WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

Kimberly thoroughly enjoyed the dinner that the maids had prepared for her. Among the numerous options on the menu, she chose tofu stew and shrimp dim sum to savor. It was no secret that she preferred Chinese food over Western cuisine.

Seated across from her was Mario, equally engrossed in his dinner. He had been at Kimberly’s house since this afternoon, as they always spent their weekends together. Typically, they would go out for a stroll, but for some reason, Grandpa Arthur had insisted they stay home today. There seemed to be something important he wanted to discuss.

Amid their mealtime activities, Arthur approached them. He took a seat at the head of the table and sipped the green tea specially prepared for him.

“Finish your meals, you two. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Kimberly averted her gaze.

“What’s the matter that’s so important, Grandpa?”

Arthur nodded.

“It’s very important.”

Meanwhile, as Kimberly continued eating, Mario decided to put down his fork and spoon on his plate. He sat up straight, seemingly eager to hear what Arthur had to say.

“Kimberly, you know as well as I do. I’m getting quite old, and I can’t continue to manage the Rayder Group on my own. Here, I want you-”

“Wait a minute,” Kimberly interrupted. She stared intently at Arthur. “… Grandpa, you must be wanting to discuss marriage, right?”

Arthur nodded again, and this time, Kimberly stopped eating altogether.

“Grandpa wants you to get married soon,” Arthur continued.

“I knew it. One day, you’d pressure me into marriage. So, do you already have a candidate? Because I can guess that you’ve arranged a suitable match, just like other parents,” Kimberly said with a flat expression, then reached for her drink.

As everyone knew, wealthy tycoons usually arranged marriages for their offspring for business reasons. The aim was to protect or even expand their business power, so they often only agreed to matches with equally influential families.

“Grandpa wants you to marry Mario.”

“Cough…” Kimberly choked upon hearing Arthur’s words. Meanwhile, Mario remained still, choosing to remain silent before he was prompted to speak.

“Grandpa, you’re joking, right?” Kimberly exclaimed.

“Not at all,” Arthur replied curtly.

Kimberly gave Arthur a sharp look.

“How could I possibly marry Mario? He’s my best friend, Grandpa. I can’t marry him. Besides, Mario would never agree to this crazy plan!” Kimberly exclaimed, her tone rising.

Arthur smiled, his face still calm for the moment.

“Who said Mario wouldn’t agree to this plan? We haven’t even asked him yet,” Arthur said. Then, the elderly man shifted his gaze to Mario. “What about you? Would you agree if Grandpa arranged a marriage between you and Kimberly?”

Mario looked intently at Kimberly’s face, took a slow breath, and replied.

“If Grandpa believes it’s for the best, I will accept and follow whatever Grandpa commands,” Mario said confidently.

Kimberly clenched her jaw in frustration.

“Mario, you’re absolutely insane! We can’t possibly get married. We’ve been friends since childhood. I really don’t want to marry you,” Kimberly shouted.

“Grandpa, stop this,” Kimberly Rayder uttered.

“Whatever you want to say, Grandpa, my decision is firm. I will never, ever be Mario’s wife, period!”

Arthur Rayder’s expression hardened. He pressed his lips together firmly. “You know I’ve never accepted rejection, and no matter how strongly you refuse, I will still arrange your marriage to Mario.”

Kimberly pushed her chair back and rose from the dining table in annoyance.

“Kimberly, I’m not finished speaking!” Arthur shouted. But she ignored him and chose to leave.

Since the incident at the dining table, the next day Kimberly decided to leave discreetly, leaving behind all her possessions and wealth to avoid Arthur, who wanted to marry her off to Mario.

“Kimberly…”

Nicholas called, waving his right hand right in front of her face. He had called Kimberly’s name more than twice.

“Kimberly Rayder!”

“Sick!” Kimberly exclaimed and, not long after, reflexively covered her mouth because she had unconsciously yelled at the man in front of her.

“Sorry…”

“Can’t believe you daydream during work. I pay you to be a secretary, not a daydreamer like this,” Nicholas grumbled.

Kimberly sighed in frustration. “I… uh, I’m sorry, Mister. Besides, this is break time, so it’s not a problem if I daydream.”

“Okay, forget it. Please reschedule all my appointments for today; I need to leave now,” Nicholas said.

Kimberly looked puzzled. “Where are you going? Is it really urgent? It’s unusual for you to suddenly cancel all your appointments.”

“I have to pick up my parents right away.”

Kimberly was taken aback by Nicholas’s response. “You mean your parents have arrived in Indonesia already? Today? Weren’t they supposed to arrive the day after tomorrow?” she asked with a worried expression.

Nicholas took a deep breath. “They rescheduled their plans because they want to stay longer.”

Kimberly closed her eyes for a moment and sighed in frustration. “If your parents are coming this soon, where am I supposed to stay? I haven’t even found a replacement place to live.”

Nicholas chuckled softly. Truthfully, he was quite pleased to see Kimberly’s worried expression. For some reason, he found it endearing.

“That’s not my concern, and it’s not me who asked you to stay in my apartment. So, you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

Kimberly fell silent upon hearing Nicholas’s words. A sudden headache hit her. She had been comfortable lingering in Nicholas’s apartment instead of looking for a new place to stay. If she returned to her rented place, she was sure Mario’s goons would come and force her to go back to Grandpa Arthur’s house.

Unlucky.

Can’t they leave me in peace?

I just want to live normally.

“Tsk, you’re daydreaming again, Kimberly!” Nicholas clicked his tongue. He couldn’t understand what his secretary was daydreaming about this time.

“I’m just thinking about where to sleep tonight,” Kimberly replied weakly.

Nicholas observed Kimberly. She seemed less enthusiastic this time. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was hiding from him.

“Don’t worry. While my parents are in Indonesia, they’re staying at a hotel, so you won’t be displaced,” Nicholas assured her.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Kimberly furrowed her brow. “You’re not kidding, are you?” she asked.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Nicholas replied.

Kimberly held back a smile. “So, that means I can still stay in your apartment?” she asked, seeking confirmation.

“I won’t kick you out as long as you’re willing to work with me. After this, you can go back and get ready,” Nicholas said.

“Isn’t it too early? It’s only two in the afternoon,” Kimberly protested.

Nicholas shrugged nonchalantly. “Don’t women take a long time to get ready? I’ve even prepared a dress for you. You can pick it up from my bed.”

“You’ve even prepared clothes for me?” Kimberly asked in amazement.

Nicholas nodded. “I just don’t want you to send the wrong message again like you did the other day. I’m just being considerate.”

Kimberly looked down in embarrassment. Nicholas had brought up the embarrassing incident from the past, and she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. After all this time, Nicholas was finally bringing it up.

“Okay, I’ll go now. Remember, you need to be ready by six in the evening. I’m coming home just to shower and then take you to meet my parents for dinner,” Nicholas said before leaving her room.

***