WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

“Nicholas had no idea how many times he had put a smile on his face. Edward, who witnessed his friend’s behavior, could only sigh inwardly. He thought, there must be something making Nicholas look like a madman right now.

“Such a strange guy!

“So, why did he call me here?

“Is he asking me to watch him smile like a crazy person right now?

“Such a waste of my time.”

“Nick!” Edward called out with an intentionally raised tone. He wanted to see if the man in front of him could snap out of it or remain lost in his own world.

“Sssttt…” Nicholas hissed. “You’re just startling me, Ed!” he protested.

“I’ve been sitting here for 15 minutes, and you haven’t said a word. Do you think I’m not busy, huh? What’s your reason for calling me here?”

Instead of feeling guilty, Nicholas chuckled at Edward’s annoyance. If only Edward knew that Nicholas was smiling because he was thinking about Kimberly, he would definitely keep teasing him.

“This Thursday, Kimberly and I are heading to England. I’m asking you to handle all the core tasks during my absence, but I’ll try to finish everything before I leave. So, you won’t have to be too burdened later.”

“How long are you going to be in England? Does Kenzi know?” Edward inquired.

Nicholas nodded. “I contacted her yesterday. I’ll probably be in England for only three days, no more.”

Edward nodded in return. “Alright, I’ll take care of my tasks. But, if I may ask, what’s the reason for your trip to England? Is it work-related, bringing Kimberly along?” This time, he couldn’t hide his curiosity. He found Nicholas and Kimberly’s sudden departure to England quite strange.

Nicholas looked closely at Edward’s inquisitive face. “If I tell you, promise you won’t be surprised.”

Edward raised both eyebrows in confusion. Because of his curiosity, he adjusted his sitting position, as if he wanted to hear what Nicholas was about to reveal clearly. “Quickly tell me, Nick. Don’t keep me in suspense!”

“Kimberly and I are getting engaged in England.”

“Huh? What?” Edward’s eyes widened. From his expression, he seemed uncertain about what he had just heard.

“Don’t joke, Nick,” Edward inquired to make sure.

Nicholas shook his head. “Unfortunately, I’m not joking, Ed.”

“Are you seriously getting engaged to Kimberly? Does that mean you’re going to marry her? Don’t tell me this is part of some game you’ve cooked up, Nick. You know Kimberly is a good woman.” Edward bombarded Nicholas with many questions.

Nicholas took a deep breath and then spoke again, frustrated, “Let me take it slow, Ed. I have to learn to love her. I need to be absolutely sure before I marry her. That’s why I chose to get engaged first. I’m afraid of making the same mistakes as before.”

Edward fell silent, his jaw visibly clenched. His blue eyes turned sharp.

“Kimberly is very different from Briana, Nick. I just want to warn you that if you play with Kimberly’s feelings, I won’t hesitate to confront you!” Edward then stood up and left Nicholas’s workspace. From the flash in his eyes, it was clear that he was angry and upset. He just didn’t want his friend to toy with the heart of such a clearly good woman.

Nicholas took a deep breath repeatedly. Edward’s words continued to echo in his mind. For now, everything his friend had said was true. Kimberly was not Briana. So, that woman would not betray him. Now, the problem was how he would learn to love Kimberly.

He was already in deep, the game had been played far enough. There was no turning back. All he had to do was to finish everything without anyone getting hurt.

For a moment, Nicholas got lost in his thoughts. Then the sound of a knock on the door echoed and brought him back to reality.

“What is it?” Nicholas asked Kimberly, who had entered his room.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“There’s a dinner invitation,” Kimberly replied, placing a gold-colored invitation on Nicholas’s desk.

Nicholas picked up the invitation that Kimberly had placed on his desk. He untied the glittery ribbon that held it together and read it carefully.

“Dinner invitation with real estate representatives from Singapore.”

“And the event is tonight,” Kimberly added.

Nicholas nodded. “In that case, let’s finish our work early and head home.”

****

Nicholas entered, holding Kimberly’s hand affectionately, as they headed to Hakassan Restaurant at the Alila Hotel in the SCBD area of Jakarta. This Michelin five-star restaurant was the only one in Jakarta and had been chosen as the venue for an exclusive dinner for real estate leaders from Southeast Asia.

When they entered, a waiter guided Nicholas and Kimberly to a VIP table reserved for CEOs. After finding their seats, Nicholas, as usual, mingled with the invited guests. Meanwhile, Kimberly sat waiting. Tonight, she chose not to follow Nicholas around.

Kimberly waited for quite some time. Feeling bored, she got up and made her way to the rooftop area of the restaurant. Leaning casually against one side of the rooftop railing, she gazed around, trying to enjoy the city lights of Jakarta at night.

“Getting tired of the party’s hustle and bustle?” A man around his forties greeted Kimberly, diverting her attention.

Kimberly nodded and then smiled thinly. “Yes, I am. I’m not really suited for parties like this.”

The man next to her chuckled softly. Shortly after, they both looked straight at the row of skyscrapers displayed before them.

“I sometimes get tired of going to events like this too. Most of them are just a showcase of corporate assets. Sometimes, it’s also an opportunity for wealthy tycoons to find female companions.” There was a mocking tone in the man’s explanation.

Kimberly’s gaze now shifted to the man standing next to her. “Oh, really? I didn’t know that parties like this had a purpose other than business.”

The man nodded softly. “Usually, CEOs bring a companion, whether it’s a secretary or another woman, to attend parties like this. Sometimes, they even exchange women to facilitate their business plans.”

Kimberly was slightly taken aback by the man’s explanation. She tried to deny it because during all the times she had followed Nicholas to parties, she had never received any strange treatment from business partners or Nicholas’s colleagues.

“Did you come here with your boss?” the man suddenly asked, seemingly trying to tease Kimberly.

“This young lady came with me, Mr. Julio.”

Kimberly and the man, later known as Julio, turned simultaneously in the direction of the source of the voice. There stood Nicholas, holding a glass of wine in his hand.

“Mr. Nicholas, how are you?” The man greeted Nicholas warmly and extended his hand toward him.

Nicholas took a sip of his wine first until it was finished. Afterward, he reached for Julio’s offered hand and quickly released it. “Very well,” Nicholas replied briefly. Then he took Kimberly’s wrist, signaling her to stand beside him.

Julio smiled at Nicholas. “Nice to meet you. Did you come with your secretary?”

Nicholas shook his head. “No, I didn’t come with my secretary.”

Nicholas’s response instantly puzzled his conversation partner, not excluding Kimberly. “Then the woman-”

“She’s my fiancée, Mr. Julio,” Nicholas interrupted. “She’s my fiancée and future wife. You can call her Mrs. Alistair,” Nicholas emphasized each word.

Julio was even more surprised by Nicholas’s statement, while Kimberly tried to keep her expression as composed as possible. This time, she would let her boss take over the conversation. After all, she would soon officially become Nicholas’s fiancée, right?

“Oh, I apologize for my presumption. It’s nice to meet you and get to know your future wife, Mr. Nicholas. It seems she’s a perfect match to accompany you.”

Nicholas nodded firmly. “No problem, as you didn’t know. But I appreciate your words; they are indeed true. Everyone says we are a very harmonious and classy couple.” Nicholas then tightened his grip on Kimberly’s hand and led her away from the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Kimberly couldn’t help but burst into laughter when she saw Julio’s sour expression after hearing Nicholas’s words. She thought her boss was deliberately being annoying in front of their conversation partner.