The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 343

William was a man of his word. Once he'd promised to keep her identity a secret, he would never utter a syllable about it in front of Magnus.

Was she overthinking things? It was likely that William just wanted her to attend the evening soiree, but she had never taken much interest in these gatherings.

Natalia decided to stop worrying about it. All she hoped for was for Magnus' trip to Rome to end as soon as possible. Only when he was far away would she feel at ease.

Natalia felt a sudden wave of irritation. She slumped back into her deck chair, covering her face with her hand in exhaustion. Even though she knew it was best for Magnus to leave sooner, why did a part of her selfishly wish for him to stay?

Natalia drifted off into a deep sleep, her mind a whirl of thoughts.

As the night descended, Hector silently made his way over. He saw Natalia curled up asleep on the chair and was about to pick her up, but didn’t want to wake her, so he stopped himself.

After a moment's consideration, Hector headed inside the house and returned with another deck chair and two light blankets.

These items they'd bought together during their last trip to the mall were coming in handy sooner than expected.

The air was still warm, so sleeping outside wouldn’t be a problem. Hector gently covered Natalia with the blanket, placed his chair next to hers, and lay down.

He watched Natalia, who was peacefully asleep inches away from him, and a wave of pure contentment washed over him.

Meanwhile, Diana cheerfully accompanied Magnus back to their hotel. She was about to follow him inside when James stopped her at the entrance.

James leaned casually against the door, hand in his pocket, and drawled, “Miss Diana, it's late. We wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation by having you stay and chat. Goodnight.”

Watching Magnus disappear into the hotel, Diana could barely conceal her disappointment. She reluctantly left, trying not to show her annoyance.

As Diana walked away, James flashed a triumphant grin and made a victory sign. Thank heavens they were finally free of the overly enthusiastic woman.

Before Diana had gotten far, William stopped her. He stood in front of Diana and stated his thoughts plainly, “Diana, you can't go to Melfort with Mr. Andersen.”

“Why not?” Diana glared at her brother, blaming him for repeatedly thwarting her chances with Magnus.

“Why not?” William echoed, his voice incredulous. “Are you out of your mind? Do you understand what Mr. Andersen is interested in? He’s always talking about those design drafts – it’s clear that they’re his priority! And those drafts aren't your work. If it's revealed, the consequences will be disastrous!”