Chapter 5 5. Exclusive Dinner

It was already six o'clock in the afternoon, but Nicholas still seemed to be busy struggling with the rest of the documents on his desk. A little hesitant, Kimberly stepped in after knocking on the door of her new boss's office.

"Mr. Nicholas, I have finished all the paperwork and agenda for today. Is there anything else I need to do? If not, I'll take my leave."

Nicholas averted his gaze. "Please bring me a cup of coffee first, then you can go home."

Kimberly nodded, then walked to the pantry to brew coffee and then served it at Nicholas's desk.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go home. Mister should also hurry home, won't there be an invitation to dinner at the Marigold Hotel at eight o'clock?" Komberly tried to remind.

Nicholas patted his forehead. He almost forgot that tonight he had a dinner invitation from one of his company partners.

"Then you hurry home and change clothes. Later, my driver will pick you up. Then we'll go together to dinner."

"Go with me?" asked Kimberly to be certain.

"No, with Taylor Swift!"

"Huh? So, Mr. Nicholas is friends with Taylor Swift?" Nicholas exhaled. The behavior of Kimberly almost frustrated him, who did not understand or pretended to be stupid with the orders he gave. "Kimberly!" Nicholas raised his voice.

"Y-yes, fine Sir."

Arrived at home, Kimberly looks worried about choosing what costumes to put on for the ceremony soon. Keep in mind, this is a business dinner, of course. There are many great people there, and it's Kimberly's first experience going to an exclusive event.

It's been over fifteen minutes since he flipped through the gowns hanging in the closet. She was still worried about what clothes he should wear until she selected a long short-sleeved silver dress with glitter accents and a slit above the thigh. Flawless considering, Kimberly has a tall posture and perfect legs. Applying not too thick make-up, then, Kimberly selected to let her auburn brown hair flow to her shoulders. Just as Kimberly finished her make-up ritual, there was a knock on the bedroom door from her friends, who informed her that someone was awaiting to take her up. Kimberly grabbed the clutch and the most expensive heels she had. For your information, the Heels shoes with the Jimmy Choo brand, which are priced at eight houndred dollars, can be got by Kimberly at half the price because of her persistence in participating in the midnight sale of a marketplace that was holding a massive discount some time ago. Kimherly is not the type of glamorous woman who likes to spend money hunting for branded goods. It's just that Keyra and her friends provoked that Kimberly should also pay attention to her appearance.

She put on his heels, rushing, and then went to the car that was parked in front of her home. There, Randy, Nicholas's driver, was already waiting for him.

"I thought the boss was getting with you, Ran?" Kimberly asked after sitting her body in the passenger seat right next to Randy.

Randy grimaced. "How could Mr. Nicholas go to the trouble of getting to pick you up. Don't feel like a princess." Randy teased as he drove the car to pick up Nicholas, who was awaiting at the office.

Kimberly looked annoyed at Randy's taunt, but what she said was true. It is unlikely that Nicholas, who is a CEO, would even bother to take up an ordinary employee like him. They arrived at the lobby of the AlpaBeta Corporations building. There, Nicholas was already seen talking on his phone. There was silence in the venue. Nicholas himself was busy with the cell phone he was holding.

Meanwhile, Kimberly glanced at her boss from behind the rearview mirror that hung above the dashboard. The man was wearing a navy-blue tuxedo, complete with a bow tie that wrapped around his neck. Kimherly was still gazing at Nicholas's face from behind the rearview mirror, admiring the man who had been the target of girls in his office. Kimberly continued to watch until the man saw at the same glass. Of course, their views met each other. Kimberly glanced out the window, embarrassed that Nicholas had caught her.

Not long after, Kimberly and Nicholas landed at the Marigold Hotel, where the ceremony was being held. Nicholas got out of the car first, followed by Kimberly, who trailed behind him. Entering the Ballroom of the Marigold Hotel, Kimberly looked around the room. It impressed her with the event he was attending today. How could I not? All business executives from various companies saw to be present and gathered there? Kimberly also noticed that several pairs of eyes, especially women, showed to be watching Nicholas, who mingled with the other guests. AlpaBeta itself, under Jacob's leadership, grew into a property group that includes satellite towns, elite housing, condominiums, shopping centers, and luxury apartments. After Jacob's move to London, the company has spread its wings even further into the manufacture of convention halls and indoor-outdoor gaming arenas, and Nicholas is the actor behind it all now.

"Mr. Nicholas, an honor to have you here tonight." Welcome, Mr. Park Seo Joon, an intermediate-aged Korean man who is none other than the owner of Namsan Group and the organizer of tonight's event.

Nicholas smiled at Mr. Seo. "I am honored to be invited by a great person like you."

Mr.Seo smiled as he took a sip of the wine in his hand. "Is this your wife?" Mr. Seo's gaze shifted. He gave Kimberly a warm smile, who was standing right beside Nicholas.

Nicholas laughed again. "She's my partner, sir."

Mr. Seo nodded. "You guys look great tonight, your partner is gorgeous."

Kimberly's face turned red. She just didn't expect that the owner of this event would recognize her, the spouse of the bitter man beside her. Did she look so beautiful tonight that other people even considered her the spouse of a CEO of AlpaBeta Corporations?

"Thank you," Nicholas replied.

"Please enjoy the party, I will greet the other guests."

After Mr. Seo's move, Nicholas averted his gaze, he seemed to be paying attention to Kimberly's appearance and then greeted his head as if hes was assessing something. "You look pretty good tonight, to where even middle-aged men are interested in seeing you."

Kimberly smiled. "Yes though your words sound so ambiguous, I believe it a compliment, Sir."

Nicholas chuckled until he shrugged his shoulders at what his assistant said.

"Hmmm ... fine." then Nicholas again continued to walk around to the other guests, while Kimberly followed where Nicholas was going.

Wearing ten-centimeter heels for almost two hours was not a great choice for Kimberly. The proof is now he is feeling uncomfortable and finds a seat, leaving Nicholas, who is still busy chatting with other colleagues. Kimberly seemed to sigh in her sitting position. Glancing at the clock that was wrapped around his wrist, it was already eleven o'clock in the evening. Kimberly took a deep breath. She felt tired now. He thought that joining Nicholas at a big and exclusive event like this could provide an interesting experience, as he often watches Netflix Series. Had occasion to think or at the dinner this moment he could meet a rich and handsome business executive who might ask him out on a date in the future.

"I told you it indeed destined us, Kimberly Ryder." a baritone voice interrupted Kimberly's thoughts. With a lazy face, Kimberly answered the greeting of the man standing in front of her.

"Don't be too confident, Marco!"

Marco put on a mocking look. "Remember, we're not done yet!"

"We have nothing to do anymore, so stop bothering me. Aren't you tired of making trouble with me all the time?"

Marco shook his head. "Don't think me to hold before you come back. Am I not being sympathetic enough not to bring you to your Grandpa?"

"Who do you mean, being sympathetic?" Nicholas appeared on the sidelines of the feud between Kimbery and Marco.

Marco smiled at Nicholas. "You don't require having the business between the two of us, Mr. Alistair!" "Oh yeah? But I'm sorry you're disturbing my girl tonight, so I may interfere, regardless of what Kimberly is!"

Kimberly was surprised to hear Nicholas's words. She didn't suppose Nicholas say such a thing to Marco, who he didn't realize. Not much different from Kimberly, Marco also felt the same way when he saw Nicholas talking a lot more, unlike their previous meeting at the restaurant the other day when Nicholas was silent and just watching.

Marco was stunned for a moment, but adjusted his expression to normal. He just didn't want to hear Nicholas take advantage of his surprise. "So you are now acting as his guardian angel?" Marco pouted as he glared at Nicholas.

"I can be more than just a guardian angel, you think. And I don't think you require talking to my girl anymore!"

Nicholas grabbed Natalia's wrist, leading her away from the Ballroom to the hotel lobby.

"Thank you, Mr. Nicholas," Kimberly said as she and Nicholas were waiting for the car in the hotel lobby.

Nicholas stared at Kimherly for a moment, then turned his gaze back. "No demand to praise me, and you don't require being overconfident, anyway. I just don't like seeing women being abused by a man."

Kimberly nodded. She was too tired to argue with her boss.