WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

After being unconscious for several hours, Kimberly finally woke up. She looked around with a confused feeling. Something was unusual about what she was seeing right now.

“Where am I? This isn’t my room, is it?” These were the first questions that came to her mind. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was fixed on a room dominated by a distinctive white color. Not far from where she lay, she saw some medical equipment such as an oxygen panel, an IV stand, and a vacuum portable dining table. Clearly, this was part of a hospital room.

Before her curious thoughts could be answered, a man she knew well entered and approached her.

“Are you awake? How do you feel?” The question was the first thing she heard. There was a sense of concern in his deep voice.

Kimberly nodded weakly. “I feel better now. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bother. Maybe I should go home now.” Kimberly tried to sit up from her lying position.

Seeing Kimberly trying to get up, Nicholas immediately moved forward, trying to thwart her intention.

“Wait! I don’t think you can go anywhere just yet. You’re not fully recovered.” Nicholas restrained her.

“But I have to go home, sir. I can’t stay here for long,” Kimberly pleaded.

Nicholas fell silent for a moment, weighing Kimberly’s request to go home. He didn’t really have the right to stop her. But for some reason, he felt a worry creeping into his thoughts. Afraid that the anxiety that had befallen Kimberly before might recur at home. However, once again, Nicholas reminded himself that he was nobody to meddle. Besides, what he was doing right now was merely the concern of a superior for a subordinate. Yes, Nicholas was certain of that.

“You can’t go home now. Rest for a while. You don’t need to work tomorrow; I’ll give you leave until you’re completely better.”

Kimberly was slightly surprised to hear Nicholas’s words. “But, sir-”

“Stay here for a while, or do you want me to fire you?”

Hmph! Was that even a choice? In essence, it sounded the same, didn’t it? If she agreed, she had to stay in the hospital for a while, and if she refused, she would lose her job. Whether she liked it or not, Kimberly followed Nicholas’s instructions to stay at the hospital for a while. It was her fault for fainting in the first place, leading Nicholas to bring her to this place.

“Now continue your rest. I have to go home. If you need anything, you can call the nurse on duty or contact me.”

Kimberly nodded in response. Shortly after, the hazel-eyed man left, leaving Kimberly alone in her room.

****

Early in the morning, Nicholas parked his Lamborghini Aventador in the hospital parking lot. Walking with a sense of urgency, he finally arrived at the room where Kimberly was resting.

He saw the woman still sound asleep on her bed. Quietly, Nicholas entered and placed a bag containing several fruits and snacks on the portable table. After making sure she was okay, Nicholas turned to leave and headed for the office.

Entering his office, Nicholas was surprised by Kenzi’s presence there. He was a bit puzzled because his friend hadn’t informed him at all that she would be returning to Indonesia.

“Surprised to see me?” Kenzi greeted him as she reached for his hand and hugged Nicholas tightly. Afterward, they both sat together on the guest sofa.

“Since when did you return to Indonesia? You didn’t inform me at all,” Nicholas said.

Kenzi laughed upon hearing a hint of annoyance in her friend’s words. “I didn’t plan this, but Mama asked me to come back because she’s celebrating her birthday this weekend. You know how my mom is, right?”

Nicholas shrugged. “Well, I know Mrs. Luna Maximilian very well. Whenever there’s a celebration, she always wants all her family members to gather.”

Kenzi smiled. “So, how’s the company? Any issues while I was away?”

Nicholas shook his head. “So far, everything’s been going well. Especially after you sent Edward here, we’ve managed to secure almost all the major tenders. Right now, we’re preparing for the construction of the largest indoor gaming complex in Southeast Asia in Singapore.”

“I never make mistakes in my choices, even though you know your one friend is often acting crazy. But at least, he’s always dedicated to his work,” Kenzi said.

Before they could continue their conversation, a knock on the door was followed by the entrance of the man they had been talking about earlier.

“I bet you guys were talking about me,” the man said as he promptly seated himself next to Kenzi without waiting to be invited.

Kenzi chuckled at Edward’s words. “You’re always so confident.”

“Sorry, I’m a rookie and still learning. It’s not about confidence; it’s about learning from the best, right, Mr. Kenzi Maximilian?” Edward replied.

This time, Kenzi couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing Edward’s words. Among the three of them, Edward was known for being the best at jokes and conversations. That’s why many women fell for his charms. His skill also played a role in convincing investors to work with them.

“By the way, where’s Kimberly? I haven’t seen her since earlier,” Edward asked.

“Whether Kimberly is in her room or not, it’s none of your business, Ed,” Nicholas replied with a flat expression.

Kenzi, who didn’t understand, furrowed her brow. “Kimberly? Who’s Kimberly?” she asked, confused.

“The new secretary for Nicholas, formerly an employee in the planning division. Unfortunately, before I moved here, Nicholas had already recruited her as his secretary. Otherwise, she might be my personal assistant by now,” Edward replied with a meaningful smile.

Nicholas looked sharply at Edward. “Stop teasing her, Ed.”

“Oh, come on, Nick, I’ve warned you. If you don’t make a move, then I will,” Edward teased.

“Wait a minute…” Kenzi interrupted. “Are you two really fighting over a woman this time, Nick?”

Nicholas sighed in frustration at Kenzi’s question. But before he could respond, a beautiful woman entered carrying a baby boy.

“Am I interrupting the gentlemen’s conversation?” she asked as she approached.

“Al, oh my, I’ve missed you so much,” Nicholas rose from his seat, intending to hug the woman who was now approaching him.

“Do you think I haven’t missed you? I’m bored in London just looking at Kaivan’s face!” Unconsciously, Alma pouted as if she were annoyed.

Nicholas chuckled at Alma’s words. Then, he reached for and picked up the baby boy, none other than Raphael, Kenzi and Alma’s child.

See? Nicholas’s demeanor suddenly warmed when he met Alma Maximilian. The only woman he treated with such special care. He always said Alma was different from most women out there. Nicholas knew very well the sacrifices Alma had made when she first started a relationship with Kenzi. That was the main reason why Nicholas cherished Alma like a sister.

“So how long are you both staying in Indonesia?” Edward asked.

“Probably two weeks, considering I can’t leave the company for too long. I just can’t bear to leave Briana handling everything by herself,” Kenzi replied.

Edward nodded, and a moment later, Alma took out an invitation card from her bag and handed it to Kenzi.

“This is an invitation to Mrs. Maximilian’s birthday celebration. I hope both of you can come. Don’t forget to bring your partners,” Kenzi said.

Nicholas looked at Kenzi with an expression that was hard to interpret. Realizing this, Kenzi continued speaking.

“If you’re really close to your secretary, Nick, you can bring her along. There’s nothing wrong with introducing her to all of us.”

Edward chuckled upon hearing Kenzi’s words. Clearly, he was challenging Nicholas to bring his secretary to his mother’s birthday party. Nicholas thought it would be interesting. Would Nicholas accept the challenge or insist on going alone?

“One thing’s for sure, if you come alone, please let me know, Nick. Then I’ll step up and take Kimberly to Aunt Luna’s birthday party.”

Before Nicholas could respond, Kenzi took over the conversation.

“I don’t care about your rivalry; all I want is for both of you to come. With that, my wife and I bid farewell for now. See you another time.”

Edward followed Kenzi and Alma as they left the room. Meanwhile, Nicholas slumped back into his chair and sighed in frustration. He couldn’t believe Kenzi had challenged him to bring his secretary to his mother’s birthday party.

Speaking of Kimberly, Nicholas suddenly realized it was already noon. That meant it was lunchtime. He quickly rushed to the parking lot and drove to the hospital. He just wanted to make sure if the woman had eaten her lunch or not. Somehow, he had become quite concerned about his secretary’s well-being.

It’s just basic concern between a boss and an employee.

Yes, I’m sure there’s no other intention.

This is purely about being humane.

Isn’t that right, Nicholas?

On the way, Nicholas kept reassuring himself until, without realizing it, he had arrived at the hospital’s parking lot.

It didn’t take long for Nicholas to reach the room where Kimberly was being cared for. However, upon arriving, he couldn’t find Kimberly. Her room looked clean as if no one had occupied it.

Feeling puzzled, he walked to the hospital reception.

“Excuse me, may I know if the VIP patient named Kimberly Rayder is still here?”

One of the nurses smiled and replied politely, “The VIP patient named Kimberly Rayder left a few hours ago, Sir.”

“Already left? Did she get approval from the attending doctor?” Nicholas asked, disbelief in his tone.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

The nurse nodded. “The patient had been examined earlier. The doctor stated that her condition had improved, so she decided to go home.”

“Very well, thank you for the information.”

After hearing the nurse’s explanation, Nicholas decided to return to his office.

Once Nicholas arrived at the office, just before he entered the executive lift, he coincidentally crossed paths with Keyra and Alex. Kimberly’s friends had just returned from the cafeteria.

“Key, can you come to my office for a moment?” Nicholas requested.

Keyra and Alex were both taken aback at the same time. Throughout her time working at Alpha Beta, Keyra had entered the CEO’s office several times to request approval signatures. However, being asked directly by the room’s owner was a first.

“Sure, sir.”

Keyra and Alex took a different elevator from Nicholas’s. After arriving on the fifteenth floor, she immediately headed to the CEO’s office.

“Please have a seat,” Nicholas said once Keyra was inside the room. She cautiously took a seat in front of Nicholas.

“Do you know Kimberly’s address?”

Keyra raised her eyebrows, looking at Nicholas with disbelief.

“Why? Is there something wrong with my question?” Nicholas asked again.

Keyra shook her head several times. She was actually just puzzled about why her typically cold boss would suddenly ask for her friend’s address. Did they have something going on, she wondered.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean it that way. I do know Kimberly’s address. I can provide it to you.”

Nicholas nodded and then asked again, “What about her phone number? Do you have it?” This time, Keyra smiled. Nicholas noticed it, which made him slightly uncomfortable. “Don’t think otherwise. There’s a work matter I need to discuss with her. The phone number registered with the company seems to be inactive. Perhaps she has another number,” he explained, making Keyra smile.

“It’s okay, sir. Even if there’s something else, it’s not a problem for me. Kimberly indeed has two phone numbers. One for work and another for personal use,” she explained. “Just so you know, Kimberly is a good woman. Even in her previous division, many male employees liked her. If you don’t act quickly, I can’t guarantee that your secretary will remain available,” Keyra teased.

Keyra didn’t know where she found the courage to openly tease her famously cold boss like that. In her heart, she was satisfied seeing Nicholas’s reaction. His facial expression showed a certain alertness.

“I don’t care if she’s liked by many or not. That’s not my concern. Right now, I just need her home address and her personal phone number.”

Nicholas could have asked Randy, his driver, for Kimberly’s address, but Randy didn’t have her personal phone number. Instead of doing double work, he decided to ask Keyra directly, as she was clearly Kimberly’s friend.

Keyra squinted her eyes, seemingly doubting what her boss had said, making Nicholas feel awkward again. She wanted to burst into laughter in front of her boss. But for the sake of professionalism, she just nodded.

“Alright, I’ll write down Kimberly’s address and phone number clearly for you.”

After writing down the information on a piece of paper, Keyra excused herself and left the room.

For a God sake, Nicholas!

Am I going crazy asking for a woman’s address and phone number so openly?