The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 559

As the auditorium emptied, Anna remained lost in thought, still captivated by Jonas' speech. There was something about him that felt so close, so familiar, as if he were a long-lost relative with whom she shared a bond of blood. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Anna chuckled to herself. The only family she had was her brother, Johansonn.

"Excuse me, miss, what's your name? How old are you?"

Startled from her reverie, Anna looked up to find Jonas standing before her, his gaze warm and inviting. For some reason, his smile felt like a spring breeze, warm and comforting. She stood up excitedly, responding with a smile, "My name's Grace, and I'm ten years old."

Jonas' eyes briefly sparkled as they met Anna's blue ones, seeing a resemblance to his mother, Natalia. But his hope faded when he heard her answer.

For a fleeting moment, when the girl had looked up at him, he felt a striking familiarity, as if she had his mother's eyes. But the world was full of look-alikes; Jonas cautiously inquired more about Anna, secretly hoping she was his long-lost sister. What a wonderful twist of fate it would be if she were!

However, Grace was ten, and his sister Anna was just nine.

With a disappointed sigh, Jonas let his head drop. He had been wishful thinking – this girl was not his missing sister. Besides, his sister, whom Gabby had abducted, couldn't possibly be in such a prestigious school.

Blinking in confusion, Anna asked Jonas, "Major Jonas, do you ask for any particular reason?"

The smile vanished from Jonas' face, and he gave Anna a cursory glance. "No reason." he said before walking away, his manner suddenly cool. The girl wasn't his sister, and he realized he had let his emotions get the better of him for a moment.

Anna watched Jonas' retreating figure, uncertain whether to tell Major Jonas her real age. She wasn't ten at all; she had just turned nine. If it weren't for her brother Johanson giving her a new name and age, she would’ve still been Anna, aged nine. Johanson had said they needed to add a year to her age to get into this class because she was a transfer student.

As Anna hesitated, Jonas was already striding away. She thought to herself, maybe it was best to embrace the new name Johanson had given her. The old one could stay buried alongside memories of Gabby.

At the thought of Gabby, a bittersweet smile crept onto Anna's face. Gabby had told Anna before she died that she wasn't her real mother, and that her biological parents lived far away in Melfort.

Melfort was so distant that she probably would never find her real mom and dad in this lifetime.

The sound of a bicycle bell chimed from outside, pulling Anna from her thoughts. She turned to see Johanson astride his bike, beaming at her. Her mood instantly brightened. It didn't matter if she never found her biological parents – she had Johanson, who treated her like his own sister. What more could she ask for?

With this realization, Anna picked up her backpack and walked toward Johanson, calling out sweetly, "Johanson."