The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 370

Natalia had braced herself for a confrontation. She was ready to rip off the Band-Aid and face whatever pain awaited her. She never anticipated that Magnus would initiate their exchange in such a dramatic fashion.

She had fortified her defenses, and was prepared to bolt at a moment's notice, but then she witnessed Magnus collapse with a thunderous fall. Her heart lurched in shock! Without a second thought, Natalia's reflexes outpaced her mind as she reached out to steady Magnus. Her voice was laced with panic. "Magnus! Magnus, what's wrong?"

Bending down, she helped the fallen Magnus to his feet. His eyes were tightly shut, and his complexion was deathly pale, clearly unconscious.

"Call an ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!" Natalia cried out, her voice tinged with urgency as she addressed James, who had just rushed onto the stage.

James immediately dialed for emergency services, then took the limp form of Magnus from Natalia's hands, looking into her eyes as he spoke, "Natalia, in the year and a half you've been gone, Magnus has barely eaten a decent meal or had a good night's sleep. He's been drowning in his sorrows, missing you every single day. His health has been in shambles!"

Tears streamed down Natalia's cheeks as a wave of pain washed over her. She was at a loss for words. It had been over a year since she had fled from Magnus' life. She had assumed that after so much time apart, Magnus would have grown accustomed to life without her, or that any feelings and heartache would have dissipated like mist. However, the reality now told her that it wasn't just her struggling with letting go; it was Magnus, too, with his all-consuming obsession.

"But what about Diana? Isn't she Magnus' fiancée? Why didn't she take care of him!?" Natalia blurted out, revealing that deep down, she still cared about Diana's presence.

James looked puzzled for a moment before saying, "Diana? Oh, you mean that girl from Rome? Natalia, do you think we would have bothered with her if it weren't for trying to track you down? We only interacted with her to get information about your whereabouts. Once Magnus found out about her antics, he had her sent straight to jail. There was never any engagement!"

With James' explanation, Natalia realized she had misunderstood Magnus all this time. He had seen through Diana's facade and had never moved on.

But what did it matter now? Silent tears rolled down Natalia's cheeks as she remembered the spiteful vow she had been forced to make. There was also Hector's steadfast companionship and sacrifice; she couldn't betray her word.

Despite the agony tearing through her heart, Natalia steeled herself and said, "James, I know you've been Magnus' closest friend through thick and thin, and I thank you for standing by him during his darkest days. But I'm engaged now, and I can't ever return to Magnus' side."

As she finished her sentence, Hector emerged from backstage. He immediately noticed James supporting an unconscious Magnus and asked with concern, "What's happened here?"

"Hector, it's Magnus. He just collapsed. I don't know what to do," Natalia said, her voice trembling with helplessness.

Hector strode forward, intent on helping Magnus up from the stage, but James shot him a venomous glare. "Back off! We don't need your fake concern! If it weren't for you hiding Natalia's whereabouts, Mr. Magnus wouldn't be in this state!"

"James, it's not Hector who hid me away. It was my choice not to see Magnus again. I can't go back on the oath I took. It's over between us," Natalia said before covering her face with her hands and running away in distress.

"Natalia! Natalia!" Hector called after her, but she kept running towards the exit. With a brief apology to James and Magnus, he followed after the emotionally charged Natalia.

Natalia stumbled forward, and her vision was blurred by tears. She couldn't see where she was going and was running purely on instinct.