The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 60

She couldn't believe what was happening. She was sure she hadn't crossed anyone, yet here she was, kidnapped and stranded in the middle of the ocean.

It was the dead of night, and the boat was aimlessly drifting on the sea. Back at Melfort, Hector had rallied with the authorities and set out a fleet of speedboats, racing across the ocean towards her at a breakneck pace.

At the stroke of three in the morning, they finally spotted the boat. Hector immediately ordered an increase in speed to approach the vessel. Unbeknownst to those on board, an additional passenger had secretly boarded the boat at one in the morning. This man, tall and looming with a mask covering his face, had stealthily climbed aboard from a different direction, remaining completely unnoticed by the two kidnappers.

The mysterious man silently picked the lock to Natalia's cabin with a thin piece of wire and gazed at the girl, bound, and leaning against the wall. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, emitted a chilling glow.

The two kidnappers were completely unaware of the authorities closing in on them and the stranger already on board their vessel, privy to all their information. They closed their eyes for a quick rest.

Suddenly, one of the kidnappers shouted, "Someone's approaching! They've caught up to our boat!"

The one named Johnny sprung to his feet, sprinted to the window, and saw Hector preparing to board their ship. "Wake up!" He shouted to his accomplice. "Someone's followed us. We need to throw the girl overboard and make a run for it. Hurry!"

The other kidnapper jumped up. "Damn, they're really here," he grumbled. With that, they rushed into Natalia's cabin.

Natalia heard the door open and felt herself being lifted up. "Where are you taking me?" she demanded. Weren't they taking her to England? Had they changed their plans? Were they going to throw her overboard?

"Let me go! Who ordered you to kidnap me?" Natalia shouted. She was determined to find out who was behind this, even if it was the last thing she did.

"You don't need to know," one of them replied with a regretful look on his face. "Today is your last day. We were going to take you to England, but now that we've been followed, you have to die."

As they dragged Natalia to the edge of the boat, the authorities had already boarded. Spotting the kidnappers, they drew their guns. "Freeze!"

Johnny saw that their pursuers were the police. In a panic, he shoved Natalia overboard, drew his own weapon, and fired a shot. The authorities dodged and returned fire as Natalia fell into the water. The masked man, witnessing Natalia's plunge, immediately jumped into the sea to rescue her.

With her hands and feet bound, Natalia swallowed a few mouthfuls of seawater and choked, slowly sinking down. The masked man quickly caught her, held her close, and covered her mouth with his, providing her with much-needed oxygen.

After a while, Natalia opened her eyes and saw the masked man who was kissing her. She tried to struggle but didn't have the strength. However, his familiar scent made her think for a moment that he was Magnus.

The two of them slowly floated upwards. Natalia's strength finally gave out, and she passed out again. The masked man held her close and swam to the surface, climbing onto the speedboat that Hector had brought. He quickly carried her into a cabin and started to perform chest compressions. Once again, he covered her mouth with his, sucking the seawater out. It didn't look like he was performing CPR, but rather like he was passionately kissing her. It was as if he wanted to swallow her whole.