Chapter 373

At the office, Natalia knew that Magnus had come looking for her. Her heart tangled in knots, uncertain of how to face him. Then, Hector volunteered to go downstairs to meet Magnus, and Natalia, in a flurry of panic, dashed to the surveillance room to spy on their encounter from behind the screens.

Though she couldn't hear their words, Natalia watched clear as day as Magnus’ fist swung out, knocking Hector to the ground.

Witnessing Magnus’ loss of control, Natalia felt her heart wrench painfully. For a fleeting moment, she saw the Magnus from six years ago, who was just as violent and prone to throwing punches at Cal whenever he lost his temper. Now, this scene was repeating itself with Hector as the target.

Natalia's anxiety spiked at the sight of Magnus, her heart filling with boundless disappointment. This time, she knew there was no going back to him.

Whether it was because of the vow she'd been forced to make or for Hector's sake, she had to choose a complete separation from Magnus.

She had no other choice.

“Magnus, even the deepest of affections can't withstand what we have experienced. You and I, we're destined to become strangers.”

As these thoughts coursed through her mind, Natalia suddenly felt a chill. She wrapped her arms around herself, knowing the cold stemmed from her profound disappointment in Magnus.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The urgent pounding at the door broke through Natalia's reverie. She shook off her daze, leaped from the sofa, and walked toward the door. Slowly, she opened it, "Who's there?"

But when Natalia saw Magnus standing outside, the casual smile on her face froze. "You?"

"Natalia."

There was Magnus, appearing so abruptly, his face sickly pale with an air of endless solitude and desolation. His reddened eyes were brimming with sorrowful tears. He stared at Natalia as if trying to etch her entire being into his memory, to take her with him.

A pang of heartache shot through Natalia. During the fashion show earlier, she had fled in haste, without a chance to truly see him. Now, looking at him, so gaunt and barely human, it seemed he could collapse at any moment. Indeed, he had passed out before her escape. It seemed he hadn't been taking care of himself over the past year.

Natalia silently observed the marked aging in Magnus’ features, a flicker of pity crossing her heart. She recalled the times he'd been poisoned, and all that he'd been through, feeling like waves crashing inside her.

Why would he torment himself like this? Without her, he could have started a new life!

Why couldn't he let things be and insist on confronting her, causing her such pain?

Facing the emaciated Magnus and his dark eyes filled with longing for her, Natalia suppressed the turmoil in her heart and said coldly, "Mr. Andersen, what are you doing here?"

"I..." Magnus struggled to speak, overwhelmed by Natalia's distant tone. He took a deep breath, mustering all his strength to resist the urge to pull her into his embrace. "Wifey..."

Before Magnus could continue, Natalia cut him off with a cold reminder, "Mr. Andersen, please don't call me that. I'm not your wife, and I would appreciate it if you didn't make that mistake again."

Magnus' frame shook visibly. He was clearly stung by Natalia's aloofness, but to prevent her from walking away, he quickly corrected himself, "Nat, I've come to take you home."

"Home? Mr. Andersen, this is my home," Natalia said, closing her eyes. If she continued to lock gazes with Magnus, she wasn't sure she could trust herself to remain resolute.

"But Nat, Melfort is your home. I've been searching for you, hoping you'd come back with me. And Jonas, he..." Magnus pleaded humbly.

He had hoped to sway Natalia with talk of Jonas, but before he could finish, Hector appeared in his bathrobe, freshly out of the shower. His hair was still damp. He greeted Magnus with a smile, "Ah, Mr. Andersen, what a rare visit in the dead of night. Won't you come in for a bit?"

Hector was there, and especially just out of the bathroom; Magnus felt as if he'd been struck. "Why are you here?"

They had indeed tracked down Natalia's address but had no idea that this apartment was where Natalia and Hector had lived together.

Hector knew Magnus had misunderstood but was too lazy to clarify the situation. Instead, he casually draped his arm over Natalia's shoulder. "What's wrong? Can't I live here?"

With that, Hector pulled Natalia closer, mimicking an embrace. "Magnus, not everyone is as unappreciative as you. I love Natalia, and I cherish every moment I spend with her."

Though Natalia felt a bit awkward being pulled in by Hector, she decided to play along to send Magnus away and didn't push Hector off.

Watching the embraced couple, Magnus felt his world crumble. In a swift motion, he reached out and grabbed Natalia's arm, shaking his head in desperation. "Natalia, this can't be. You couldn't possibly love Hector. You can’t be with him! You're meant to be mine this lifetime. How could you marry him!"

The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

Chapter 372 Forgive Us, My Dear Sister Chatper 494 Flirting With My Ex-husband Chapter 1463 When he'd heard Hector was her fiancé, Magnus hadn't quite believed it. But seeing them living together was suffocatingly painful. This wasn't what he wanted to see.

As Magnus’ face turned a ghastly white, a twinge of sympathy crossed Natalia's heart. Thinking about how Magnus was still so darn stubborn, Natalia shook her head with conviction, "Mr. Andersen, we're over. Who I'm with now is my choice, and it's got nothing to do with you."

Her words struck Magnus like a knife to the heart, leaving him riddled with wounds, and bleeding inwardly without end.

Magnus took a deep breath, struggling to contain the agony clawing at his chest. His face was pale as he pleaded, "My dear, how can you deny what we had? I love you, I've always loved you deeply, and I've been waiting for you to come back! And what about Jonas? I know that vow you took with Belle has been keeping you from coming home, but my dear, I'm the one who came to you. Jonas can't grow up without his mom!"

It was rare for Natalia to see Magnus in such a state of sorrow, and she knew his heart must’ve been breaking.

But still... It felt like someone had ripped a piece out of Natalia's heart, and the pain was nearly bringing her to her knees. It was all too late. They could never go back.

"Mr. Andersen, my dear cousin, can you please stop being so childish? Natalia is my fiancée now, and she's got nothing to do with you. Grow up, will you? Stop hounding us. Do we really have to come to blows before you get the message?" Hector said calmly, his gaze steadily on Magnus. He patted Natalia's shoulder subtly, signaling her to stay strong.