The Man I Should Hate Is My Sponsor
Maria Moore was once the daughter of one of the country's most powerful families and an aspiring actress chasing her dream. But when the Moore family is accused of corruption, murder, and illegal dealings, she loses everything.
Shunned by the industry, drowning in debt, and left to care for her alcoholic father, Maria is forced to accept a private sponsorship deal from a man she knows nothing about.
Lewis, the enigmatic CEO of Halcyon Industries, has only one condition:
"Act like you're madly in love with me."
A fake relationship soon thrusts Maria back into the spotlight. But the closer she gets to Lewis, the more she realizes he isn't the man she thought he was.
Then a desperate phone call from her missing mother changes everything.
Stay away from Halcyon Industries.
Now Maria is left questioning everything.
Why did Lewis choose her?
What secret is Halcyon Industries hiding?
And is the man she should hate the only one who can uncover the truth behind her family's downfall?
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Chapter: Chapter Fourty - Five~Maria Pov~ The song ended. His taste still lingered on my lips. I stepped out of his arms first. It was the only way I could be sure I still had control of something. "I need some air," I said, smiling at no one in particular. I could feel his gaze on my back all the way across the floor. There was nothing to feel hurt about. I was doing fine. You're doing fine, Maria. I kept telling myself that. Outside, I took a deep breath, and slowly my body settled. "You didn't have to follow me," I said, glancing toward Lewis. He stood beside me, hands in his pockets. "Are you feeling all right?" I turned to look at him. There were no cameras here, and barely anyone in the corridor. "Yes." I lied. He kept his eyes on me. It looked as though he wanted to say something and couldn't find where to begin. "Do you want something?" I asked. "Not really." "Okay." "Lewis..." My phone vibrated, cutting me off. I reached into my purse. An unfamiliar number glowed on t
Last Updated: 2026-11-06
Chapter: Chapter Fourty - Four~Maria Pov~ Glasses clinked. Applause rose and fell. One speech followed another, and the lights stayed fixed on the people at the front, the actors and actresses being honored for their work. Someday, I'll be up there. To the Moon had been nominated for an award. After the scandal involving Teresa and the rumors about Lewis and me, I was surprised they'd even invited me. Still, I was here. Lewis, whom I'd invited, sat beside me, his attention fixed on the stage like everyone else's. "Do you want that?" he asked. I turned to him. "An award?" He nodded toward the stage. I looked at the people beneath the lights. They were smiling, shaking hands, and accepting congratulations. For a moment, I imagined myself among them, hearing my name called while the whole room applauded. Then I remembered who I was. Maria Moore. The actress whose family name made people whisper. The girl whose career had become everybody's business because of the man sitting beside her. "Would
Last Updated: 2026-11-03
Chapter: Chapter Fourty - Three~Lewis Pov~ She placed the envelope on my desk and stepped back. Resignation. "Why?" I asked. "I've wanted to quit for a while. You know that." She folded her hands in front of her. "I still don't understand why you hired me to watch her. I hate this job." I said nothing. "It feels like I'm betraying her. Maria is like a sister to me." "Sister." "You wouldn't understand." Her voice stayed steady, but there was regret beneath it. "I've been watching her and reporting to you. It doesn't feel right." "You've been paid well." "I'm not complaining about the money." She held my gaze. "And to be fair, it seems like you might actually be protecting her. But I hate being at your beck and call." "I can hire someone else." "That's fine. But it won't be me." She tilted her head, studying me, then let out a sigh. "I don't know what your motives are for staying close to her. That's what worries me. But I don't think you mean her any harm." I picked up the envelope, then se
Last Updated: 2026-10-30
Chapter: Chapter Fourty -Two~Maria Pov~ "Smile," my manager urged. I glanced up from my phone, forcing a small smile before looking back down at the screen. "Can I ask you something?" I said. I put my phone away and raised my head to look at her. "Sure." She looked tired. There was still sadness in her eyes, even when she smiled. Knowing she'd recently had a miscarriage made it difficult to look at her without wondering how she was coping. I hadn't even known she was pregnant. "Parents love their children, right?" I asked. One of her eyebrows rose slightly. Then a sad smile crossed her face. "Yes," she said. "But that doesn't mean their love can't hurt them, too. Parents make mistakes, Maria. Sometimes, they hurt the very people they're supposed to protect." I lowered my gaze. "All I'm saying is, about your dad... I'm sure he'll show up eventually." I nodded, but I wasn't sure I believed her. "Did you invite him to the gala?" she asked, her voice shifting to something lighter. I knew s
Last Updated: 2026-10-28
Chapter: Chapter Fourty - One~Maria Pov~ My eyes weren't fully open when I felt a palm against my forehead. I opened them slowly and found Lewis looking down at me. "You have a fever," he murmured, pulling his hand away. He reached for some medicine on the bedside table. Last night was a blur. I remembered bits and pieces, and I must have fallen asleep after kissing him. I wasn't entirely sure. "I'm fine," I said, trying to sit up. My body felt too heavy. I barely managed to lift myself before sinking back into the pillows. Lewis held out the medicine. I looked at him for a moment, but his attention stayed on the pills, silently urging me to take them. With a sigh, I accepted them. He handed me a glass of water, and I swallowed the medicine, then took a few more sips. "You should get some rest," he said, straightening up. "I'll get you something to eat, so—" My hand caught his arm before I could think. "Can't you just stay?" I whispered. He paused and looked down at my hand wrapped aroun
Last Updated: 2026-10-27
Chapter: Chapter Fourty~Maria POV~ "This is too much," I mumbled, staring down at the revised script in my hands. I was back to filming, but nothing felt the way it used to. For the past few days, the director had kept revising my lines, and I didn't even know if I could ask him why. He barely spoke to me now. Neither did anyone else on set, except Finn, who kept trying his best to lift my mood. The worst thing that could happen to a drama was getting dragged into a scandal, and somehow, I'd managed to pull everyone into mine. Yesterday, we'd to change our filming location after reporters found out where we were shooting. "I won't be able to memorize all this right now," I muttered, letting out a frustrated sigh. Just then, the restroom door opened, followed by the sound of girls giggling. "Honestly, I think this drama is already doomed. Why are they even bothering to continue filming?" I froze, keeping my eyes on the script in my hands. I was still inside the stall, and judging by their v
Last Updated: 2026-10-24
The Dare For The Curvy Girl
Beatrix has spent most of her life being told she doesn't fit society's standards.
Plus-size. Different. Invisible.
At Haneul Elite School of Business, she hoped that would finally change. Instead, she walks into a lecture hall and finds it written across the board:
DARE TO DATE THE CURVY GIRL.
Underneath it, four names.
Bryan, the brilliant first-class student who rarely shows emotion.
Kai, the athletic star everyone admires.
Cruz, his twin, stylish and outgoing.
Justin, the loud golden boy whose smile makes people forget what a jerk he is.
The rules: whoever dates Beatrix, or gets her into bed, first wins.
What the boys don't know is that Beatrix has already seen the dare.
So when Kai invites her to a party, Cruz starts sitting beside her at lunch, and Justin begins paying attention, she refuses to believe any of it is real.
Girls like her don't get chosen by boys like them.
Or do they?
Between hidden agendas, messy secrets, and a crush that was never supposed to be real, Beatrix is about to learn that in a game like this, the one who loses the most may be the one who was never really playing.
And when a dare turns into real feelings, only one question remains:
Who will she choose?
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Chapter: Chapter Fourty - Three~Beatrix Pov~ "How are midterms going?" Josh asked, as we sorted books back onto their shelves. The library had been packed all week. Nothing makes a university more studious than a deadline, and I'd never seen so many people pretending to read. "Fine." I slid a book into place and let my eyes linger on the spine. A sigh escaped me. "What?" "I'm being bullied," I said, turning to him. His face fell into a frown. "By who? I knew those boys were trouble." He shoved the books in his hand onto a shelf, all at once. "It's not them," I said. His eyes narrowed as he looked me over. "Then who?" I didn't want to tell him. The last time this happened, he'd been so angry that I stopped telling anyone, and I'd carried the blame for his temper along with everything else. "Julia," I said, and let out a slow breath. I watched his face go from worried to puzzled. "Julia?" I nodded. "Are you sure?" The silence that followed was sudden. I could feel people moving around th
Last Updated: 2026-11-08
Chapter: Chapter Fourty -Two~Beatrix Pov~ The midterms were almost over, but the tension between us wasn't. If anything, it had gotten worse. Justin had stopped coming. Don't ask me why, because I didn't know. That meant Julia had stopped coming too. Penelope and Lily seemed to be enjoying the sessions with Cruz, while Kai barely spoke unless it had something to do with midterms. Neither did I. "That's all for today," I said, dropping my marker. It was our last day of sessions, and the girls clearly wanted to enjoy it because they'd barely paid attention. "I'd better get going," I murmured, packing up my things. "You're leaving already?" Cruz grumbled. Everyone's eyes turned towards me. "Yes. I have to file some student records." "Okay." I didn't give him a chance to say anything else. I was already out the door. I needed to drop some records at the student council office, and the moment I walked in, I wished I hadn't. "Hi," Julia said, looking me up and down. She didn't bother hiding wha
Last Updated: 2026-11-04
Chapter: Chapter Fourty - One~Beatrix POV~ When you have expectations, you set yourself up for disappointment. As long as I had none about the way they treated me, I wouldn't feel disappointed or sad. That was what I'd been telling myself. Since movie night, the squad—all five of us—had barely spoken to one another. The tension was impossible to ignore. Cruz's schedule for the midterm study sessions was the only thing keeping us in the same room. Nobody spoke to anyone during class. I hadn't expected things to go back to normal overnight, but I hadn't expected them to become this awkward either. Even Cruz hadn't come over to talk to me. I'd gotten used to something I shouldn't have. And I had other things to worry about. The Angel of Haneul didn't like me. Then again, nobody actually liked me. But this was something I knew would make my life at Haneul much harder. Rin, Lily, Penelope, and I stood outside the study room. I took a deep breath before pushing the door open. Let's just pretend everythi
Last Updated: 2026-10-31
Chapter: Chapter Fourty~Cruz Pov~ Either he didn't remember, or he was pretending not to. That was what I thought as my eyes followed Bryan around the classroom. Nothing the lecturer said stuck in my head. I couldn't concentrate on a single thing. Every now and then, I caught Bryan glancing in my direction. Was he seriously going to pretend nothing had happened? I should sue him for sexual assault. My gaze dropped to my notebook, and I frowned. I'd written Bryan's name across the page and crossed it out so many times that the paper was almost torn. He was really getting on my nerves. The bell rang, signalling the end of the lecture. I was just about to approach him when he quickly walked over to Justin instead. Seriously? "What's with you?" Kai asked, standing beside me. "Why are you frozen?" He nudged my shoulder before walking towards where Bryan and Justin were sitting. I picked up my bag and headed in the opposite direction. "Where are you going, Cruz?" I heard Kai call after
Last Updated: 2026-10-29
Chapter: Chapter Thirty - Nine~Cruz POV~ *Six months at Hanuel* It was pretty much the same as high school. Get laid, get drunk, hang out with friends, party. Nothing ever really caught my interest. And a school like this was even more boring since I couldn't go out whenever I wanted. But then there was Bryan. The nerd The complete opposite of me. It had been six months since Kai and I started at Haneul, and it was no surprise we ended up in the same room. Our parents had probably made sure of that. We arrived a week after the semester began, and there was already a nerd named Bryan and a golden boy named Justin waiting for us. It was almost inevitable that we'd end up as some kind of friend group. What I didn't understand was why the nerd seemed to talk to everyone except me. Maybe it was because we had completely different personalities. Or maybe he just didn't like me. Whatever. There was something else that had been bugging me, though. Bryan barely showed any emotion. The guy could sit throu
Last Updated: 2026-10-29
Chapter: Chapter Thirty - Eight~Beatrix Pov~ I should get up and find a way to hide this mess, but who was I kidding? My mind and my body had no strength left to move. Then the restroom door opened again and someone walked in. I kept staring at my stall door, and it swung open slightly. Rin came into view. "You staying in there isn't going to change anything," she said. The truth was, I'd never been able to read Rin. Right now, I couldn't tell if she was pleased to see me like this. But her face didn't show that. It showed worry instead. "What are you doing here?" My voice came out low. Water dripped from my hair, and I stank. My whole body stank. "I saw them going in after you." I dropped my head and looked down at my legs, at the puddle spreading around my shoes. "Do you need any help?" My head snapped back up. "Me?" She sighed. "Who else? It's only the two of us in here." "Right." I nodded slowly. "Why do you want to help me, though?" Rin raked a hand through her hair. "I don't know," she snapped. "J
Last Updated: 2026-10-28
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