WARMING THE BILLIONAIRE COLD HEART

Silence prevailed throughout the journey back after dropping Cassandra off at her hotel. Nicholas and Kimberly chose to remain silent rather than exchange greetings. Neither of them wanted to concede and initiate the first greeting. The awkwardness was evident, stemming from the sudden kissing incident initiated by Nicholas.

While Nicholas focused on the road, Kimberly opted to close her eyes briefly before reaching the apartment. As the car entered the VIP parking area, Kimberly didn’t want to wake up and instead hoped that Nicholas would give in and lift her, just like in the romantic novels or Korean dramas she often watched.

“Please, Nicholas, carry me like they do in those Korean dramas I watch so often. Be careful not to wake me up.”

As Kimberly’s mind wandered elsewhere, Nicholas remained silent, gazing at the sleeping woman beside him. After a while, his hand extended to gently brush aside strands of hair covering her smooth cheek. Gradually, Nicholas moved his face closer. His warm breath even touched Kimberly’s cheek.

“Don’t tell me he’s going to kiss me again.”

Kimberly’s thoughts were in turmoil, and she felt nervous at the moment. However, that feeling quickly vanished.

“Kimberly, wake up,” Nicholas whispered softly in Kimberly’s ear.

Ah!

I thought he was going to kiss me again like he did earlier.

I’m such a fool.

Instead of waking up, Kimberly sought a more comfortable position. Boldly, she rested her head on Nicholas’s shoulder, which only seemed to frustrate him even more.

“Oh God, this woman is truly a heavy sleeper,” Nicholas muttered softly.

Feeling like his attempts to wake Kimberly had failed, Nicholas now directed his hand to gently pat Kimberly’s cheek. He intended to rouse the woman he thought was still deep in slumber.

“Kimberly, wake up,” Nicholas said while gently patting Kimberly’s cheek. “You’re like a snake when you’re asleep, extremely hard to wake up. If you don’t wake up, I’ll have to leave you in the car,” Nicholas continued.

Damn it.

This is the translation of the provided text into American English with correct grammar:

This guy is truly insensitive to what I want. Why in the world are there men as annoying as him?

Kimberly cursed Nicholas’s actions, which were completely unromantic compared to other men. Annoyed, Kimberly opened her eyes.

Nicholas smiled sweetly. “Finally, you’re awake. I was just about to-”

Before Nicholas could finish his sentence, Kimberly unfastened her seatbelt and quickly got out of the car. She walked unsteadily toward her apartment unit, leaving Nicholas behind.

“Kimberly, wait for me,” Nicholas gently commanded before entering the apartment unit.

Kimberly furrowed her brow lazily, turning back. “For what? I’m tired; I want to rest quickly,” she replied with a weak tone.

Hearing this, without saying another word, Nicholas reached out, grabbed Kimberly’s hand, and quickly pulled her inside. Kimberly reluctantly followed behind.

“What do you actually want?” Kimberly asked in an annoyed tone once they were inside the apartment.

“There’s something I want to discuss with you. Please, have a seat first,” Nicholas requested.

Kimberly complied half-heartedly, sitting on the living room sofa. Nicholas joined her.

“I apologize for my actions earlier this afternoon. I truly didn’t mean to take advantage of you,” Nicholas explained to Kimberly.

Kimberly shrugged indifferently. “Forget it; there’s no need to explain. I know it’s all part of your acting.”

Nicholas nodded. “I just don’t want any misunderstandings between us. But by the way…” Nicholas looked intently at Kimberly’s face. “… about the kiss, why was your kiss so stiff? Don’t tell me that was your first kiss?” Nicholas inquired.

Kimberly sighed lazily. “Yes, it was my first kiss, and you took advantage of it,” she said, annoyed.

Nicholas fell silent, his hazel eyes searching for any hint of deception in Kimberly’s dark gaze. He couldn’t believe someone as attractive as Kimberly had never kissed anyone before.

“What are you doing, Nick?”

“I just want to make sure your earlier statement is believable. How can a supposedly beautiful Kimberly like you have never kissed anyone before?” There was a hint of mockery in Nicholas’s words.

Kimberly grumbled in annoyance. “It’s up to you whether you believe it or not. I don’t care.”

Nicholas leaned closer. “So, was it really your first kiss?” The corner of Nicholas’s lips curled into a smile. “How was it? Was the kiss I gave you memorable?” Nicholas asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re crazy!” Kimberly muttered.

Nicholas chuckled at Kimberly’s expression. Then he said, “Would you like me to help you?” He whispered with a serious expression.

Kimberly raised her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean? Help with what?”

“Teaching you how to kiss properly and naturally,” Nicholas teased, winking with one eye.

Kimberly sneered. “You pervert!”

Nicholas laughed again at Kimberly’s expression. “I just want to help you make your acting look more natural. You were really stiff yesterday. Should I also teach you other touches? I’m quite skilled-”

“Yes! Stop your nonsense, Mr. Alistair. I’m disgusted listening to you.”

Kimberly covered both of her ears tightly. Then she went into her room, leaving Nicholas still laughing at her expression. He thought teasing her would be fun now.

***

This morning, Kimberly looked a bit weak. She had been grimacing in pain for thirty minutes now. It had crossed her mind that maybe she had a stomach ache, considering she had skipped breakfast.

Meanwhile, in his office, Nicholas and Edward were busy discussing what topics to cover in the afternoon meeting. Everything revolved around discussions regarding project expansion and investor selection.

“Have you already screened which investors will join our mega project?” Edward asked.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

Nicholas nodded. “Yes, I’ve even chosen some of the best among them. But you can check again. Who knows, you might have a different opinion.”

Now it was Edward’s turn to nod. “Can I see the list and profiles of each investor?”

“Wait a moment; I’ll have Kimberly bring the files here.”

Shortly after, Nicholas contacted Kimberly through the intercom system. He asked his secretary to bring what Edward had requested earlier.

It didn’t take long for Kimberly to come in with the files Nicholas had requested. However, before she could leave, Edward stopped her.

“Kimmy, are you feeling sick?” Edward inquired when he noticed Kimberly’s slightly pale face. Nicholas, who had been busy examining the files, also turned his attention.

“I don’t know, sir. My stomach hurts; maybe it’s because I skipped breakfast this morning,” Kimberly replied softly.

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “So you lied to me this morning? You said you had already eaten breakfast, which is why you declined when I invited you to have breakfast together,” Nicholas protested.

“I just don’t have an appetite, really.”

“Alright, then. You can go back to your desk,” Nicholas ordered.

However, as Kimberly was about to leave the room, her body suddenly swayed as if she was about to fall. She even reflexively grabbed the door handle in front of her.

Edward, who had been observing Kimberly’s movements, quickly got up from his seat and rushed to where Kimberly stood, guiding her to sit on the sofa.

“Are you okay?” Edward asked, concerned.

Nicholas, who had initially remained silent, moved closer to Kimberly. “Your face is really pale, Kimmy. Is your stomach hurting that much?” Nicholas asked, his face showing worry.

Kimberly nodded weakly. “It really hurts.”

“You should go home and rest, Kimmy. I’ll take you,” Edward offered.

Hearing what Edward said, Nicholas quickly grabbed Kimberly’s hand.

“I’ll be the one to take Kimberly home.”

Edward sighed in annoyance. “You’re crazy! The meeting will start in thirty minutes, Nick. It’s impossible for you to take Kimberly home and make it back in time,” Edward protested.

Nicholas shook his head, already prepared to lead Kimberly away.

“You can take my place and lead the meeting today. Besides, you’re quite adept at handling big clients.” Then Nicholas left, pulling Kimberly’s hand, signaling her to follow his steps.

“Nick!” Edward shouted as Nicholas left him alone.

What a rude guy.

If I had known, I would have just taken Kimberly away from here.

Kimberly looked resigned as Nicholas held her wrist. Even now, he held her fingers tightly, leading her confidently through the bustling crowd along the building.

Don’t ask about the commotion that happened there. Almost all employees who saw it immediately whispered and talked about what they saw.

It was clear that Nicholas’s actions had attracted a lot of attention. Considering Nicholas usually acted cold, it was quite surprising to see him suddenly holding a woman’s hand in public without any embarrassment.

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” Nicholas asked once they were inside the car. He slowly helped Kimberly fasten her seatbelt.

Kimberly shook her head softly. “No need, just take me back to my apartment. Maybe after taking some antacid and resting, the pain will go.”

Nicholas let out a soft breath. “Alright, I’ll take you home now.”

Upon reaching the apartment parking lot, Nicholas promptly opened the car door. However, Kimberly was taken by surprise shortly after. Suddenly, without asking for permission, Nicholas lifted her up. Then, he casually carried Kimberly into the apartment and laid her down on the bed.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Nicholas asked, making sure. There was a hint of concern in his every word, something that Kimberly couldn’t help but notice.

Seeing the pain so clearly reflected on Kimberly’s face, Nicholas’s hand unconsciously moved to gently stroke Kimberly’s wrist. He thought that perhaps what he was doing could help her relax a bit.

“You need to eat, Kimmy. I’ll ask the maid to prepare your lunch. If your pain doesn’t go away after eating and taking your medicine, I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

Just as she was about to get up and fetch the food, Kimberly tugged at Nicholas’s hand, pulling him back to his original position.

“Please don’t go. Just stay with me for a while,” Kimberly said while squeezing Nicholas’s wrist.

Once again, Nicholas’s heart seemed to beat out of rhythm. There was a strange sensation he felt when Kimberly held onto his hand tightly. It was as if she didn’t want Nicholas to leave her.

Hesitantly, Nicholas reached out his other hand to gently stroke the top of Kimberly’s head until she unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

“Sleep, I’ll watch over you here, Kimmy.”