THE PERFECT SCAM OF THE VIRTUAL PRINCE AND THE WED...

PART 1

Elena was born with radiant beauty and a sharp intellect. Living in a bustling coastal city, she always viewed her looks as a valuable investment asset. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Elena bluntly rejected suitors her own age who earned average incomes. Her goal was crystal clear: she had to become the wife of a billionaire, living in luxurious penthouses in New York or Miami.

At 28, while her friends were settling down with families, Elena patiently held onto her high-class dream. Her waiting seemed to pay off when, through an elite networking group, she met Lucas—a man claiming to be the heir to a prestigious U.S. energy conglomerate.

Lucas possessed the flawless looks of a fashion model: a chiseled jawline, captivating blue eyes, and an exceptionally refined aura. Through irresistible video calls, Lucas showered Elena with sweet talk and promises of a royal lifestyle. He officially proposed and transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to her to plan a lavish wedding back home.

On the wedding day, Elena dazzled everyone in a gown adorned with countless diamonds and heavy strands of expensive pearls draped over her neck. Citing an urgent business deal in London, Lucas could not attend, but he dispatched a fleet of luxury cars and bodyguards to escort the bride to a secluded hilltop mansion. Elena felt immensely proud, holding her head high as she stepped into the wealthy estate.

On their wedding night, Elena wore an elegant nightgown, anxiously awaiting her fiancé’s return on his private jet. Late into the night, the roar of a car engine echoed outside. Heavy, fast steps approached the bedroom door. Elena’s heart pounded uncontrollably. The door burst open, and the lights flickered on.

But the man who stepped inside was not Lucas. He was a muscular man with a face full of scars, his eyes cold and ruthless like a seasoned criminal.

PART 2

Elena shrank back into the corner of the bed in sheer panic, her cries for help choking in her throat:

“Who… who are you? Where is Lucas? Where are the bodyguards?”

The man let out a twisted smile, pulled a phone from his pocket, and hit play on an audio clip. The warm, charming voice of “Lucas” played, but the man standing before her lip-synced every word in real time:

“I am your ‘Lucas’, Elena. The AI mask and voice-altering tech on the phone screen worked like a charm, didn’t it?”

Elena felt her limbs go numb. The entire image of the “wealthy prince” had been nothing more than a Deepfake creation. The man stepped closer, his voice dropping to a icy chill:

“I run an international smuggling ring. I needed a wife with a flawless, prestigious, and beautiful cover like yours to legitimize my assets. The money and jewelry you’re wearing are entirely real, but from now on, you’ll live in the basement beneath this mansion, acting as my eye candy for my underground parties. Don’t even dream of escaping; this entire perimeter is locked down.”

The brutal reality crashed over Elena like freezing water, shattering her dreams of wealth. Seeing the repulsive man step closer to touch her, sheer fear exploded into raw adrenaline. Elena grabbed a heavy brass bedside lamp from the vanity table and slammed it hard against his head.

As the man stumbled and collapsed to the floor, Elena kicked off her high heels and ran out of the room with all her strength. Instead of running down to the ground floor where bodyguards were posted, she sprinted straight to the rooftop and leaped blindly over to the neighboring balcony in the pitch-black night.

Narrowly escaping the dark trap, Elena went straight to the police station to report the entire scam ring. Though she regained her freedom, the steep price she paid for blindly chasing fake glamour became a permanent nightmare she could never erase.