5. Dinner

The time showed 6:00 PM, but Nicholas still appeared busy with the remaining documents on his desk. Kimberly hesitated as she entered after knocking on her new boss's office door.

"Mr. Nicholas, I've completed all the documents and tasks for today. Is there anything else I should do? If not, I'd like to go home."

Nicholas shifted his gaze.

"Please make me a cup of coffee first, then you can leave."

Kimberly nodded and walked to the pantry to brew coffee, serving it promptly on Nicholas's desk.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave, Mr. Please, you should head home soon as well. Isn't there a dinner invitation at Marigold Hotel later at 8:00 PM?" Kimberly reminded.

Nicholas gently tapped his forehead. He almost forgot about the dinner invitation from one of the company's associates.

"In that case, you should go home and change. My driver will pick you up. We'll go to the dinner together."

"Go with me?" Kimberly asked for confirmation.

"Not with Taylor Swift!" Nicholas teased.

"Huh? So, Mr. Nicholas is friends with Taylor Swift?"

Nicholas sighed heavily. He was getting frustrated with Kimberly's behavior, unsure whether she genuinely didn't understand or was pretending to be clueless about his instructions.

"Kimberly!" Nicholas raised his voice.

"Yes, Mr., I mean, okay."

At her rented apartment,

Kimberly was puzzled about what to wear to the event. She remembered that this was a business dinner, and many important people would be present. It was also her first time attending such an exclusive event.

For over fifteen minutes, she had been going back and forth in her neatly organized wardrobe. She was unsure about her outfit choice, but eventually settled on a short-sleeved silver dress with glitter accents and a thigh-high slit. It was a perfect choice for Kimberly, given her tall and long-legged stature.

She applied makeup, not too heavy, and left her auburn-brown hair to fall freely on her shoulders.

Just as Kimberly finished her makeup ritual, she heard a knock on her bedroom door from one of her fellow boarders, informing her that someone was waiting to pick her up.

Quickly, Kimberly grabbed her clutch and her most expensive pair of Jimmy Choo heels. She wasn't the type to splurge on branded items, but she had scored a great deal on these shoes during a recent online marketplace's midnight sale.

Keyra, her friend, had encouraged her to pay attention to her appearance from time to time, although Kimberly wasn't the type to spend extravagantly on glamorous items.

Wearing her heels, Kimberly hurriedly made her way to the car parked perfectly in front of her apartment. Randy, Nicholas's personal driver, was waiting for her.

"I thought the boss would be joining you, Ran?" Kimberly asked after settling into the passenger seat next to Randy.

Randy grinned. "There's no way Mr. Nicholas would bother to pick you up himself. Don't act like a princess."

Kimberly sighed in frustration, hearing Randy's teasing, but she knew he was right. It was highly unlikely that the CEO of Alpha Beta Corporations would personally pick up an ordinary employee like her.

They eventually arrived at the Marigold Hotel's lobby, where the event was being held. Nicholas exited the car first, followed by Kimberly, who walked behind him.

Entering the Marigold Hotel's ballroom, Kimberly scanned the room, clearly impressed with the event she was attending. All the business leaders from various companies seemed to be present and mingling. She also noticed that several pairs of eyes, especially those of women, were focused on Nicholas as he began interacting with other guests.

Under Kenzi's leadership, Alpha Beta had grown into a prominent property company, expanding into satellite towns, elite housing, condominiums, shopping centers, and luxury apartments. Since Kenzi's departure, the company had continued to expand, branching into convention hall and indoor-outdoor gaming arenas, with Nicholas at the helm.

"Welcome, Mr. Nicholas, I am honored by your presence tonight," Mr. Park Yeo Joon, a middle-aged Korean man and the owner of Namsan Group, as well as the event's organizer, greeted Nicholas.

Nicholas smiled at Mr. Yeo. "I'm the one who feels honored to be invited by someone as distinguished as you."

Mr. Yeo smiled as he sipped his wine.

"Is this your wife?" Mr. Yeo's gaze shifted, and he even threw a warm smile toward Kimberly, who was standing right beside Nicholas.

Nicholas smiled again. "She's my partner, Sir."

Mr. Yeo nodded. "You two look lovely tonight. Your girlfriend is indeed beautiful."

Kimberly's face turned red. She hadn't expected the event's host to mistake her for Nicholas's wife. Was she really looking that beautiful tonight that people assumed she was the wife of the CEO of Alpha Beta Corporations?

"Thank you," Nicholas replied politely.

"Please enjoy the party; I'll go greet other guests," Mr. Yeo said before leaving.

After Mr. Yeo departed, Nicholas shifted his gaze and seemed to be carefully evaluating Kimberly's appearance. Occasionally, he nodded, as if assessing something.

"Your appearance is quite impressive tonight. Even middle-aged men are interested in you," he commented.

Kimberly smiled weakly. "Well, even though your words sound ambiguous, I'll take it as a compliment, Mr."

Nicholas chuckled, and involuntarily, his shoulders rose dramatically in response to what his secretary had said.

"Alright," he said before resuming his rounds to greet other guests. Kimberly followed him wherever he went.

Wearing ten-centimeter heels for nearly two hours had proven to be a poor choice for Kimberly. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable and chose to find a seat, leaving Nicholas engaged in conversation with his colleagues.

As time passed, the event grew increasingly tedious for Kimberly. She sighed softly in her seated position, glancing at the beautiful clock on her wrist, which showed that it was already 11:00 PM.

What time does this ice-cold man plan to go home? Doesn't he realize how tired I am? I might even miss tonight's Korean drama episode.

Kimberly took a deep breath, feeling utterly fatigued. She had thought that attending such a grand and exclusive event with Nicholas would be an exciting experience, similar to what she had seen in Korean dramas. She had briefly hoped that she might meet a wealthy and handsome businessman who would ask her out for a date someday.

"I told you, Kimberly Rayder, we're meant to be," a baritone voice interrupted her thoughts.

With a weary expression, Kimberly responded to the man standing in front of her.

"Don't be too confident, Mario Aditama."

Mario sneered. "Remember, our business isn't finished yet."

"We have no business left to discuss, so stop bothering me. Aren't you tired of causing problems for me?"

Mario shook his head. "Don't expect me to stop until you return. Have I not been kind enough not to take you straight to Grandpa Arthur?"

"Who do you mean by 'being kind'?"

Suddenly, Nicholas appeared amid the confrontation between Kimberly and Mario.

Mario gave Nicholas a cold smile. "You don't need to know the details of our conversation, Mr. Delano."

"Oh, really? But I'm sorry; you're bothering my woman tonight, so I have every right to interfere in anything concerning Kimberly!"

Kimberly was taken aback by Nicholas's words. She never expected the Ice King to speak so warmly to Mario, especially considering they were practically strangers. Similarly, Mario felt a stark difference from their previous encounter at a restaurant where Nicholas had remained mostly silent, observing.

Mario hesitated for a moment but quickly composed himself, maintaining a neutral expression. He didn't want to show Nicholas that he was taken aback.

"So now you're playing the role of her guardian angel?" Mario retorted, glaring at Nicholas.

"I could even be more than just a guardian angel, you know. And I believe there's nothing more to discuss regarding Kimberly!" Nicholas pulled Kimberly's wrist, leading her away from the Ballroom toward the hotel lobby.

"Thank you, Mr. Nicholas," Kimberly said as they waited for the car in the hotel lobby.

Nicholas glanced at Kimberly for a moment before looking away.

"No need to thank me. You shouldn't be too confident. I just don't like seeing women being mistreated by men."

Kimberly nodded repeatedly.

"I guess having a boss as annoying as you is a curse!"

She pouted and muttered in annoyance.

"Just wait, Ice King."

***

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