Chapter 2: The Billionaire Girl Who Hated Artificial Smiles

Singapore never slept.

The city glittered endlessly beneath neon skies, as if someone had poured artificial stars across the earth. Luxury cars moved silently through glowing streets while giant digital advertisements floated over skyscrapers promoting fashion brands, futuristic technology, and perfect-looking lives.

And somewhere high above all of it…

Shruti Talwar stood inside a diamond-covered silver gown while photographers screamed her name.

“Shruti! Over here!”

“Smile!”

“One more picture!”

Camera flashes exploded around her like lightning.

She smiled perfectly.

The exact smile people expected from billionaire heiress Shruti Talwar.

Elegant.

Confident.

Untouchable.

But inside…

She felt nothing.

A famous fashion influencer wrapped an arm around her dramatically.

“Oh my God, Shruti, your Singapore gala pictures crossed twenty million views!”

Another girl laughed loudly.

“Obviously. She’s basically internet royalty.”

Shruti nodded politely.

Fake compliments.

Fake laughter.

Fake friendships.

Everything around her felt painfully rehearsed.

Even the music inside the luxury hotel ballroom sounded artificial.

She looked across the crowd filled with young billionaires, celebrity children, elite entrepreneurs, and social media stars pretending to enjoy themselves while secretly competing with each other.

Nobody looked truly happy.

Least of all her.

A waiter handed her champagne.

She quietly placed it aside untouched.

One of the boys nearby leaned closer with a charming smile.

“You’re attending the AI for Earth summit tomorrow, right?”

Shruti nodded slightly.

“My father wants me there.”

“Talwar Global basically owns the future of environmental AI now,” he said admiringly. “You guys are changing the world.”

Changing the world.

The words felt strangely heavy now.

Especially after that mysterious video.

Your father is killing the forest.

For two days those words had refused to leave her mind.

Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the jungle boy standing beside the dead elephant under cold rain.

William Singh.

The internet had become obsessed with him.

Some people worshipped him.

Others wanted him arrested.

But nobody truly knew who he was.

And somehow…

That mystery disturbed her emotionally.

Shruti excused herself quietly from the crowd and walked toward the balcony overlooking Singapore’s glowing skyline.

The night air felt colder outside.

Peaceful.

For the first time all evening, she could breathe properly.

She removed her high heels slowly and leaned against the glass railing.

Far below, thousands of people lived ordinary lives completely disconnected from billionaire parties and AI conferences.

Sometimes Shruti envied them.

At least ordinary people experienced real emotions.

Her phone vibrated suddenly.

A notification appeared from social media.

NEW TRENDING VIDEO: #JungleGhost

Her heartbeat changed instantly.

Without thinking, she opened it.

The video showed William carrying injured animals through smoke-filled forests while tribal villagers cried around him. Someone had added emotional music beneath the footage.

Millions of comments flooded underneath.

“He looks broken…”

“Why are powerful people hunting him?”

“Protect him at all costs.”

“He’s risking his life for animals while billionaires destroy forests.”

Shruti stared silently at his face.

There was something strange about him.

He didn’t look like activists she had seen online before.

There was no performance in him.

No need for attention.

No desire to become famous.

If anything…