Nichs nced momentarily at the cellphone screen in front of him, allowing the device to keep ringing, forcing himself to answer it soon. It wasn’t due to hesitation, but rather to gather his courage. He was certain that something would happen after picking up that call, as it always seemed to be the case.


    Taking a slow breath, Nichs assured himself and swiped the green symbol on the cellphone screen to begin speaking.


    “Hello…”


    “It’s been a long time, Mama hasn’t heard from you, Nick. Are you too busy over there?” There was a hint of annoyance in each word.


    Nichs took a deep breath first, then replied, “Ma, how are you? I’m sorry if I’ve been too busytely to contact you.”


    “It’s okay, honey. I’ve been better. So, how about you? Have you found a prospective wife over there?”


    Nichs fell silent for a moment, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. After some thought, he chose the right answer to avoid his mother dwelling on the subject of a potential wife or marriage as usual.


    “Ma, I’m here working, and I haven’t had the time to think about that.”


    A frustrated sigh was heard from the other side.


    “So, how long do you expect me to wait? Until I’m no longer young, Nick? Do you want to get married after I’m gone? Is that what you want?”


    “Ma, it’s not like that. I just haven’t thought about taking the next step yet. I’m only thirty years old, after all.”


    There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a long sigh and words.


    “Alright, it seems I need to be firm with you. Now, you choose: do you want Mama to find a prospect for you, or do you want to find one yourself? Although I’m not sure, considering your previous choices have been disappointing.”


    “Ma, can we not discuss arranged marriages or partners this time?” Nichs pleaded.


    “I’ve waited too long, Nichs Alistair,” the woman said.


    “I will get married, Ma. Just not right now,” Nichs replied.


    “There’s no ter,’ Nick! Just so you know, at the end of the month, I will apany your father to Indonesia. When I arrive there, I expect you to have at least a girlfriend. If not, don’t be surprised if I suddenly arrange an engagement with a woman of my choice!”


    “Ma!” Nichs eximed on the phone.


    “Sorry, this time I won’t ept objections! Good luck finding a girlfriend, my dear. Your deadline is two weeks from now.”


    The call was abruptly terminated by the woman on the other end. It was Cassandra Dno, none other than Nichs’s biological mother.


    Cassandra was known for her strong-willed nature. While most billionaire wives spent their time and money socializing with their high-society friends, she was different. Instead of discussing designer bags and luxury items, she had spent nearly half her life collecting and assisting street children. Many of them were adopted and given an education, with hundreds benefiting from her support to this day.


    But what was her attitude towards her own children?


    In the past, when Nichs decided to pursue a rtionship and marry Briana, the middle-aged woman had initially refused. Her motherly intuition told her that Briana didn’t truly love Nichs. Her intuition proved right when, just a week before the wedding, Briana was caught having an affair with another man.


    Cassandra had made numerous efforts to help her son recover quickly. She introduced him to almost all the eligible daughters of her friends, but none of them captured his heart. She was at a loss about what more she could do to help Nichs move on and get married.


    Nichs rubbed his frustrated face. Finding a girlfriend within two weeks? Seriously, Ma?


    ***


    Certainly, here’s the provided text tranted into American English with correct grammar:


    “Edward had now seen Nichs massage his forehead more than twice. From his facial expression, it was evident that he was contemting something heavy. But he was quite certain it wasn’t a work-rted issue. As far as he knew, there were no major problems currently affecting thepany.


    Feeling very curious, Edward feltpelled to ask, “Is there a significant issue bothering you?”


    Nichs took a deep breath. Adjusting his sitting position to be more upright, he leaned both of his hands on the sides of the chair he was upying.


    “If you were set up on a blind date, what would you do, Ed?”


    Instead of answering, Edward burst intoughter upon hearing Nichs’s words. Heughed for quite some time, which irritated Nichs a little.


    “Are Aunty Cassandra and Uncle Robert nning to set you up?” Edward asked, sounding mocking.


    Nichs stared sharply at Edward. He thought it might have been a big mistake to ask this friend of his. Edward was never serious on any asion, which was quite different from Kenzi.


    Feeling that Nichs was giving him an intimidating look, Edward adjusted his sitting position and replied, “Alright, don’t be angry. I’ll answer your question seriously. If I were in your position right now, I would definitely not want to be set up. Instead of being chosen, I’d rather choose my own partner, Nick.”


    Nichs nodded, seemingly agreeing with Edward. “So, if you were given two weeks to find a partner, what would you do?”


    “What kind of question is this, Nick? It’s obvious I’d start looking right away. Sitting idle won’t help at all.”


    Nichs was momentarily stunned. “But where would I find a partner in such a short time?”


    “Nick, I don’t know if you’re being serious with these questions or joking. But if I were you, I wouldn’t bother looking for women out there. I’ve told you countless times that your secretary has qualities that no one else possesses. How do I prove it to you? Do I need to try being her lover first?”


    Nichs grumbled in frustration. “Don’t be foolish, Ed!”


    “If you’re still adamant, then just ept the matchmaking. Let yourself experience it.”Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    “But Kenzi has been genuinely happy after being matched with Alma.”


    Edwardughed. “Are you being naive or pretending to be? Kenzi and Alma are clearly different cases. They’ve liked each other since childhood.”


    “So, what should I do?” Nichs asked, growing frustrated.


    “If you really don’t want to have a rtionship with Kimberly, you can look for a woman out there who fits your criteria. Once you find her, make her your girlfriend. Problem finished.” Edward reached for the coffee in front of him and sipped it until it was empty.


    Nichs looked at Edward puzzled. “Execution in the field isn’t as easy as your words, Ed!”


    Edward shrugged andughed. “The choice is yours, Nick. The decision is all in your hands. Choose Kimberly or another woman. If you end up getting married, I promise to give you a honeymoon gift.”


    Nichs furrowed his brow. “Oh yeah? You’re too kind.”


    “Of course, I am your best friend. That’s why if you happen to marry a woman in the near future, I’ll give you a gift of traveling around the world for a full month,” Edward bragged.


    “Are you crazy, a month-long vacation? I have to work. There’s no way I can honeymoon for a whole month,” responded Nichs.


    Edward stood up from his seated position and prepared to leave the room. Before he left, he answered Nichs’s question once more, “Come on, Nick, everywhere a honeymoonsts a month, right? If it’s just a week, it’s called a week-long honeymoon.”


    Nichs’s patience had worn thin today. Not wanting to prolong the conversation, he ordered Edward to leave his office immediately.