did you have to leave us?"I said in lower tone this time lowering my head and looking down at the grave. I just couldn't understand life or was it fate? It took from us the most loved person. "Why did you have to leave us miserable with no support dad?" I said looking down at his grave. The grave I was sitting at the moment hopping that my dad could comeback and live happy with us like how we used to be. Hoping that at least my dad could come and take me to where he went up there Hoping that when I go back home everything could go back to where they were before my dad died.
Introduction: She was the daughter of a plutocrat, an elite with multiple identities, known and respected by everyone; she was a young girl from a rich family, who was peacocky and shameless, loathed by all. After being reborn as her, she defeated the bad man and the angelic bitch, took revenge on the bad guy who killed her, married the noblest man, got into the sweetest relationship, and stunned the world! Reporter, "Mr. Leach, what is your favourite thing in the world?" Benson, "Jill." Reporter, "Mr. Leach, what do you like to do most every day?" Benson smiled, "Sleeping with Jill in my arms at night." Juliana: ...
Kadin and Billy, two young pupils, got hold of a notebook with a mysterious scribbling in it after a professor was assaulted and maybe murdered for it. Looking for answers and starting to fall in love Billy falls into the hands of the devils. Kadin runs into the dangerous prophet that manipulates everyone with supernatural powers. Desperate to save the brave Billy she fell madly in love with she runs for help by the people they shared the mystery of the script with and they devise a risky and desperate plan to deceive the Devil. She negotiates with the Devil alone and takes a huge risk trying to trick him. Their lives hang on a thread as Kadin tries her best to navigate the dangers. The curse follows them home and now their families are also in danger. They are oblivious of the fact that the future of the world as we know it hangs on a thread and that the danger is far bigger than they can imagine in their wildest dreams. Join Billy and Kadin to try and unravel the mystery before the peril is divulged when even more sinister characters knock on their front door.
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!