The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 412

As the image flashed through Hector's mind, he instinctively reached out with a clumsy hand to wipe away a tear that had escaped the corner of Natalia's eye. "Hey, don't cry," he mumbled gruffly.

But his words only made Natalia cry harder. Her shoulders shook with sobs, and she buried her face in her hands, weeping inconsolably. It struck her that regardless of Hector's memory loss, she had always been the one he cared for most.

Hector was at a loss now, and his hands were hanging in the air. He was unsure whether to pull the weeping girl into his arms to comfort her.

Magnus had been driving smoothly until he caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror of Hector tenderly wiping away Natalia's tears, with the focus and intensity of a lover.

This sparked his irritation. He pulled the car over with purpose and twisted in his seat. He swatted Hector's hand away from Natalia. "Don't touch my wife," he declared sternly.

With that, Magnus stepped out of the car, scooped up the still-crying Natalia, and placed her gently in the passenger seat before driving off again.

Magnus moved so swiftly that Hector and Natalia barely had time to process what had happened before they were back on the road.

Watching Magnus' stern face, Hector was suddenly overwhelmed with the sensation of having his wife stolen from him and being cast out to fend for himself in a foreign land.

A nagging certainty crept into his mind. He was the last person Magnus wanted around.

Fleeting images flickered through Hector's consciousness. He saw Magnus glaring at him with rage and heard the shouts promising a thorough showdown. And there was Magnus, gripping his hand tightly, shouting, "Be a man, and survive! I'm giving you a fair shot."

Hector looked down at his hands, confused. Although unsure if the visions were real, one thing was clear. To Magnus, Natalia was off-limits, his possession, not to be coveted by anyone. It seemed he had married Natalia and never given Hector that fair chance after all.

Lost in thought, Hector sat silently, head bowed.

Meanwhile, Natalia's soft sobs continued, torn between joy at Hector's phoenix-like return and the pain of seeing the unfamiliarity in his eyes. He was the Hector she knew, the boy with the eternally sweet smile. But why did his gaze now carry such a chilling coldness?

Magnus drove on, his face a mask of tension, internally chaotic as he, too, sensed the shift in Hector's gaze.

They reached Natalia's three-story house in silence.

Magnus parked and, ever considerate, opened the car door for Natalia, reminding her, "Take it easy."

But Natalia, in her haste, helped Hector out instead, offering her hand. "Here, let me help you out. Take it slow. You're still healing."

Magnus, feeling slighted, moved Natalia aside roughly. "You can't support him. I've got this." With a firm grip, he helped Hector out of the car and guided him towards the house.