The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

Chapter 348

Natalia was transfixed by the news reports. Her mind felt as though it had been struck by lightning. She

stood there, dumbfounded. She didn't understand what the newscaster was saying, but the phrase

“close to engagement” kept echoing in her head, a haunting refrain that perturbed Natalia's spirit.

So, Magnus was about to marry William's sister? Although Natalia rarely visited the company, she

knew her designs had been claimed by a girl named Diana.

Magnus truly believed that Diana designed Mangolia, and would marry the designer without question!

And she thought Magnus had rushed to Rome because he was familiar with her designs. How wrong

she was, huh!

In the photos, Diana had a radiant smile, smooth skin, and a charming demeanor. She was indeed a

stunning beauty. However, why did Natalia feel like a part of her had been torn apart upon hearing this

news? It was so painful she could hardly bear it.

She had been away from him for a year now, and she couldn't return to his side. It was only normal for

him to accept other women. So why did she feel like she couldn’t go on living?

"What are you up to?" Hector walked in briskly with a newspaper in his hand.

Natalia tried to hide her dejected mood and managed to muster a small smile. "Oh, nothing. How come

you're home so early today?"

Hector handed her the newspaper. A flicker of worry passed through his eyes. "I saw everyone in the

square scrambling for newspapers, and when I saw the news about Magnus, I brought it back for you

to see."

Natalia's heart skipped a beat. She had a good idea of what the newspaper would say.

She looked down at the thin sheet of paper. On the front page, a large headline boldly declared,

[Congratulations on Stitches Fashion's imminent merger with Andersen Corporation, introducing the

Mangolia brand to the oversea market.] Beneath it was a sea of tiny print detailing the business news

of Magnus' Andersen Corporation and Stitches Fashion's upcoming collaboration.

Below this news, in smaller italic print, was a feature story. It vividly described Diana, Stitches Fashion's

chief designer, winning Magnus' heart and taking full charge of promoting the Mangolia brand.

Worse, the tabloid used suggestive language to sensationalize Magnus and Diana's relationship. It

portrayed them as a perfect couple and praised this as a highly suitable business marriage, hinting that

Diana would soon join the Andersen Corporation as a bride.

The words felt like knives stabbing into Natalia's tender heart. She felt a tingling sensation in her nose

and had to use all her strength to prevent her tears from falling in front of Hector.

Hector sat quietly next to Natalia. Although he felt sorry for her, the thought of Magnus finding someone

new and Natalia never returning to him, turned his worry into sympathy. “Magnus, since you're out of

the picture, taking care of Nat is no longer your concern.”

Natalia's eyes drooped lifelessly. Yes, Magnus must have thought those designs were all Diana's, but

all this was her own doing. She didn't want to show up in front of Magnus, so William had no choice but

to let his sister replace her.

Why did her heart hurt so much?

If Magnus really married Diana, as stated in the newspaper, Natalia would probably never be able to

return to him in this lifetime, right? ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Natalia silently chuckled at her own thoughts. Right, how could she be so selfish? She had sworn never

to return to Magnus, so who he married or spent the rest of his life with shouldn't concern her. But her

heart hurt so much. The suffocating feeling threatened to drown her and pull her into an endless abyss.

Hector looked at Natalia, who was on the verge of tears, with sympathy. He gently placed his hand on

her shoulder. "Natalia, if you want to cry, just let it out. My shoulder will always be here for you to lean

on. I know it's hard for you to see this, but I need you to snap out of it. Forget about Magnus! Start your

own life. I'll always be by your side."

Natalia could no longer hold back her tears. Her emotions had been on edge ever since Magnus'

arrival, suppressed and stretched to their limit, ready to explode at the slightest trigger. The news in the

newspapers and the videos, coupled with Hector's words, ignited her negative emotions. She threw

herself onto Hector's shoulder and began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Hector, am I silly?"

"Why did I choose to leave secretly? Why did I listen to Isabella and make such a harsh vow?"

"Hector, am I really worthless? I thought it would be easy to leave Magnus, but when he suddenly

moved on with another woman, I realized I couldn't accept it."

"Hector, I'm so useless!"

As he listened to Natalia's tearful complaints, Hector gently patted her back and softly comforted her.

"Natalia, you've done nothing wrong. In my eyes, you're always the most dazzling girl. You're strong,

independent, kind, and resilient. Everything about you is beautiful and attractive. So promise me, never

belittle yourself again. You'll never understand how excellent you are. The issue with Magnus and

Diana is his fault. He's not worth your reminiscence."

"But my heart won't obey me, Hector. It still aches for Magnus and yearns to be with him. What am I

supposed to do? I deeply regret listening to Isabella and leaving Magnus. But if I didn't, his poisoning

would've become fatal! I left him so Isabella would give me the antidote. I never expected it to hurt this

much..." Tears streamed down Natalia's cheeks as she unabashedly sobbed in Hector's arms.

Hector gently patted her back, his voice soothing. "It's okay, Natalia. In time, you'll forget about him.

He's not worth your tears. I know you can't let go of Magnus, but he's not worthy of you! Look at what

he's done over the years. Look at how much he's hurt you. Natalia, please forget him. Start a new

chapter in your life."

"Hector, I appreciate your feelings for me." Natalia wiped her tears and managed to extricate herself

from Hector's embrace. "But Hector, you can't force matters of the heart. My heart is already like Swiss

cheese, riddled with holes. I just don't have the strength to love anyone else now."