WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

Arthur remembered well that Veronica, his wife, had been very active in charity work. Then, at some point, she accidentally met Cassandra, a young woman who had dedicated half of her life to helping street children and orphans. They both worked together to provide assistance until the time when Cassandra, by chance, met Robert Alistair, who was working in Singapore at that time. He also became the largest donor for the charity event organized by Veronica.

Somehow, at some point, Cassandra developed a relationship with Robert Alistair and decided to get married. After becoming husband and wife, Robert brought Cassandra with him to England. Since then, Veronica and Arthur rarely met Cassandra. It was only occasionally when she was traveling to Singapore.

Arthur reached for the teacup already placed on his table. He took a sip and continued speaking. “So, what brings you all the way here to meet me?”

Cassandra took her own drink, sipped it slowly, and then placed her cup back on the table. Once again, she smiled before answering. “I want to discuss the matter between my son and your granddaughter.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “My son? My granddaughter? What connection do they have?”

“My son and your granddaughter are in love with each other. They-”

“Hold on… hold on…” Arthur interrupted. “Honestly, I don’t understand where this conversation is going. Do my granddaughter and your son have a relationship? If I may ask, who is your son?”

Cassandra reached into her bag, opened her photo gallery, and showed it to Arthur. “His name is Nicholas Junior Alistair.”

Upon hearing the name Nicholas, Arthur burst into laughter. “Oh my goodness. Why is that troublemaker here again? Is this how God is punishing me?” Arthur couldn’t stop laughing, leaving Cassandra puzzled.

“Do you know my son? I mean, have you met him in person?” Cassandra inquired.

Arthur nodded. “Of course, this troublemaker has made my granddaughter cry several times. Do you know he even dared to call Kimberly a cheap woman? From the way he spoke, he seemed a bit emotional.”

Cassandra closed her eyes briefly. She was not lying when she said she was nervous right now.

“Oh God. Whatever my son did, I apologize to you. I’m sure they both misunderstood each other. Nicholas loves Kimberly deeply.”

Arthur laughed again upon hearing Cassandra’s defense. “I really didn’t expect Nicholas to be your son. I know my granddaughter loves your son deeply. She even secretly got engaged to him behind my back,” Arthur smirked.

Cassandra was almost at a loss for words. Arthur was not the forgiving type, especially when it came to family. As a tough family man, he never allowed any harm to come to his family members, especially his beloved granddaughter.

“I sincerely apologize for any wrongdoings Nicholas has done. I can swear that he’s a good man,” Cassandra said earnestly.

Arthur stared closely at Cassandra’s pleading face. “So, what do you want?”

“Approve of Kimberly and Nicholas’s relationship. We don’t even mind the issue of Kimberly’s illness. I personally believe that Nicholas can take care of and protect Kimberly in the future.”

Arthur fell silent, maintaining his composure. He was trying to weigh the request presented by Cassandra.

“I need proof. How can I believe that Nicholas is a responsible man?”

Now it was Cassandra’s turn to be puzzled. How else could she convince the elderly man in front of her? Then, not long after, a crazy idea crossed her mind.

“If I’m not mistaken, Nicholas and Kimberly’s companies are currently in the selection process for a partnership with Capital Group. And I just heard the news recently that Alpha Beta was chosen. You can use that opportunity to test Nicholas.”

Arthur, who had been listening attentively, furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? Please don’t beat around the bush.”

“I’m confident that Nicholas will meet Kimberly in the near future. They’re in a misunderstanding, right? Nicholas will surely try to meet Kimberly and explain things. You meet Nicholas. Just ask him to choose.”

Arthur nodded in understanding. “Ah, I get it now. So, you want me to ask Nicholas to choose between letting go to be with Kimberly or continuing the tender but losing Kimberly.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“That’s right,” Cassandra answered confidently. “From his choice, you can determine what kind of person Nicholas truly is.”

Arthur smiled and said, “Turns out, you’re quite a cunning mother too. I thought you were staying silent in this matter.”

“What else could I do? That was the only way to convince Arthur,” Cassandra replied. According to her, both options that Nicholas would choose were equally beneficial. Imagine if Nicholas chose to continue the tender, which meant leaving Kimberly; it would show that Nicholas was a responsible man who prioritized the greater good over his personal desires. That would be a plus for him. If, by chance, Nicholas chose to be selfish and pick Kimberly, Cassandra and Robert were ready to compensate for the loss to make their son happy.

“But I beg you, whatever he chooses, please approve of their relationship. I know my son loves your granddaughter deeply.”

Arthur chuckled. “We’ll see how it ends. What’s for sure is that I will consider all your suggestions.”

Kimberly shook her head in disbelief after hearing what Arthur had just explained to her. So, all this time, she and Nicholas had been used as pawns by her own grandfather.

“Why is Grandpa this heartless?”

Arthur maintained a calm expression. “I only want the best for you-”

“Nicholas is the best for me, Grandpa.”

Arthur remained silent, not responding further to Kimberly’s words. However, unexpectedly, his beloved granddaughter stood up and knelt right in front of him.

“I beg you, allow me to choose Nicholas. Approve of our relationship. Only Nicholas can make me happy now.” Tears flowed as Kimberly spoke.

“I implore you, Grandpa. Please let me be with Nicholas this time.” With a sob, Kimberly pleaded earnestly.

Arthur took multiple deep breaths. It was clear that letting go of Kimberly was not easy for him. He weighed the options for quite some time before finally giving his answer.

“Just so you know, in a few days, Nicholas will be engaged to a woman chosen by his mother.”

Hearing this, Kimberly shook her head vigorously. “Please allow me to follow Nicholas to London, Grandpa. I beg you, just this once.”

After thinking for a while, Arthur’s defenses finally crumbled as he saw the tears streaming down Kimberly’s cheeks.

“But you must promise not to be sad if things don’t go as you hope,” he said.

Kimberly nodded confidently, then rose and hugged Arthur tightly.

“Thank you, I promise not to disappoint you this time, Grandpa.”