The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 244

Even so, Natalia couldn't shake off a twinge of guilt that seemed to taunt her, as if she'd betrayed something or someone.

Good heavens, what on earth was she thinking?

Inwardly, she chastised herself, steadying her emotions, and soon fell into a deep sleep. After a day's ordeal, she was utterly exhausted.

On the other hand, Callum was delighted to have Natalia by his side. He watched her affectionately, his gaze lingering on Natalia lying next to him. Contentedly, he drifted off to sleep.

When Natalia woke up the next day, her first instinct was to check Callum's forehead.

Thank God, his fever had finally subsided.

She tiptoed out of the room, giving instructions to Rita to prepare some food for Callum.

Knowing Callum had managed to pull through, Rita expressed her gratitude to Natalia for coming just in time to save this disheartened man.

Natalia, however, felt she had no need for Rita's gratitude. If anything, it seemed she owed more to Callum.

After chatting to Rita, Natalia headed back into Callum's room. She stared at him carefully; the once normally hearty and robust man was now a frail and sickly man. A myriad of emotions welled up within her. Despite knowing she could never go back to her past with Magnus, ever since she saw little Jonas, her heart seemed to lean more towards Magnus.

She could deceive everyone else, but not herself. It wasn't a rekindling of old feelings, but her desire to give Jonas a complete family. But this would inevitably hurt Callum, betraying his years of dedication, and waiting.

Natalia heaved a long sigh, unsure how to convey her internal turmoil to Callum. His health was currently unstable, and voicing her concerns now would undoubtedly upset him. Perhaps it would be better to wait until his health improved before explaining everything.

In truth, Natalia didn't want either Magnus or Callum. All she wanted was her precious Jonas, whom she had lost and found again.

Natalia quietly walked to the bedside, gently pulled out a chair, and sat down. Despite her best efforts to be as quiet as possible, she ended up waking Callum.

As soon as Callum opened his eyes, he saw Natalia sitting next to him. His eyes met hers, and he said with gratitude, "Buttercup, waking up to see you is the greatest joy."

Natalia greeted him with a bright smile, "Cal, you're awake? Do you feel any better than yesterday?"

"Ahem," Callum coughed lightly, his voice significantly better than the previous day. "Yes, I am much better. Your return is the best medicine for my recovery."

And now, that child was alive and had suddenly appeared. Dear God, was Natalia planning to go back to Magnus because of the child?

Callum's heart pounded with worry. He looked at Natalia anxiously. "Natalia, is the child really alive? That's wonderful! Rest assured, once we're married, I swear I'll treat him as my own son."

He held onto Natalia's arms. "Buttercup, please, don't leave me, okay?" His eyes were filled with a desperate plea and endless sorrow...

Natalia's heart ached unbearably. She didn't know how to gently refuse Callum, so she said vaguely, "Cal, you need to focus on getting better first. I'll go check on them and will be back soon."

Having said that, she hastily left.

In fact, Natalia had made up her mind. She couldn't deceive herself. Ever since she saw little Jonas, she couldn't continue her relationship with Callum.

From the get-go, she had always treated Callum like a brother, a rock she could depend on. Had there been a chance for romantic love, it would have blossomed long ago. Yet, the debt she owed him was one she could never repay. Before Jonas came back into her life, she had resolved to spend the rest of her days with Callum, as a way to show her gratitude. However, now Callum's health was in a poor state, she couldn't bring herself to voice these feelings. Once he was back on his feet, she knew she had to have a heart-to-heart with him.

Even if they couldn't be lovers, they could still be family. Regardless of the circumstances, she didn’t want to spend another moment apart from Jonas. She had already missed five years of Jonas' life and vowed not to miss a second more.