"Nick, I'm very sure that Briana is really cheating."
Nicholas looked up, a look of surprise clearly evident on his handsome face. But he still tried to remain calm in response to his friend's statement.
"What nonsense is this, Ken? Did you see it yourself?"
Kenzi shook his head slowly. It wasn't him who witnessed the incident directly.
"But I can prove what I just said."
Seconds later, Kenzi handed over his phone, intending to show something to Nicholas. Something that made him truly breathless.
Clear in Nicholas's eyes, a photo of a man and a woman passionately kissing. Unfortunately, he recognized the woman as Briana, and the man as her lover's manager.
"Briana clearly betrayed you, Nick. Are you sure you still want to marry her?" Kenzi asked to confirm.
Nicholas grumbled in frustration, trying to deny all the information his friend had provided. So, in order to prove everything Kenzi was saying, Nicholas, who was on a business trip to Amsterdam, decided to return to London immediately.
****
Nicholas Alistair was indeed in a serious relationship with Briana Roland, who worked as a famous model. They were even engaged and were about to get married in a few weeks.
Upon arriving at London Heathrow International Airport, Nicholas immediately accelerated his car at an above-average speed, cutting through the streets of London towards an upscale apartment in the city center.
When he arrived, Nicholas, in a hurry, made his way to the apartment unit Briana had been occupying. Placing his finger on the key sensor, the apartment door finally opened.
Nicholas was a bit confused when he found the entire room in darkness, with only the light in Briana's room still shining.
"Oh, God... I love the way you satisfy me, Honey. You've never once disappointed me."
"I can even give you more than this."
From Briana's room, Nicholas faintly heard the sounds of a woman and a man moaning and whispering to each other. Filled with curiosity, Nicholas opened the bedroom door, which, to his surprise, was not locked from the inside. He was shocked beyond belief when he found his fiancée intimately entangled with another man, completely unclothed.
Realizing Nicholas's presence, Briana, still panting heavily, tried to speak. "Oh my God, Nick, wh-what are you doing here?" Briana widened her eyes in astonishment, pulling the sheets to cover her bare body.
"What am I doing? I should be the one asking, what are you doing with that man?" Nicholas shot a piercing look at the man beside Briana.
"M-me?" Briana pointed at herself. "Of course, I'm just having some fun," she replied casually.
Nicholas chose to remain silent in his position, trying to contain the emotions that were about to explode. Even the glint in his eyes and his clenched jaw indicated that he was ready to pounce on anyone, regardless of who it was.
"I can't believe you've done this behind my back. You've truly betrayed me," Nicholas shook his head in disbelief. "I think we don't need to continue this engagement anymore. It's all clear to me now," he continued.
Rather than being anxious, Briana seemed calm, as if she had been prepared for this moment to come. "Actually, I wanted to call off our engagement a long time ago. Besides, I don't really love you, Nick. You're too busy with your work. Even during our relationship, you never once wanted to touch me," Briana retorted.
Nicholas grumbled in frustration at what he had just heard. He couldn't believe he had been in love with the wrong woman all this time.
"You think I didn't want to touch you? I just wanted to protect you, make sure my ego didn't take away your dignity. And you see that as a mistake?" Nicholas genuinely couldn't understand Briana's way of thinking.
Meanwhile, Briana herself burst into laughter upon hearing Nicholas's words.
"You're too naive, Nicholas Alistair. I'm a modern woman who also needs warmth from a partner. And you? You've acted like an old-fashioned man all along. Not to mention, you're so busy with your job that you never gave me any extra attention. I'm tired of all your antics."
Nicholas nodded in understanding and then smirked sharply at Briana.
"Alright, I'll go along with your wishes. From now on, let's end this engagement. Never show up in front of me again."
"Do you think I'll regret it? Of course not, Nick. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Briana approached her cheating partner, leaned in, and deliberately planted a kiss on him as if she didn't care about Nicholas's disgusted gaze.
"What are you still doing here?" Briana asked after breaking the kiss. "Just so you know, you're interrupting my lovemaking time, Nick. We have no relationship anymore, so you better leave right now," Briana openly dismissed him.
Nicholas turned around immediately. Without uttering a word, he left the apartment, leaving Briana behind with a million pieces of heartache gnawing at his soul.
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