WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

Three days ago, Nicholas was sitting in an executive lounge inside the airport. His flight to the Maldives would take off in just one more hour. While waiting, he chose to read stock market news on his handheld tablet.

Before long, Nicholas’s phone rang. He had just received a new message from the woman he loved.

Kimberly: [I’ve arrived at the office. It hasn’t been long since we parted, but I already miss you.]

Unconsciously, Nicholas smiled as he read the message. Kimberly was indeed different from most other women. She was carefree, somewhat assertive, and never shy about expressing her feelings.

That’s why, if asked what was making Nicholas happy right now, his answer would be just one word, ‘Kimberly.’ Only she could currently bring color back into his life.

Nicholas: [I must miss you too. Now, get to work quickly. Complete all the tasks I assigned to you. I won’t hesitate to cut your salary if that deadline isn’t met soon.]

Kimberly: [You’re scolding me at a time like this?]

Nicholas: [I’m just reminding you not to forget. I never get tired of reminding you not to misbehave behind my back, especially when I’m far away.]

Kimberly: [Don’t worry, Mr. Alistair. Besides, who would dare to disturb the fiancée of a ‘Lion’ like you?]

Nicholas laughed; he didn’t expect her to compare him to a lion. Had he really seemed that intimidating all this time?

Somehow, after finishing sending a brief message to Kimberly, Nicholas suddenly returned his gaze to his phone screen. He scrolled through the list of contacts there and decided to call someone.

“Hello, Sir…” responded a man on the other end.

“Ran, while I’m away, I entrust Kimberly to you. Please watch her movements. I’m just worried that Edward might bother her during my absence,” Nicholas instructed Randy, his private driver.

“Understood, Mister. I’ll provide you with reports on Miss Kimberly’s activities while you’re away,” Randy replied confidently.

“I’ve always trusted you. Oh, and if any other employees dare to disturb her after I’m gone, don’t hesitate to take photos as documentation. I’ll check when I return to home.”

When Nicholas wasn’t around, Randy carried out his assigned tasks. Somehow, the man managed to take pictures when Edward accompanied Kimberly for lunch. Whether by chance or not, when Mario visited Kimberly at the office and at her apartment, both moments did not escape Randy’s watchful eye. It seemed that he was quite skilled at executing his assigned tasks.

When Nicholas returned, precisely during the lunch break, Randy immediately visited his boss’s office. He appeared ready to submit a report on what he had been tasked with over the past few days.

“Is there something you want to give me?” Nicholas asked as Randy stood upright in front of him.

Randy nodded and took a step forward. His hand extended to hand over a brown folder to Nicholas.

“Mr. Alistair can review it. I intentionally printed it to make it clearer.”

Nicholas took the folder that was offered.

“I’ll check it. You can leave now.” Randy saluted and then left Nicholas’s office.

In his seat, Nicholas carefully removed each photo from the folder. Initially, everything seemed ordinary because there were photos of Kimberly conversing with Edward on the top stack.

However, the situation took a 180-degree turn when Nicholas found a photo that triggered his emotions. There was an image where Kimberly was holding hands and even hugging another man tightly.

For a while, Nicholas stared at the photo in his hand, trying to remember who the man with Kimberly was. It didn’t take him long to recall.

So, the man who had met Kimberly several times was her boyfriend?

***

In the morning, when she opened the bedroom door, Kimberly found the apartment empty. She then headed to Nicholas’s room, intending to ask for some time to explain and clarify all the misunderstandings from the previous night.

However, when she knocked, there was no response. When she checked, the door to his room was also unlocked, indicating that the room’s owner was no longer inside. Not wanting to waste time, Kimberly chose to go down to the lobby. There, as usual, Randy was waiting to escort her.

“Where’s Mr. Nicholas?” Kimberly asked as she got into the car.

While driving, Randy replied, “Mr. Nicholas left a while ago. He took his private car.”

Kimberly nodded. She believed that Nicholas intentionally avoided and chose not to meet her. Anger still enveloped him.

I need to resolve all of this quickly.

This problem can’t drag on.

Nicholas could misunderstand even more.

Upon arriving at the office, it was clear that Nicholas was very busy. There was a work deadline that had to be met today. Edward and several other department heads took turns entering his office.

Not wanting to disturb, Kimberly chose to complete her own work. However, before she started, she took the initiative to make drinks for Nicholas and the other colleagues.

Walking to the pantry, Kimberly prepared several cups of coffee. Moments later, with determined steps, she carried a tray of drinks to Nicholas’s office. She knocked on the door twice and then entered. From a distance, she could see that Nicholas was deeply engrossed in discussions with his colleagues, racing against the clock to complete their work on time.

Not wanting to waste any time, Kimberly hurriedly approached to serve the drinks she had brought. Just a few steps away from the guest table, her high-heeled shoe accidentally got caught in the carpet, causing her to lose her balance. Unfortunately, the drink she was carrying spilled, accidentally wetting the stack of papers on the table.

Nicholas immediately stood up, his eyes locking sharply onto Kimberly. The next moment, something Kimberly never imagined happened.

“Oh my God, Kimberly!” Nicholas exclaimed. “What are you doing?” His voice tone grew louder.

“S-sorry, it was an accident,” Kimberly stammered. She looked genuinely scared as she cleaned up the spilled coffee from the carpet.

Nicholas clenched his jaw tightly. “What did you say? Sorry? Do you realize that you just destroyed important documents that need to be delivered this afternoon? And who told you to bring drinks?” Nicholas was clearly overwhelmed by his emotions, and the veins on his neck were visible.

“I’m truly sorry. I-I’ll take responsibility,” Kimberly’s voice quivered. She struggled to hold back tears in front of Nicholas.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Edward, who had been observing the situation, also rose and approached. “Nick! Stop. That’s not how you treat a woman,” Edward protested. He pulled Kimberly behind him.

Nicholas took a deep, harsh breath. “Didn’t you see what she did? She had the audacity to ruin our work-”

“Nick, please forgive me,” Kimberly interrupted. She continued to plead for forgiveness.

Nicholas shook his head. “I can’t stand to look at you. Leave my office immediately and never show your face in front of me again,” he ordered abruptly.

Not wanting to escalate the situation further, Edward escorted Kimberly to the door. “You should leave now. Nicholas is not in a good mood. I hope you won’t take his words to heart.”

Kimberly simply nodded. There was nothing she could explain in such a heated moment.

At her desk, Kimberly couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. While wiping her tears away, she organized her belongings and then left. Using a ride-sharing service, she headed straight for Nicholas’s apartment.

There, Kimberly quickly grabbed her suitcase and packed all of her belongings. After ensuring that nothing was left behind, her gaze fell on the engagement ring she was wearing. Still teary-eyed, she reluctantly took it off and placed it in a drawer. She slipped a small note next to it.

Maybe we won’t see each other again after this, Nick.

Before leaving for good, Kimberly grabbed her phone and called Mario to come pick her up. It didn’t take long for him to arrive. While continuously scanning the entire apartment, Kimberly steeled herself to leave a place that held so many beautiful memories for her.

“Are you sure about your decision to go back home now?” Mario inquired again. He was quite surprised when Kimberly suddenly contacted him and said she wanted to return home immediately.

Kimberly nodded wearily. Her eyes looked so sad.

“I’m very sure,” she whispered softly. “But first, can you take me to the hospital? I need to visit Opa.”

Mario agreed to Kimberly’s request and drove to the hospital. Once they arrived in the hospital courtyard, Kimberly, with weary steps, went to visit Arthur, who was lying in a room. After making sure Arthur was okay, she left the room.

Believing that something was bothering Kimberly, Mario pulled her to sit down in the waiting area just outside Arthur’s room. Kimberly remained silent for a long time. Then, without saying anything, she burst into tears, releasing all the sadness she felt. Mario, who was beside her, looked at her with concern.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying like this?” Instead of stopping, Kimberly became more hysterical, leaving Mario even more puzzled.

“Oh, Kimberly, please stop. I’m sorry. Please don’t cry like this,” he said as he pulled Kimberly closer to lean on his chest, giving her a place to shed her tears.

“I’m sorry, whatever it is that’s happening to you, let me apologize for it.” Mario tightened his embrace until Kimberly gradually calmed down.

“If there’s something on your mind, you can talk about it, Kimmy. Remember, you have me.” Mario said while gently stroking Kimberly’s hair, which was disheveled.

Kimberly took a deep breath. “I want to go home, please take me now,” she said with determination.

Mario agreed, and he helped Kimberly stand up. However, just as they took a step forward, for no apparent reason, Kimberly suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness. Without hesitation, Mario lifted her body and rushed her to the emergency room.

“What’s happening to you, Kimberly?”