WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

For the translated text in American English with correct grammar, please see below:

“For the past two days, Arthur had been observing Kimberly, who seemed so gloomy. The woman went to work listlessly and returned home in silence. Usually, Kimberly always had something to share with him, whether it was work-related issues or just casual conversations about her daily life.

Curious, that evening, Arthur finally asked Mario when the two of them had just returned from the office. He was convinced that Mario knew what was happening with his granddaughter lately.

“Is there something you want to talk to me about?” Mario asked while they were in Arthur’s office.

Arthur, who was engrossed in reading a book, paused. He first took off his glasses and then placed the book he had been holding aside.

“Have a seat,” Arthur instructed. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

Mario complied with Arthur’s request, taking a seat right next to the elderly man.

“What does grandpa want to ask about?”

“About Kimberly,” Arthur replied quickly. “I’m sure you know something about Kimberly. These past few days, I’ve noticed she’s been very down.”

Mario sighed softly.

“Grandpa must know what’s been making Kimberly so sad.”

Arthur raised his eyebrows. “Do you mean because of Alistair Junior?”

Mario nodded. “Before Nicholas left for London, he entrusted me with a letter to give to Kimberly. It might have been a farewell letter because after reading it, Kimberly burst into hysterical tears in front of me.”

“That insolent brat!” Arthur muttered angrily. “How dare that spoiled kid send a letter to Kimberly? Didn’t he promise not to contact her again?”

Mario sighed deeply. He was growing tired of hearing Arthur’s complaints like this. The old man was the one creating too much drama in his granddaughter’s life.

“Don’t you want to tell Kimberly everything? About the issue between you and Nicholas? I feel sorry seeing her so sad all the time,” Mario pleaded earnestly.

Arthur sighed lazily. For a moment, he appeared to be stroking his chin several times while weighing the decision of when to tell Kimberly about the recent issues between him and Nicholas.

“I will tell her, but not right now. Maybe after your engagement party.”

Mario slumped down. It seemed it wasn’t easy to persuade Arthur Rayder. Instead of resolving Kimberly’s problems, the old man was now discussing the engagement.

“Have you sent out the invitations?” Arthur asked to confirm.

Mario nodded.

“It’s nearly done. All preparations, from the venue and everything else, are already 99% complete,” Mario replied briefly. “So, who will tell Kimberly about this engagement?”

Arthur chuckled. He thought Mario must be getting a headache from all the games he had set up.

“For engagement matters, it’s better if you tell Kimberly. I trust you with it.”

****

It was the third day since Nicholas had been in London after his decision to return to his homeland. Opting to stay temporarily at his parents’ second residence, Cassandra looked delighted because Nicholas had chosen to live in his own apartment since his college days. It was a rare occurrence for him to decide to live separately, even for a short while.

That evening, Nicholas was seen sitting casually on his porch, reading a book while enjoying the sunset. Cassandra, who had been observing from the kitchen, decided to approach while carrying some snacks.

“Are you okay?” Cassandra asked as she sat down next to Nicholas.

Nicholas turned and flashed a smile.

“Me?” Nicholas pointed at his own face with his finger. “What about me, Ma?”

Cassandra returned Nicholas’s smile.

“You seem more melancholic than usual. Where’s the Nicholas who used to complain and be talkative all the time? I haven’t seen that in you these past few days.”

This time, Nicholas chuckled with amusement.

“Maybe it’s just Mama’s feeling,” Nicholas replied.

“You must be thinking about Kimberly,” Cassandra probed. Actually, there was no need to ask because Cassandra was sure her son was thinking about Kimberly, who was far away. Nicholas was the kind of guy who didn’t easily forget someone, especially someone who had once occupied his heart.

Nicholas nodded weakly. “A little. I can’t lie by saying I’m not thinking about her. But from now on, I’ll learn to forget her, Ma.”

Cassandra reached for one of Nicholas’s wrists and held it firmly.

“Why did you choose to leave when you love her so much?”

“I had to choose Alpha Beta, Ma,” Nicholas replied quickly. “There are thousands of employees there. Cancelling the contract with Capital would mean damaging the company’s reputation and financial system significantly. The consequences are not trivial. It would affect the workers. I’m sane enough not to be ambitious enough to jeopardize the fate of many people just for one woman.”

“But, Nick-”

“It’s okay, Ma,” Nicholas interrupted Cassandra. “We may have been destined to meet, but we weren’t destined to be together.” Nicholas spoke with a hint of sadness. He then averted his gaze, staring straight at the slowly fading sunset.

Cassandra tightened her grip.

“Nick… If you choose Kimberly, Papa and I are ready to compensate for all the losses incurred. Alpha Beta will be fine. That much money is not worth your happiness, Son.”

Nicholas looked back at Cassandra.

“Ma, I beg you. There’s no need to discuss this further. I’m sure Kimberly is happy there too.”

Cassandra took a deep breath. Nicholas was indeed a very stubborn man.

“How can she be happy when she’s separated from the one she loves?”

“There’s Mario. I heard they will have their engagement soon. So, Mama shouldn’t worry. Mario will be there to take care of her and love her,” Nicholas said with a wistful smile. Now it was his turn to take a deep breath. Imagining Kimberly getting engaged to another man instantly made his chest tight. But he had to let it go. After all, Mario had promised to always protect Kimberly.

“I’m entrusting this letter to you to give to Kimberly,” Nicholas said when he decided to meet with Mario.

Nicholas shook his head.

“I’m afraid that if I give it to her directly, my resolve will waver. I also don’t have much time since my flight will take off in a few hours.”

Mario reached for the letter handed over by Nicholas.

“I’ll make sure Kimberly reads it. But once again, I ask, are you sure about your decision?”

Nicholas nodded.

“I’m very sure. I also promised Mr. Arthur Rayder that I would never see Kimberly again.”

“Does that mean you’re willing to see Kimberly get engaged to me? Because sooner or later, that will happen.”

Nicholas fell silent.

In this world, who would willingly watch their loved one be with someone else? It was a very human feeling. But again, what could Nicholas do now? He had already promised Arthur to stay away from Kimberly.

“Nick…” Mario called his name again.

Nicholas snapped out of his thoughts and replied, “It’s okay if you eventually get engaged. I know you’re capable of taking care of and protecting Kimberly.”

Mario finally nodded.

“I promise I will always look after Kimberly.”

Nicholas was very confident that Mario would keep his promise. All this time, Mario had been the one who stood behind Kimberly. So Nicholas had no doubts.

Seeing Nicholas lost in thought for a long time, Cassandra gently patted Nicholas’s shoulder until his attention shifted to her.

“Do you remember what Mama said earlier?”

Nicholas furrowed his brow, trying to understand his mother’s meaning. “Which statement, Ma?”

“The statement that when you return to London, Mama will find a prospective wife for you.”

Nicholas sighed deeply and nodded.

“Yes, I remember. Why? Has Mama found a prospective wife for me?”

Cassandra smiled.

“Of course. Mama has been preparing a prospective wife for you for a long time. Perhaps soon you two can meet.” Cassandra was confident that her choice this time would not disappoint her son. She just needed the right time to introduce them to each other.

Nicholas sighed wearily.

“Just arrange it however Mama thinks best,” Nicholas could only surrender now to the arranged marriage that Cassandra had set up.

****

Mario had knocked on Kimberly’s bedroom door countless times. Waiting for over ten minutes in front of the door, he received no response from inside the woman’s room. Curious, Mario knocked again, this time harder. Fortunately, this time Kimberly immediately opened it.

“Am I disturbing you?” Mario asked as Kimberly stood before him.

Kimberly shook her head weakly.

“No. Do you need something?”

Mario nodded.

“I need to talk to you about something. Can I have a moment of your time?”

Kimberly stepped back and gestured for Mario to enter her room. He promptly took a seat in a chair not far from the room’s balcony.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Are you okay?” Mario asked once they were both seated.

Kimberly gave a faint smile.

“I’m fine.”

“Fine? I can see your eyes are swollen, Kimberly Rayder. You say you’re fine? What are you thinking?”

Anyone who saw Kimberly’s condition would hardly believe that she was fine. Her appearance was in disarray: puffy and red eyes, swollen lips as if she had cried excessively. Of course, Mario was suspicious.

“Even if something is happening to me, there’s no one who can help me. So, it’s better if we don’t discuss this anymore,” Kimberly requested, her voice sounding weak.

Mario sighed deeply. He felt pity seeing Kimberly so broken right now. But there was nothing he could do at the moment. Arthur held complete control over her.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here to listen.”

Kimberly smiled again.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ve told you, I’m fine. It’s better if you explain what you wanted to talk about now.”

Once again, Mario studied Kimberly’s face, thinking about the right words to convey to her. If only Arthur hadn’t involved him in this matter, things might not have become so complicated now.

“I want to talk about the engagement.”

Kimberly immediately flinched. Her previously downcast face lifted, and she stared at Mario with a questioning look. She knew that Grandpa Arthur would eventually unite her with Mario, but she didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

“So, Grandpa is really going to arrange a marriage between us?”