Chapter 136
The Imposter Bride
Magnus stared into the void in his arms, a knot of frustration and unease formed in his chest. He had taken care of her throughout the night, yet she remained icy towards him.
He got up and dressed, then he headed straight to work, certain that his wife would come around eventually In the presidentâs office at Andersen Corporation, Magnus stood by the floorâtoâceiling window, watching the sunrise. A sense of unspeakable fatigue washed over him. Natalia hadnât sent him a single text or called him the entire day. His wife was truly upset Natalia, freshly showered and dressed, walked down the stairs Not seeing Magnus, she knew he mustâve gone to work. She grabbed a quick bite and headed out Instead of going to see Lexi, she went to the seaside alone. As she gazed at the vast blue ocean, she gently closed her eyes.
She sat on a rock, staying there until sunset before slowly making her way home When she checked her phone, she let out a bitter laugh. Nice. Not a single call from him in a whole day. It finally hit her, perhaps a lot of things were never really hers to begin with At the Golden Groove, Chase and James watched as Magnus downed one drink after another. They didnât dare to intervene âMagnus, did you have a fight with Natalia? You better not or I might just steal her away,â James, always the optimist, joked.
âBuzz off Magnus glanced at his phone. His wife hadnât called or even texted high all day.
He chuckled She was genuinely upset. Even though he had explained there was nothing between him and Isabella, she remained angry and unforgiving. He had taken care of her all night, and yet she was ungrateful. Why couldnât she understand him, and trust that he love her?
The dimly lit bar made Magnus dizzy. He couldnât stand the noise. Just as he was about to leave, a girl walked towards him. He mistook her for Natalia and approached her joyfully. âNat, did you come looking for me?â
âMagnus, youâve got the wrong person. Iâm Isabella â Isabella stood there, staring wideâeyed at the slightly drunk man in front of her Isabella, what are you doing here?â He quickly withdrew his hand, furrowing his brow âMagnus, I came here with some friends and saw you. Youâre drunk.â Isabella voiced her concern.
âUm not drunk. I m fine. Go back to your friends, Iâm leavingâ Magnus turned to leave the bar Chase and James walked over, looking coldly at Isabella 1sabella, Magnus is a married man. Donât cause him any more trouble,â Chase warned.
Isabella flashed a charming smile âChase, Magnus and I have been friends for years. Iâm not causing him any trouble.â
Her smile was captivating, but there was no warmth in Chaseâs cold gaze âI hope so.â With that, he strode off after Magnus An hour ago, Kendra found Isabella. This woman was constantly monitoring Magnus and Natalia, looking for opportunities to cause them unbearable distress She sought to create various situations to break them apart because she didnât want Natalia to be happy âIsabella, let me tell you some good news That despicable Natalia just had a fight with Magnus. This woman really canât appreciate kindness and only invites trouble on herself. Sheâs making Magnus very angry. What more does she want? Sheâs always causing trouble with Magnus. I think he is almost at his limit She really doesnât know how to appreciate⦠Kendra rambled on with a wide grin.
Isabella smiled and listened without speaking.
âKendra, have some water. Isabella handed a glass of water to Kendra Unexpectedly, but within Isabellaâs expectations, the water spilled on Kendras skirt âOh no, what a mess. It was my fault. I donât have any spare clothes for you to change into here Isabella appeared apologetic, but inside, she was quite pleased Kendra, who was quite oblivious, didnât pick up on this. âItâs okay, Isabella. Iâll go home and change. Iâll come find you later, my house is not far anyway. âIâm sorry, I have to work overtime later, so I might not be able to go with you. Letâs make plans for another day.â
âOkay isabella would never genuinely be friends with someone like Kendra. She was only using her to gather information about Magnus, and surprisingly. Kendra always provided valuable information Isabella just couldnât stand her Deliberately splashing water on Kendra was a way to make her leave She didnât want to spend another second with her Upon hearing the news isabella immediately took leave from the company, went home to change into a different outfit, applied exquisite makeup, and warted at the entrance of the Andersen Corporation.
When she saw Magnus coming out, looking deeply concerned, she smiled She followed Magnus into the Golden Groove Isabella just wanted to intentionally create a chance encounter with Magnus She didnât believe that by frequently appearing in front of him, he wouldnât take notice Isabella watched the retreating figure of Magnus, a sly smile curling her lips. He was her man, and she was determined to win him back.
Magnus returned straight home from the Golden Groove It was late when he pushed open the bedroom door. The room was pitch dark. When he turned on the light, he saw the bed neatly made She wasnât home again.
A surge of anger welled up inside Magnus. He stormed out of the room, convinced that she was playing a disappearing act again.
Just as he was about to grab his phone, he noticed a light in the study. He was slightly taken back Walking over, he pushed open the door.
Under the dim light, a girl was asleep on the desk. Her sketchpad was filled with her doodles â
mountains and a single flower growing out of a rock crevice Magnus quietly approached, looking at the painting on the easel. A sudden pang of pain stabbed his heart. In radiant mountains, life sprouted in the most unlikely places.
Was she in such despair because she had lost faith in everything, or because she had lost trust in him?
He set down the sketchpad and gently picked up Natalia She had lost weight, and she felt so light in his arms She was not happy. He looked down at the restless girl nestled in his arms, her face pale He gently placed her on the bed, tucking her in comfortably before grabbing his pajamas and heading into the bathroom. After a moment, he returned wearing a bathrobe, lifting the covers to snuggle her lean frame tightly against his âDarling beleve me. I love youâ
He closed his eyes, basking in the warmth of the woman in his arms. Natalia remained asleep, finding a comfortable spot against him, her slumber peaceful By the time Natalia woke up the next morning, Magnus was nowhere to be seen on the bed. She remembered falling asleep in the study, so how did she end up in bed?
It must have been Magnus who carried her to bed. It must have been him After freshening up. Natalia went downstairs where May greeted her with a smile. âMadam, Mr. Magnus ordered this soup to be made for you. He said youâve lost weight recently and this should help you regain your strength âIâm fine. May The cold from a few days ago is already goneâ She sat at the table as May served her a bowl of soup As she slowly savored her soup, a servant entered the room âMs. Natalia, Mr. Morgan has arrived.â
Natalia was slightly taken aback. Mr. Morgan? She immediately stood up as she saw Morgan already in the entrance hall of the villa Natalia walked over, âMr. Morgan, how are you doing?â