The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 383

Watching Magnus’ figure quickly vanish into the night, James burst through the door in hot pursuit. No way could he let Magnus walk into danger alone; he had to find Natalia, and fast!

In a frenzy, James stormed out, searching the streets for any sign of Natalia, but though the town was small, Natalia was like a needle in a haystack. Sweat poured down James’ forehead, but there was no trace of her.

Just as despair was about to take hold, James’ sharp eyes caught sight of Natalia at the crossroads ahead. “Natalia! Natalia!” He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Natalia was frantic, questioning the crowd about Jonas’ whereabouts, oblivious to James’ calls. James bolted toward her, quickly reaching her side and grabbing her hand. “Natalia, we’ve got to move, now!”

Confusion clouded Natalia’s eyes. “What’s going on, James? Where are you taking me?”

With no time for explanations, James rushed her along. "Just come with me. It's Lucius—he's taken Jonas!"

"What?" Natalia gasped. The words were like ice water down her spine. "Lucius? What is he planning?!"

"I don't know, but he's demanding a ransom of a hundred million bucks from Magnus. He wants him to go to the docks alone—no cops, no backup," James rattled off. "Magnus is headed there right now, but Lucius is a desperate man. It's not safe for Magnus to go alone."

Panic-stricken, Natalia stammered, "What do we do? Where do we even start looking?"

"Harbor Bay docks, let's go to my car!" James pointed to his vehicle. "We'll follow them there. We can't let Magnus walk into a trap, and we've got to save Jonas."

"All right, let's go," Natalia said, turning to Hector, who had joined her in the search. "Hector, maybe you should head back. James and I will handle it."

"Why should I?" Hector protested. "I want to help find Jonas as much as you do, Natalia. Don't you consider me family?"

Sensing the resolve in Hector's eyes, Natalia relented, "Fine, but you must be careful. You know Lucius is unpredictable and capable of anything."

"I'm not afraid." Hector said, his gaze fierce. "I care about Jonas. I'd give anything to save him, including my life."

Natalia was touched by Hector's sincerity, feeling the weight of her past neglect. "Hector, I..."

"Don't," Hector stopped her. "Your battles are mine, Natalia. Whatever it takes, I'm in."