WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

Mario sat in his office chair, observing the report files provided by Joseph, his trusted associate. For the past year, he had assigned someone to monitor and investigate Kimberly’s movements while she was out there.

“Miss Rayder no longer lives in her dorm. She moved to Keraton Residence apartments about two weeks ago,” Joseph informed Mario.

Mario furrowed his brow but didn’t divert his gaze from the files in front of him. “Are you sure she’s living there now? I thought it would be harder to keep an eye on her. As far as I know, that apartment is really secure and not accessible to just anyone.”

Joseph nodded. “But there’s something important you should know, Miss Kimberly isn’t living there alone.”

Mario’s gaze shifted, and he looked at Joseph with curiosity. “What do you mean? Who is she living with?”

“Your fiancé is living with CEO Alpha Beta now.”

Mario smirked after hearing Joseph’s words. “So, Kimberly is sharing a flat with Nicholas Alistair?”

Joseph nodded. “Since moving into Nicholas’s apartment, we’ve also had difficulty gathering information and finding an opportunity to bring Miss Kimberly in. She’s always coming and going with that man.”

Mario stared at Joseph with an unsatisfied look. “I’m paying you a lot not to hear your complaints, Josh!” Mario said, his face now showing frustration.

Joseph awkwardly smiled, then handed an envelope to Mario. “Our photographer recently captured some moments you might want to see.”

Mario took the envelope from Joseph and removed its contents. His eyes were fixed on each photo that showed Kimberly and Nicholas together.

“Can you explain all of this?”

“These are photos of Miss Kimberly having dinner with Nicholas’s parents, who recently came from England. The other one shows them having lunch at a fancy restaurant.”

Mario rubbed his chin slowly. His mind was still dissecting every image in front of him. He wondered what the connection was between Kimberly and Nicholas. Were they just colleagues or did they have a special relationship?

Mario clenched his jaw firmly. “Investigate them further. I don’t want to hear complaints about not being able to gather information because she lives in an inaccessible place. I don’t want to hear that!”

Joseph nodded in understanding. “Very well, sir. We will report everything as thoroughly and detailed as possible. Don’t worry; we’ll keep a close eye on her.”

“In that case, you can get back to work,” Mario said, waving his hand to dismiss Joseph from his office.

****

After more than a week of visiting Indonesia, Cassandra and Robert Alistair were scheduled to return to England tomorrow. That’s why today, Nicholas had specifically asked Kimberly to join them for a dinner event before their departure.

“So, we’re having dinner together again tonight?” Kimberly asked as she delivered some files to Nicholas’s office.

Nicholas nodded. “Yes, get ready. After I finish my work, I’ll take you shopping for a dress and to the salon.”

Kimberly furrowed her brow. “Buy a dress? Go to the salon? Why? Haven’t I just been dressing normally these past few days? It’s just a regular dinner, right? Why make it so complicated?”

Nicholas looked at Kimberly with indifference. “No need to complain. Finish your work now, in thirty minutes, we’ll leave,” Nicholas said, as if he didn’t want to be contradicted.

Kimberly pursed her lips, annoyed by Nicholas’s attitude. “So demanding!” she muttered quietly before turning to leave the room.

“What did you say, Kimberly?” Nicholas asked, realizing that his secretary was muttering something about him.

“Never mind! What I just said doesn’t matter,” Kimberly replied and walked out without paying much attention to Nicholas’s curious look.

As Nicholas had mentioned earlier, Kimberly was now in a renowned boutique, which also doubled as a salon in one of the shopping centers. She had tried on more than ten dresses, but none seemed to catch Nicholas’s attention.

“How many more dresses do I have to try? I’m exhausted, Nick!” Kimberly complained. Her face showed frustration.

Nicholas chuckled softly. “I’ve just realized how cute you look when you’re upset.”

Kimberly sighed in frustration upon hearing Nicholas’s words. “You’re so strange! This time, I’ll choose the dress I’ll wear myself. You just sit and be quiet. Wait for me here.”

Nicholas complied with Kimberly’s request, sitting on a couch and playing with his phone. After almost sixty minutes of waiting, Kimberly finally approached Nicholas.

“How do I look?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Nicholas looked up, gazing at the woman who stood before him. For a while, he couldn’t deny that Kimberly looked stunning in her choice of a glamorous Halter dress that emphasized her shoulders while remaining modest in the chest area.

Her makeup perfectly complemented her facial contours, and she let her brown hair flow freely, adding to her graceful appearance. Kimberly always looked beautiful in every outfit.

“I must admit, you look stunning right now,” Nicholas commented honestly.

Kimberly narrowed her eyes. “I’m not falling for your flattery. Just so you know, I’ve always been beautiful. You’re just late in realizing it.”

Nicholas chuckled, amused by Kimberly’s response. “You’re quite confident, Mrs. Alistair.”

Kimberly was taken aback by Nicholas’s words. Without an invitation, a sudden blush spread across her cheeks. Her heartbeats even seemed to falter.

What did he say?

Did I hear that correctly?

Mrs. Alistair, he said?

“Kimmy…” Nicholas softly whispered, interrupting Kimberly’s reverie.

“What were you daydreaming about?” Nicholas inquired.

Kimberly shook her head vigorously. “Nothing. Let’s go now.”

****