The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 456

Hector could see the wheels turning in Bianca's head. The way she bit her lip and averted her gaze suggested she might have been contemplating something he'd rather not address at the moment. So, with a deft change of topic, he tried to steer the conversation into safer waters. "You know, Bianca, you're 22 now, which is not exactly young. Have you got yourself a boyfriend yet?"

Color bloomed on Bianca's cheeks as she glanced down. Her voice sounded so soft it was almost lost in the hum of the room. "No, not yet."

"Oh?" Hector replied with casual curiosity, leaning back comfortably in his chair. "Got your eye on someone, then? Spill the beans, and I'll give you a second opinion."

Bianca nodded shyly. "Well, there is someone... but he doesn't see me that way."

Hector raised his tone slightly in disbelief. "Who could possibly be blind to a catch like you? Or are you just too chicken to tell him? Come on, out with it. I'll go have a word with the lad myself!"

With a deep breath, Bianca summoned all her courage. "The one I fancy... he's as distant as the stars yet as close as the very air. It's you, sir."

After her confession, Bianca felt her face burn with a heat that seemed to render her unable to lift her gaze, feeling utterly exposed. And yet, she bravely faced Hector, her dark eyes looking earnestly into his.

Hector couldn't believe his ears. Was this innocent girl harboring feelings for him? He stared at her in astonishment, realizing that the timid girl from a year ago was now a vision of ripe temptation. Her every move seemed to beckon him closer.

Bianca, feeling her heart laid bare, decided to lay all her cards on the table. "Sir, I know you had your sights set on Ms. Natalia. But she's Mrs. Andersen now. If you would not disdain me, I could stand in her stead. Even if you harbor no feelings for me, to remain by your side for a lifetime would be all I could ask for."

Shocked, Hector looked at the brave girl standing before him. Over the past year, he had been plagued by dreams of her, waking up with his sheets soaked through from visions of Bianca after he had seen her swimming. Her glowing skin was imprinted on his mind. Now, hearing Bianca's confession, his suppressed desires resurfaced with a vengeance.

Silence fell upon the room, and the air was thick with unspoken tension.