Exploring London in the morning turned out to be the perfect choice for Kimberly. The still very cool air made her comfortable even though she had to walk. Neat rows of old buildings lined the streets she passed by. The scenes that she had often seen in movies now felt so real. Making the most of their time, Kimberly asked Nicholas to take her to almost all the tourist attractions in London. They visited the Tower of London, London Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and even Westminster Abbey. Now, the remaining destination was the London Eye. A never-ending smile graced Kimberly's small lips. Nicholas, who had been sneakily stealing glances at her, felt his heart warm. Without Kimberly's knowledge, he had discreetly taken several photos while she was enjoying the sights. "Do we have to queue for this long? I might not be able to ride this giant Ferris wheel until evening," Kimberly sighed as she stood in front of the entrance to the London Eye. There was a long line of tourists waiti
Kimberly woke up and found Nicholas still embracing her in his sleep. After the passionate kiss they shared last night, Nicholas didn't immediately let Kimberly leave his room. He continued to cuddle and hold her body until they both fell back asleep. For a moment, Kimberly stayed still, choosing to enjoy Nicholas's warm embrace. However, after a while, she gently tapped his forehead. Slowly, the auburn-haired woman tried to break free from his hold. But in reality, he woke up and even held onto her body tighter. "Where are you going?" he asked with his eyes still closed. "I need to take a shower. Aren't we supposed to go back to Indonesia today?" Spending three days in London was not enough for Kimberly, especially since it was her first time setting foot in Queen Elizabeth's land. But given Nicholas's busy work schedule, they had to return to Indonesia this afternoon. "What time is it now?" he asked again. Kimberly then squinted at the clock on the wall in the corner of the roo
The doorbell rang loudly as Nicholas had just seated himself on the sofa. With a lazy expression, he dragged his feet to see who had come to visit as soon as he arrived in Indonesia. When the door opened, the last person he wanted to see stood there, wearing a smile. "Sebastian Edward, what do you want here?" Nicholas asked without pleasantries. When he mentioned someone's full name, it was a sure sign he was annoyed. The man in front of him smiled broadly. "Why are you always so gruff with me? Even though I'm the friend you can always rely on." Edward put on a fake sad face. "I asked, what do you want here? I'm tired after a long journey. If there's nothing important, you better leave," Nicholas repeated. Edward laughed heartily. He had expected this reaction from his friend. For some reason, since their college days, Nicholas had always considered Edward his eternal rival. Even though whenever Nicholas needed help, it was always Edward who came to his aid. "I've brought some doc
This morning, in a large room with a minimalist gray decor, Mario sipped his coffee while keeping an eye on the world stock market news on the television. It wasn't long before his office door was knocked, and a tall, burly man in a black shirt entered. Upon closer inspection, the man who entered could be more aptly described as a security guard or bodyguard. This man was Joseph, the one who had been assigned to watch over Kimberly. Without hesitation, Joseph stepped forward. He handed over a brown folder for Marco to examine. Marco accepted it immediately. He then extended his hand to open the folder and began pulling out the photos it contained, one by one. For a moment, Marco scrutinized each photo he held. After a while, his forehead furrowed, and his emotions almost flared up when he came across a picture that truly disturbed him. "Josh, can you explain the meaning of all this?" Marco asked while holding up one of the photos towards Joseph, trying to restrain his emotions. Jose
Kimberly waited for the doctor while continuing to think about Marco's words in the hospital lobby. As she thought more about it, she became increasingly concerned about Opa Arthur's condition, which was understandably fragile. Kimberly knew that her grandfather suffered from a heart condition that could flare up at any moment. However, in her opinion, returning home at this moment was not the right choice. She was even determined that if the situation became urgent enough to require her to go back home, she would do her best to convince Opa Arthur to approve her relationship with Nicholas. Regardless, she had already fallen in love with him. Yes, even though Nicholas's feelings towards her were still unclear to this day. Lost in thought, Kimberly was suddenly jolted back to reality when the doctor arrived with the lab results she had been waiting for. Feeling a bit anxious, she moved closer to the doctor's practice desk. "So, how are my blood test results from yesterday, doc?" Kimb
Kimberly quietly enjoyed her dinner. Her mind wandered, and she had too much on her mind. It was the second day since Nicholas had left for abroad, yet he hadn't taken the initiative to contact her. Was Nicholas angry with her? It wasn't funny that she had to reach out to him first. "Am I the one being victimized here? I'm the one who's disappointed. Why am I the one being ignored? Ugh! So frustrating," Kimberly rolled her eyes, scrutinizing herself in an attempt to find any flaws within. "Am I not pretty enough that Nicholas truly sees me as not his type?" Kimberly sighed deeply, holding her cheeks. "Gosh, how perfect do I have to be for Nicholas to accept me?" She winced. But before she could finish her thoughts on Nicholas, another issue crossed her mind. Now, she was thinking about the diagnosis the doctor had given her yesterday. To recover, she needed a lot of money for surgery, and at the moment, she had only two options: returning home and seeking help from Grandpa Arthur o
"Gosh!" Kimberly exclaimed in surprise when she saw the man she knew very well sitting on one side of her bed in her room. The man lifted his face and then turned to look at Kimberly, who was still standing quietly in front of the bathroom door. After a short while, Kimberly walked toward where the man was sitting. "Why are you here? Didn't you say you'd be back the day after tomorrow?" Kimberly asked, giving Nicholas a scrutinizing look. Instead of answering Kimberly's question, Nicholas's gaze shifted to an object that had caught his attention earlier. "Whose flowers are those?" Nicholas asked, nodding toward the lily bouquet that was lying on the nightstand. "How could you ask me that? Those are your flowers, aren't they?" Kimberly replied. Nicholas blinked. "My flowers?" He then shook his head, wearing a puzzled expression. "I sent you red roses, not lilies. This isn't a gift from me, Kimberly Rayder." Now, it was Kimberly's turn to be confused. If it wasn't Nicholas, then w
Tears continued to flow from Kimberly's eyes. The day had turned into night, but she remained seated beside the closet, hugging her knees, releasing all the tears and disappointment that filled her heart. She wondered if she was so repulsive that Nicholas had never wanted to touch her. Or perhaps he had never desired her. "You're truly pathetic, Kimmy," she muttered. At the time when the doctor had diagnosed her with a life-threatening illness. At that very moment, the man she referred to as her fiancé seemed to want nothing to do with her. "You should know better." Kimberly let out a bitter laugh, mocking her fate. To this day, she realized that maybe she was the only one who loved Nicholas, and it was not reciprocated. "Damn the disease. Damn love. Why dwell on all this?" Kimberly wiped the tears from her cheeks and forced herself to stand. She steeled herself to forget the recent events. Shortly after, Kimberly decided to change her clothes, apply some light makeup, and hurr
The next two months."Nick, I think you should come home soon. Your face looks really pale now," Edward suggested. They had just returned from a meeting outside the office.Nicholas sighed deeply while continuing to massage his temples. For some reason, since yesterday, he had been feeling unwell. Now, it even felt worse than before."I can't, Ed. I need to finish my tasks soon. I have only a week left before I really move from Alpha Beta and take care of Rayder Corp," Nicholas replied, still holding his forehead.Edward shook his head vigorously. He was very certain that his friend's condition was not okay at the moment. He was just afraid that something bad might happen to Nicholas."In that case, I'll get you some hot tea." Edward then got up and walked quickly to the pantry. He grabbed a cup of tea and brought it immediately to Nicholas's room, handing it over."Drink it quickly. After this, I'll help you finish all your tasks so you can go home early."Nicholas nodded and reached
After returning from London, Kimberly and Nicholas were busy with various wedding preparations. From fitting wedding attire to pre-wedding photos, everything had to be done quickly due to their limited time. Cassandra and Arthur didn't hold back; they even chose BVLGARI RESORT BALI as the venue for the celebration.BVLGARI is a luxurious five-star resort perched on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean. Its location is not far from Pura Luhur Uluwatu and the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.Embracing a beachfront wedding theme, all preparations had reached 95%. Nicholas and Kimberly couldn't believe how meticulously and perfectly Cassandra had arranged everything. She even hired a top-tier wedding organizer like 'Belvedere' to handle Nicholas and Kimberly's wedding."Mama is truly amazing," Nicholas said proudly. He was amazed by what his mother had done.Cassandra clasped her hands to her chest, a smile on her lips as she heard her son's praise."I'll do anything for you, my dear.
All the invited guests never ceased to congratulate Nicholas and Kimberly. Everyone seemed lost in the euphoria of this luxurious engagement party.While all the guests were busy enjoying their meals, Nicholas, who was watching Cassandra relaxing, went straight to her and pulled her to the garden's edge."Mom owes me an explanation," Nicholas whispered.Cassandra chuckled softly, keeping her composure. "Oh, come on, dear. Just enjoy your party for now. I promise to explain everything once everything's over."Nicholas shook his head in disbelief, observing his mother's behavior. Meanwhile, in a different location, Kimberly also looked puzzled. She chose to remain silent but kept her facial expression looking joyful. Yes, even though she was genuinely surprised and, of course, happy. However, amidst all this, she hadn't even exchanged a word with Nicholas. The two of them mostly just stared at each other without speaking.After the guests left one by one, Cassandra kept her promise. She
Since morning, Kimberly has been busy packing her belongings to put them in her suitcase. After hearing Arthur Rayder's explanation about Nicholas last night, she decided to join the man in London as soon as possible.Enjoying the packing process, Kimberly suddenly remembered that she didn't remember Nicholas's address or his parents' addresses. After thinking for a while, she realized who had helped her gather the information.Quickly, Kimberly grabbed her cellphone, searched for someone's number in her contacts list, and dialed it promptly. After three rings, the call was finally answered."Hello," a voice on the other side replied."Hello, Mr. Edward. It's me, Kimberly. Can I ask for your help?" Kimberly inquired."Oh my goodness, Kimberly," Edward exclaimed in surprise. "What's the reason for calling me so early in the morning?""Can I... Can I ask about Nicholas's address in London?" Kimberly hesitantly asked."Of course, you can. But, I'm sorry in advance, why are you asking for
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 tabl
Mario never seemed tired of smiling at all the guests who attended. His face was radiant after formally getting engaged just a few hours ago.Arthur was also delighted. The old man was even busy socializing with the business colleagues who were present at the party.Among the many happy people, only Kimberly seemed ordinary. She even appeared distant from the crowd, choosing to sit alone in one corner of the event room while continuously gazing at Mario from a distance.She should have felt relieved because she wasn't the one accompanying Mario tonight. Yes, a few days ago, Kimberly almost couldn't breathe when he suddenly brought up the topic of engagement. She thought that her grandfather, Arthur, was really going to arrange a match between them. However, Mario revealed that he would be engaged to another woman."So, is Grandpa really going to arrange a match between us?" Mario didn't immediately answer. He remained silent for quite a while, which only made Kimberly's thoughts wande
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
"I choose Alpha Beta," Arthur Rayder stared at Nicholas with an expression that was difficult to interpret after hearing what the man had chosen. He remained silent for quite some time before finally smiling and asking, "Are you sure you chose Alpha Beta over my granddaughter?"Nicholas nodded. "I'm sure. Very sure. Congratulations, in this game, you're the winner."Arthur squinted at Nicholas. There were many things he wanted to ask the man."As I suspected. You never really loved my granddaughter. It was quite evident when you chose money over—""You shouldn't jump to conclusions," Nicholas interrupted. Arthur glared at him. He didn't appreciate it when someone deliberately cut him off mid-sentence.Arthur sighed in his position. "Then what's your reason for not choosing Kimberly?"Nicholas took a slow breath. It wasn't easy making a decision like this."I love Kimberly. There's no other woman I love besides your granddaughter. However, I can't be selfish. I thought that if I cancel
Arthur was sitting casually in his office, looking at the neatly arranged photos of Kimberly in an album. Mario was there, accompanying the old man. He had been asked to come early in the morning, even though it was a holiday. Arthur wondered what he wanted to talk to Mario about.Arthur smiled as he commented, "Kimberly is such a cheerful girl. Look, in almost all these neatly arranged photos, she's always laughing or smiling." Arthur showed a specific photo to Mario.Mario looked at each photo that Arthur displayed. Kimberly appeared in various poses in the pictures. Mario nodded in agreement."In all the time I've known her, I've only seen Kimberly cry twice. First, when she found out her mother had passed away. Second, when she decided to leave Nicholas Alistair's apartment."Arthur leaned back in his chair. Hearing Mario's last sentence made his blood boil."That brat had the audacity to make my granddaughter cry. Who is he, daring to do such a thing?""They just had a misunderst