WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

Nicholas sat in Kimberly’s room in his apartment, lost in thought. Since the woman had left, Nicholas had often spent his time here, reminiscing while looking at photos of her. It wasn’t uncommon for him to fall asleep here. Even after holding back for so long, today, Nicholas couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.

Tears had fallen many times, wetting his cheeks. In reality, the pain he felt now was sharper than when he had found out Claire had cheated on him.

Nicholas remembered the first time he had asked Kimberly to be his fake girlfriend. He recalled how stubborn she had been initially, but without any clear reason, she had suddenly agreed.

Nicholas had initially thought of Kimberly as an annoying woman. He had even openly stated that she wasn’t his type. But as time went on, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when, Nicholas felt that Kimberly’s presence brought a unique color to his life.

Living next door to Kimberly didn’t immediately make him declare his love. How foolish he had been; he knew Kimberly had feelings for him, so why did he still doubt her sincerity?

Now, look at him. He had to bear the consequences of his actions. So, how could he convince Kimberly to come back to him? Was there any assurance that she wouldn’t be taken by Mario?

Two days after his last meeting with Kimberly at the airport, on Edward’s advice, he had finally hired a detective to find out about Kimberly. Where she had gone, her intentions, where she lived, and even other important information. He had resolved in his heart to win Kimberly’s heart back.

“I miss you, Kimberly. I miss you so much,” Nicholas said to himself repeatedly.

Whatever it takes, I will do it to get you back.

Anything.

I will do everything for you.

After reciting these words in his heart, Nicholas’s apartment buzzer rang. A bit reluctantly, he got up and dragged his feet to open the door. He already knew who had come to his apartment this time.

“Why did it take so long? I was about to break down your apartment door,” complained Edward, who else could it be? He didn’t even wait to be invited in; he just walked right in and settled himself on the sofa.

Nicholas sighed deeply. He actually didn’t want to deal with Edward. But considering that Edward had been helping him lately, whether he liked it or not, he had to be courteous from now on.

“Have you had dinner?” Edward asked.

Nicholas shook his head slowly.

“I don’t have an appetite, Ed. Besides, what brings you here? Do you have some work-related matters to discuss with me?” Edward, in turn, shook his head.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Does there have to be a work-related reason for me to visit your apartment?” asked Edward.

“Not necessarily,” Nicholas replied quickly.

“Then what?” Edward inquired. “If you want to know why I came, I’m just worried about your well-being.”

Hearing that, Nicholas, who had previously worn a sad expression, suddenly chuckled, leaving Edward puzzled. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Why are you laughing? Is there something funny?” Edward sneered.

Nicholas flashed a smile now.

“I just find it amusing. You’re acting like my lover.”

Edward scoffed.

“I’ve told you before, I’m your best friend, not Kenzi. Look at who cares about your well-being now, other than me.”

Nicholas nodded slowly.

“Okay. This time, I admit what you’re saying. You are dependable. Even though sometimes your words make me sick.”

Of course, Nicholas felt annoyed. Although Edward often spoke nonsense, almost one hundred percent of what he said about him was always true. Nicholas sometimes wondered what had happened to him.

“Are you still thinking about Kimberly?” Edward suddenly asked.

Nicholas took a deep breath.

“How can I not think about her? I’m confused about what else I can do to make Kimberly forgive me and come back to me.” Nicholas’s expression turned melancholic again.

Edward sighed heavily and pondered for a moment, wondering why his friend was always so inept and unlucky in matters of love. Was he cursed to never be happy? Who knows? Only God can answer that.

“In that case, why don’t you just follow her? Chase after Kimberly wherever she goes,” Edward suggested.

Nicholas shook his head weakly.

“Follow her where? I don’t even know where Kimberly is right now. We both know their plane departed for Singapore yesterday. But the question is whether that was their final destination or just a layover. The detective I hired hasn’t found Kimberly’s exact location yet.” Nicholas sounded almost hopeless.

Not wanting to see his friend sink further into sadness, Edward got up from his seat and immediately pulled Nicholas’s arm towards the apartment’s exit.

“Where are we going?” Nicholas asked, confused.

“Just put your sadness aside. We’re going to have dinner at the restaurant on the ground floor,” Edward ordered. He continued to drag Nicholas out of the apartment.

“I’m not hungry, Ed,” Nicholas protested, but Edward didn’t respond at all. He kept on insisting.

“You have to eat to stay strong through your tough life, Nick. There’s no room for refusal this time.”

Finally, Nicholas resigned himself to follow wherever Edward was taking him.

—

Mario never once diverted his gaze and attention from Kimberly. She was currently undergoing observation and a final examination before entering the operating room.

Today marked exactly two days since they had arrived in Singapore. Mario had intentionally chosen Mount Elizabeth Hospital as the place for Kimberly to undergo ovarian cancer surgery.

Kimberly appeared remarkably calm, and it was Mario who was overwhelmed with worry. All sorts of negative thoughts crossed his mind. He feared the surgery might fail.

“Don’t worry, this operation will be successful,” Kimberly tried to reassure Mario. She knew he was anxious.

After checking her blood pressure, the nurses gave Mario some time to speak with Kimberly before she was transferred to the operating room.

Mario held Kimberly’s wrist tightly. “I don’t know why, but I’m the one feeling nervous now. But I’m sure you’ll recover, Kimmy.”

Kimberly nodded.

“I have to recover. There are still many tasks I need to complete. And you must remember your promise to teach me how to manage the company.”

Mario tightened his grip on her hand. “After all this is over and you’ve fully recovered, I promise I’ll do whatever you ask,” Mario said sincerely.

During their conversation, a nurse came back and asked for permission to take Kimberly to the operating room.

“You’ll definitely recover. I’ll be waiting for you out here. Don’t give up, Kimmy, fight in there for Opa. Remember, no matter what happens to you in the future, I will always be by your side.”

Kimberly smiled with emotion. From the beginning until now, it had always been Mario who stood by her. He never left her. Kimberly felt indebted to him.

“I will definitely come back. I will also recover for the sake of both of you.”

Afterward, Kimberly’s body was promptly lifted and taken to the operating room. Mario followed and chose to wait outside.

While he continued to wait for Kimberly, Mario’s concentration was diverted when Arthur suddenly appeared at the hospital. He had followed them there without prior notice.

Mario got up immediately and approached Arthur. Shortly afterward, he guided the middle-aged man to sit in one of the available waiting chairs. Mario was well aware that Arthur hadn’t fully recovered his health. That’s why he had to make sure Arthur didn’t overexert himself while being outside.

“How is Kimberly? Has she been in surgery for a long time?” Arthur asked with deep concern. Honestly, he was very afraid that something dangerous might happen to his granddaughter. No, he didn’t want to lose his only descendant and the sole heir to the Rayder family.

Mario tried to maintain a calm demeanor, although he was equally anxious now.

“It’s been around an hour or so. The doctor informed me that the surgery will take three to five hours to complete,” Mario explained at length.

Arthur took a slow breath. He smiled as he saw how faithfully Mario was waiting by his granddaughter’s side. His decision to match Kimberly with him hadn’t been wrong. Besides being responsible, Mario could protect and care for Kimberly in the future.

“Day by day, Opa becomes more impatient to marry you and Kimberly,” Arthur suddenly said, causing Mario to turn towards him.

“Let Kimberly choose her partner herself. I’m afraid she’ll run away again if you keep insisting she marries me,” Mario wisely remarked. The reason he gave was indeed true. He didn’t want her to run away again as she had done in the past.

Arthur smiled.

“Kimberly won’t run away. This time, she won’t refuse Opa’s request either,” Arthur confidently stated. For him, what he had commanded would easily come to pass.

Mario returned Arthur’s smile.

“I won’t oppose what Opa commands. If, in the end, we must marry, I will do it.”

Arthur and Mario talked for quite some time, and before they knew it, three hours had passed. What made them anxious, however, was that not a single medical staff member had come out of Kimberly’s operating room. Was something happening to her inside?

Anxiously, Mario and Arthur continued to wait until not long after, the doctor they had been waiting for finally emerged. Both of them immediately got up and approached the doctor.

“How was the surgery, doctor?” Mario asked anxiously.

“On a positive note, Miss Kimberly’s surgery was successful. However, we had to remove one of her ovaries to ensure that no cancerous tissue remained. After this, Miss Kimberly will have to undergo chemotherapy to ensure complete healing. Now, the bad news…” The doctor paused for a moment as if deliberately hanging her sentence.

“What’s the bad news, doctor?” Mario looked the most curious. He was afraid something dangerous had happened to Kimberly.

“Because one of Miss Kimberly’s ovaries had to be removed, the process of conceiving in the future won’t be optimal. This may make it slightly difficult for her to have children. However, the possibility is still there, but it’s very slim.”

Upon hearing this, Mario could only heave a deep sigh. This had been Kimberly’s fear all along. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to give children to her future husband. This was also the reason Kimberly had decided to leave Nicholas.

As Mario got lost in his thoughts, a nurse was seen running from inside the room, calling for the doctor who was outside. Still panting, the nurse spoke.

“Doctor, the patient’s condition is critical.”