Chapter 5

Nicholas couldn't focus on driving because everything Kimberly did was distracting him. She even started to lean in and try to kiss him. Feeling angry and frustrated, Nicholas pulled over and stopped the car. He then reached for a rope he had placed in the back seat the day before.

"Come on, Nick. I want to have some fun. Aren't you attracted to this body of mine?" Kimberly laughed.

"Shut up, Kim!" Nicholas snapped as he tied Kimberly's hands behind the seat. He swallowed hard when his eyes accidentally landed on her chest. It was so round and full, showing that it had never been touched by any man.

Kimberly was wild. She loved going to nightclubs and getting drunk. However, Nicholas knew that she was still a virgin. Kimberly had even told him that no man had ever kissed her. Although she had had many boyfriends, none had managed to steal her first kiss.

After tying Kimberly's hands, Nicholas pulled her towards him. Just as his face was in front of hers, he froze. But something unexpected happened, Kimberly leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Nicholas's body tensed, his eyes wide with shock. He never expected this to happen.

He remained silent for a long time until he finally came to his senses and pulled away. Their eyes met for a moment before Nicholas looked away. He found the towel that Kimberly had thrown off and covered her chest again.

After that, Nicholas drove on. He didn't care that Kimberly was screaming like a whore. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and all his muscles were tense. He was sure someone had spiked Kimberly's drink. She was a completely different person now.

***

The scent of lavender filled the air, permeating the all-white room. Kimberly was still sleeping soundly even though the sun was getting hotter. She wasn't disturbed at all, even though the sound of running water from the bathroom indicated someone was taking a shower.

Her peaceful face held a wide smile, as if she was dreaming of something beautiful. There was a sense of relief that couldn't be explained.

The bathroom door opened, revealing a man wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist, showcasing his hard-packed abs. He glanced briefly at the woman and then sighed deeply.

He didn't linger as he turned and walked towards a room used to store his clothes and accessories. He stood there for a moment before deciding which suit to wear.

After making sure his appearance was perfect, the man walked out of his walk-in closet. He stopped when he saw the woman on his bed. He stared at her face with a very deep gaze and then turned and walked out of the room.

A few moments passed, and Kimberly finally woke up. Her eyes blinked a few times as the sunlight passed in front of her eyes. It was so blinding that it disturbed her seemingly deep sleep.

Kimberly stretched as she felt the cold air against her arm as the blanket that had been covering her slipped away. She pulled the blanket back up while opening her eyes slightly. But when she saw an unusual sight, her eyes opened wide.

Kimberly immediately sat up and looked around. She sighed with relief when she realized that she was in Nicholas's room. She was sure she was safe with her friend.

"Did I get drunk again?" Kimberly hit her head lightly, trying to remember what happened the night before. But only jumbled images flashed through her mind. The more time passed, the more tense Kimberly's face became as she remembered her recklessness the previous night.

"What did I do?" She covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Her heart raced as she realized her foolishness the night before. Kimberly remembered being like a whore, constantly flirting with Nicholas. She even remembered how brutally she had kissed her friend.

Kimberly shook her head. "It must just be a dream?" She said it with a look of disbelief. It was impossible for her to do that because she usually just slept when she was drunk. Kimberly dug back into her memory of what she had done to Nicholas the night before, and she felt very ashamed and guilty. Nicholas must have felt uncomfortable and awkward because she knew he was only interested in men.

"You must be crazy, Kim!" Kimberly slapped her forehead hard when she realized her stupidity. How could she flirt with Nicholas when she knew he was gay? Kimberly also tried to remember why she had acted that way. Her forehead furrowed as she realized something was wrong. "Someone must have put something in my drink?"

Kimberly swallowed hard. If she had been so aggressive towards Nicholas, could he have been tempted and they ended up having sex? Kimberly looked at her body. She swallowed hard again when she realized she had changed clothes. With trembling hands, Kimberly pulled back the blanket that was still covering the lower part of her body to really know what had happened to her the night before.

"Did we maybe... "

Kimberly's curiosity was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She then looked around for the source of the sound. It was her phone and the sound was coming from the drawer. Kimberly shifted her bottom to reach the nightstand drawer next to the bed.

Her forehead furrowed as she saw who was calling. "Clara?" Clara was Nicholas's secretary, and it was rare for her to call Kimberly. Usually, Nicholas would contact her directly about anything. It felt strange, but Kimberly still answered the call.

"Hello," Kimberly answered hesitantly.

"Miss Kim. I just wanted to let you know that representatives from Star Corp. will be arriving soon. You are expected to be at the office before they arrive." Kimberly's eyes widened at Clara's words. She pulled her phone away to check the time. Her eyes widened even further when she realized that she would be late for the presentation if she didn't hurry.

Kimberly jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. She temporarily forgot about what she had experienced the night before. She had to hurry and get ready to go to the office.

After showering, she went into Nicholas's walk-in closet. There were some of Kimberly's suits in there, as she was used to sleeping at the apartment. She ran out immediately, without even combing her hair.

When she arrived in the lobby, a taxi was waiting for her. She had already booked a ride-hailing taxi on her way down. As soon as the taxi took off, she immediately tidied her hair and put on some makeup. She couldn't give a presentation with a messy appearance.

Kimberly looked at her reflection in the mirror in her hand. "Perfect!" After that, she put the mirror back in her bag. After taking a deep breath, she looked outside.

In the midst of her empty thoughts, Kimberly remembered the previous night's events. She was sure her suspicions were correct. Someone had slipped something into her drink. She was absolutely sure because she never acted that way even when she was drunk. She seemed to move unconsciously, and she even harassed Nicholas.

"What a jerk!" Her hands clenched tightly, and all her muscles tensed. Anger surged instantly, fueling resentment in her heart. Suddenly, her clenched fists softened, replaced by a furrowed brow. She didn't feel anything in her private parts, as if nothing had happened. She had never had sex before, even with Harry, but she knew that the first time, a woman's private parts would hurt because her hymen would break.

"Maybe... " Kimberly exhaled in disappointment when she realized that she and Nicholas couldn't have had sex. "I should be happy, but why am I disappointed?"

About 30 minutes later, she was in the office lobby. Ignoring the employees who greeted her, she ran towards the elevator. She kept glancing at the watch on her wrist while trying to stay calm.

Kimberly arrived at her office and immediately opened her laptop. There were still ten minutes before the presentation started. Even though she had studied the material well, she always reread it before presenting.

As Kimberly was focused on what was in front of her, the door to her office opened. Clara entered, carrying some files in her hands. This naturally made Kimberly feel strange.

"Mr. Conner told me to accompany you."

"Where's Nicholas?" Kimberly was used to calling Nicholas by his first name because everyone knew they were friends.

"Mr. Conner is out of town on business, so he asked me to accompany you."

"Nicholas is out of town?" Kimberly reached for her phone to check if she had received any messages from Nicholas, but there were none. Nicholas always reported everything to her, especially if he was traveling out of town.

Kimberly remained silent for a moment, her face confused. But a clearing of Clara's throat brought her back to reality.

"They'll be here soon, Miss."

"Alright! I'll get ready." Kimberly closed her laptop. She grabbed a file from her desk and stood up.

The presentation went as usual this time. Everyone was impressed, and cooperation was established. However, that didn't make Kimberly feel any better, especially since Nicholas hadn't texted her yet.

Kimberly kept glancing at her phone to check her inbox. But there wasn't a single message from Nicholas. Only Harry had invited her to lunch. For some reason, Kimberly refused, saying she was in a meeting out of town.  She hadn't eaten since morning, and she didn't feel hungry at all this afternoon.

Strange! She loved to eat, especially when Nicholas brought food to her office.

Kimberly sighed deeply and then rested her head on the desk. Her work motivation suddenly vanished along with Nicholas, who hadn't given her any news. She was confused about how she missed Nicholas more than Harry.

After a while, like someone who was frustrated, Kimberly got up and went straight to the exit. She had to find out where Nicholas really was. Even though Clara had said that Nicholas was out of town, she couldn't believe it.

Nicholas kept ignoring her messages and calls, and that had never happened before. Kimberly was afraid that something bad had happened to her friend. Nicholas's office was one floor above hers, so she had to use the elevator to get there.

Kimberly hurried out when the elevator door opened. But just as she was about to step out, she saw Nicholas enter another elevator.

"Nick!" Kimberly called out loudly. She was sure Nicholas heard her call. But the man still got into the elevator, even though she was sure he had glanced at her.

Kimberly ran towards the other elevator, but it was too late. Nicholas was already inside, and the door had closed shut.

"What's wrong with him? Why is he avoiding me?"