Kim Kwan Soo

The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Kourtney paced in front of him, her heels clicking against the dusty floor of the abandoned villa. The contract lay untouched on the table, just inches from Travis’s restrained hands. Her plan had been reckless, but it was all she had left. “I didn’t want to do this,” she murmured, voice shaking. “But you gave me no choice.” Travis tilted his head. “You think tying me to a chair will change how I feel?” “No. But it changes what you’re allowed to do,” she said, forcing a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes. He didn’t flinch. “What happens after the wedding, Kourtney? When your father finds out? When Kim finds out?” She looked away. “Then it’ll be too late. I’ll have what’s mine.” “Money?” he asked. “Or revenge?” That struck something in her. Kourtney turned to him, face darkening. “You chose her. You loved her. But what about me, Travis? You never even gave me a chance.” “You think forcing me into marriage will give you love?” “No,” she whispered. “But it’ll give me power.” Travis met her eyes. No fear. Just sadness. “This isn’t you,” he said softly. “You don’t know me anymore,” she replied, backing away. “Sign the contract, Travis. Or I swear, I’ll make sure you never walk free again.” Travis looked down at the paper, then back at her. “You’ll lose yourself in this, Kourtney.” She swallowed hard. “Then maybe losing myself is the only way I survive.”

Vivian Kim spent twenty years on the runway, managed by her mother, a former model who pushed her to the top. Together, they were unstoppable. But when her mother suddenly dies, Vivian’s career crumbles. At twenty-nine, the fashion world calls her too old and too faded to matter. Determined to start over, Vivian moves to Avron, a city of glass towers and endless ambition. She dreams of creating her own fashion brand and living life on her own terms. What she doesn’t expect is to clash with Vincent Evans on her very first day. Vincent is Avron’s cold and powerful billionaire, a man who trusts no one but the girl he adopted. To him, Vivian is nothing but trouble. To her, he is arrogant, impossible, and infuriatingly magnetic. One harmless lie soon spirals into scandal. To protect his empire and her reputation, they agree to a fake dating contract. But as every glance grows hotter and every rule starts to blur, both must face a dangerous question: What happens when pretending is no longer enough?