The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 68

"What's this?" Natalia, holding a file, bent down with curiosity to pick up a piece of paper.

But before her hand could touch the paper, Magnus, seated in his wheelchair, had already picked it up. However, the moment Magnus' gaze fell on the paper, his expression changed visibly. Almost instinctively, he flipped the paper over, hiding its content. His voice took on an icy edge as he spoke, "Nothing important, just some old stuff. It's late, you must be tired. Go rest, I still have some paperwork to do."

His demeanor was a stark contrast to the gentle manner he had shown her earlier. Even Natalia, who was usually slow to pick up on such subtleties, could tell something was off.

Just like that, Magnus' sudden shift brought her spirits crashing down. She could only muster a weak smile and say, "Alright, I'll head back."

It was he who had asked her to join him in going through the files, and now it was he who was shooing her away, not wanting her to see something.

Unfortunately, she had already seen what was on the paper. It was a stunningly beautiful girl. Magnus had hidden her portrait on his bookshelf. Their relationship must have been quite special.

As she had said before, how could Magnus ever be interested in her? Whoever he was interested in, it certainly wouldn't be her.

"Nat..." In truth, Magnus had wanted Natalia to leave because he didn't want her to see something in his past.

When he abruptly sent her away, and she agreed to leave, he watched her lonely figure retreating and couldn't help but feel like he had been too harsh. So instinctively, he called out to Natalia, wanting to explain and prevent any misunderstanding. But it was too late. Natalia had already left, turned the corner, and disappeared from sight.

Watching this, Magnus muttered to himself, "She shouldn't be angry. She probably doesn't know what was on that paper..."

With that thought, Magnus, who had been a bit harsh to Natalia, felt a pang of guilt.

He looked down at the picture he had drawn many years ago, where the girl was still as beautiful and vibrant as she had been. Yet, his heart no longer ached like it did when she first left. After all, she had taken good care of him back then.

Without wasting any more time, Magnus returned the portrait to the bookshelf. He finished off the remaining paperwork and returned to his bedroom.

As Magnus' wheelchair entered the room, Natalia, who had already showered, was sitting on the sofa reading a book. Hearing Magnus enter, she looked up to see him, her face expressionless.

Magnus was always like this, unpredictable. Until he spoke, Natalia wouldn't dare say anything. After all, upsetting him would do her no good.