The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

Chapter 390

Jonas, with his quirky charm, immediately sensed the mood and wrapped his arms around Natalia's

thigh. "Momma, don't you wanna see me anymore? Don't send me away. I'll be super good and listen

to everything you say. Momma, can I live with you, please?"

Natalia didn't hesitate as she looked at the well-behaved, understanding boy. "Of course, sweetie, I

would never dream of sending you away. You'll stay with me."

"And me!" Magnus chimed in, sidling over and wrapping his arms around Natalia's shoulders. "Oh, my

gorgeous Ms. Clarkson, please have a heart and take in this fine lodger!"

"No way, José!" Natalia said as she shrugged off Magnus' arms, scooped up Jonas, and hopped into

her car, leaving Magnus in a cloud of exhaust as she zoomed away.

Magnus, covered in the car's fumes, chuckled instead of getting angry. "Well, well, my lady finally grew

some claws."

James, following behind Magnus, shook his head in dismay. Love was a fearsome thing indeed. Look,

another one bites the dust.

"Let's go. It's time to start our lives under someone else's roof," Magnus said, slipping into the

passenger seat of the car James had just bought. He was in high spirits as he set off in the direction

Natalia had left.

Natalia and Jonas reached home without a hitch. She had been staying at the hospital to take care of

Magnus, so it had been a while since she had been home.

Opening the house, she let in some fresh air through the windows and had just settled on the couch

when a rapid knock came at the door. Without guessing, Natalia knew who it was. She opened the door

with a resigned shake of her head. "Magnus, what are you..."

"Natalia, haha, it really is you! Fantastic, darling!"

Barging in was someone Natalia hadn't seen in ages, enveloping her in a fierce hug that nearly bowled

her over.

Steadying her feet, Natalia caught a waft of familiar perfume and, to her surprise, found herself in the

arms of Lexi. "Oh my God, Lexi? What are you doing here?" Natalia was stunned, unsure how Lexi had

found her.

Lexi clung to Natalia, sobbing, "Oh, Natalia, I've finally found you. It's such a relief."

Something was off in Lexi's voice, and Natalia quickly led her to the couch, full of concern. "Lexi, what's

going on?"

Between sobs, Lexi confessed, "Natalia, I can't do it anymore." She sniffled, her shoulders shaking.

"I've divorced Callum. No, I've been abandoned by him!"

"What?" Natalia was confused. "What happened? And when did you two get married?"

Lexi's nose was red from crying as she wiped away tears and whispered, "You disappeared for over a

year. I wouldn't have found you if I hadn't seen that magazine article. You heartless thing, you've

completely forgotten our sisterhood."

Feeling guilty, Natalia remembered the last time she'd seen Lexi—just as she was leaving Melfort.

She'd then gone to Rome, and later, with Hector, went to Hawaii. She had virtually cut off all contact

and lived a secluded life.

"I'm sorry, Lexi. It was wrong of me not to stay in touch," Natalia said apologetically.

Lexi finally pouted with satisfaction. "Alright, I know you must've had your reasons. But Natalia, you Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

have to take me in this time. I have nowhere else to go."

Relieved that Lexi wasn't angry, Natalia asked, "But why did you divorce Cal? It's such a shame I

missed your wedding."

"The wedding doesn't matter. He never truly cared for me," Lexi said, her tears starting again. "You'll

think it's silly, but I slept with him because he mistook me for you. One thing led to another, and we

ended up getting married after I got pregnant. He never loved me; I was just your stand-in from the

start."

This confession put Natalia in an awkward spot. She glanced nervously at Jonas, who was sitting

quietly on the sofa, oblivious to the conversation. She turned back to Lexi, hands twisting. "Lexi, I know

I haven't been around much, but I lived with Cal for five years. I know his character—he wouldn't

compromise because of an accident. He either loves you or doesn't. He's not the type to marry for the

sake of a child."

Lexi felt a bit better. "At least you have some conscience. You saw my big belly last time and didn't

even ask. So you forgot about it."

Natalia couldn't apologize enough, hugging Lexi's now slender waist. "It's all my fault, sweetheart.

Please don't be mad at me. How's your baby? Why did you come here alone?"

The mention of the baby opened the floodgates again. Lexi burst into tears. "Natalia, I had to sneak

out. If I hadn't, Callum might have killed me. I had to be clever to see you again."

Natalia's eyes widened in shock. She had assumed Lexi had come to her out of a spat with Callum but

never imagined it would involve a life-or-death situation.

Lexi couldn't stop the tears as she hunched over and rolled up her jeans. "Natalia, I swear it's the truth.

Look for yourself."

Natalia bent down, and her eyes widened at the sight of the ugly bruise and the ghastly cut on Lexi's

calf.