WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

This morning, in a large room with a minimalist gray decor, Mario sipped his coffee while keeping an eye on the world stock market news on the television. It wasn’t long before his office door was knocked, and a tall, burly man in a black shirt entered. Upon closer inspection, the man who entered could be more aptly described as a security guard or bodyguard. This man was Joseph, the one who had been assigned to watch over Kimberly.

Without hesitation, Joseph stepped forward. He handed over a brown folder for Marco to examine. Marco accepted it immediately. He then extended his hand to open the folder and began pulling out the photos it contained, one by one. For a moment, Marco scrutinized each photo he held. After a while, his forehead furrowed, and his emotions almost flared up when he came across a picture that truly disturbed him.

“Josh, can you explain the meaning of all this?” Marco asked while holding up one of the photos towards Joseph, trying to restrain his emotions.

Joseph approached to take a look and then stood up straight again.

“That’s a photo of Miss Kimberly during a simple engagement party at Nicholas’s residence in London.”

A sharp grin appeared on Marco’s face.

“What did you say? Kimberly is engaged to Nicholas? Without Opa Arthur’s knowledge?” Marco shook his head in disbelief.

“That’s the information we have, Sir. The private party took place maybe two or three days ago,” Joseph explained.

Marco leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment. His mind raced with thoughts of Kimberly.

Allowing Kimberly to roam freely out there had clearly been a mistake. Now, he had to think quickly about how to bring her back home.

“Have you carried out my orders from yesterday, Josh?” Marco inquired, to which Joseph nodded in response.

“My men successfully gained entry to Nicholas’s apartment last night and installed a listening device in Miss Kimberly’s room. I can assure you, no one will notice the device’s placement. So, from now on, you can monitor from a distance. Additionally, as extra information, Miss Kimberly has her regular work schedule today, and during her break, she has an appointment to go to the hospital.”

Marco’s forehead furrowed. A big question suddenly popped into his head. “To the hospital? Who’s sick? What do you mean, Kimberly?” he pressed impatiently.

Meanwhile, Joseph nodded once more. “Miss Kimberly has an appointment with a doctor to get the results of a lab test. I can’t provide more detailed information about the results at the moment, but I’ll update you as soon as possible.”

This time, Marco nodded in acknowledgment.

“In that case, you may go. Don’t forget to find Kimberly’s phone number. Once you have it, provide it to the IT team so that I can easily track her exact location,” Marco instructed.

“Understood, Sir. I’ll carry out your orders promptly,” Joseph replied with a nod.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

The tall man quickly left the room, leaving Marco to continue his work. Although it was a bit difficult for him to concentrate because his thoughts were focused on Kimberly. He had a concern that her phobia, which she had struggled with in the past, might resurface and jeopardize her health. Regardless, Marco cared for Kimberly like a sister and didn’t want anything to happen to her.

***

The bright weather today was in stark contrast to Kimberly’s current mood. For evidence, during breakfast, she chose to remain silent and not say a word to the man sitting across from her. The embarrassing incident from last night had made her unwilling to address the man who was eating his meal in front of her.

Nicholas, on the other hand, was engrossed in his own activities, focusing on reading graphs displayed on his tablet rather than apologizing or engaging in small talk with Kimberly.

When it was time to leave, Kimberly dragged her feet to exit the apartment unit towards the lobby. She immediately approached Randy, who had parked the car there. Shortly after, Nicholas followed suit and they departed in silence, just as before.

“Ran, please take Kimberly to the hospital after leaving the airport this afternoon,” Nicholas instructed from behind the steering wheel.

Randy nodded from the driver’s seat. “Certainly, Mister. I’ll take care of it.”

“After finishing at the hospital, directly drop Kimberly off at the apartment,” Nicholas ordered Randy as they entered the Alpha Beta building’s courtyard. Kimberly remained motionless, choosing to ignore and not respond to the man beside her. As she got out of the car, she decided to walk away without even glancing at Nicholas.

“It seems like Miss Kimberly is upset,” Randy, who had known his boss very well, dared to speak up.

Nicholas didn’t respond immediately from behind the wheel. He sighed deeply. But after a while, he spoke. After all, he often talked to the driver who had been working with him for five years. Randy was aware of the current relationship between him and Kimberly.

“She does seem mad at me. But I’m sure she’ll get back to her usual self soon,” Nicholas replied confidently.

Unintentionally, Randy chuckled from behind the wheel.

He laughed at Nicholas, who was so sure of himself. Little did he know that women usually stay angry unless appeased. Most of them are like that, right?

“Why are you laughing?” Nicholas asked when he noticed Randy’s laughter.

“If I may give some advice, Mr. Nicholas, it’s best not to let Miss Kimberly cool down on her own.”

Nicholas raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, Mr. Nicholas, it’s better for you to give in and apologize first. She doesn’t like guys who are aloof, especially insensitive ones. If you want things to go back to normal, it might be a good idea to try the advice I’m giving you,” Randy explained at length to Nicholas.

This time, Nicholas was truly taken aback. He took several deep breaths and exhaled slowly. In his heart, he was worried that Kimberly wouldn’t forgive him for what he did last night. But trying what Randy suggested wouldn’t hurt. So, he resolved to apologize after completing all his work.

***

At exactly two in the afternoon, Kimberly walked casually out of the office, accompanied by Randy. Fifteen minutes of driving later, they arrived at the hospital. However, as soon as Kimberly stepped into the hospital lobby, her steps were halted when someone deliberately pulled her arm, forcing her to stop and turn around. She felt surprised and even a bit frightened, but Kimberly tried to keep her composure.

“Kimberly Rayder, I told you we were meant to be together. Proof is that we’ve met again here.”

Kimberly let out a bitter laugh. A moment later, she responded, “Mario, what else do you need? Besides, I’m sure this isn’t fate as you claim. You must have instructed your people to tail me, didn’t you?” Kimberly asked curtly, a clear expression of displeasure on her face.

Now it was Marco’s turn to laugh. He felt like he had been caught red-handed. The woman in front of him had always been adept at guessing. Even from the past.

“Alright, you’re smart, I’ll give you that. I came here just to make sure of your status. Is it true that you’re engaged to Nicholas without Opa’s knowledge? You hardly even know Nicholas. Aren’t you afraid he might hurt you in the future?” Marco inquired, probing.

Kimberly shrugged indifferently. “It’s none of your business.”

“It’s clearly my concern. How could you get engaged to someone else while we’re also engaged? I’m sure Mr. Nicholas has no idea about our status, right?” Marco persisted.

Kimberly shot a sharp glare at Marco.

“Don’t mess with me. You have no right to interfere in my personal matters. Can’t you do something nice for me?”

Marco burst into hearty laughter, finding Kimberly’s words quite amusing.

“What did you say? Do something nice? So, you’ve considered me evil all this time? If you forget, I can bring you back home at any time. I can even destroy Nicholas whenever I want. You know very well that I’m capable of doing all of that, Kimberly.” Marco’s eyes gleamed sharply, and his words sent shivers down Kimberly’s spine.

“You know I never wanted our engagement-”

“Yes, I know that,” Marco interrupted. “But that doesn’t mean you should run away from home. Do you know that Opa Arthur is unwell right now? Have you ever cared even a bit about his condition?”

Kimberly was taken aback. She didn’t expect Marco to say that. She felt like an ungrateful brat, ignoring Opa Arthur, who had been taking care of her and giving her everything she asked for all these years. She had never once repaid his kindness.

“I beg you, come back. You have a home, Kimmy. Don’t let yourself regret it. When you come back, Opa won’t be there anymore.” Marco’s tone softened, as he pleaded with her to consider his request.

“Marco, please. I can’t come back right now. I also hope you understand my situation,” Kimberly pleaded this time.

In his position, Marco remained silent, listening to Kimberly’s words. “Alright, for the umpteenth time, I’ll let you be. But once again, I beg you, come back. I’m sure you remember my phone number. Contact me immediately if you change your mind.”

Without waiting for Kimberly’s response, Marco left her there.