The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 349

"No worries, really, Natalia, I can wait. Honestly, if you can't accept my feelings now, that's okay. I can wait until the day you're ready to accept my affection. Don't feel any pressure. Being in love with you is my business. I never expected anything in return. I'm content just being by your side."

The sincerity in Hector's eyes filled Natalia with guilt. Magnus already occupied her heart. There was no room left for anyone else.

But she knew about Hector's stubbornness. Sighing, she realized that continuing like this wasn't an option. She couldn't selfishly let Hector waste his life pining for her. A sense of melancholy washed over Natalia. She made up her mind to distance herself from Hector, to ensure he wouldn't fall deeper.

"Hector, I understand your feelings for me. But I'm sorry, I really can't reciprocate your feelings. I can only apologize and hope that you find your own happiness soon," Natalia said sincerely.

Hearing her words, Hector felt a deep sense of desolation. He didn't want to hear her apologize anymore. Hector reached out and gently tapped her on the nose. "Stop it. I was just trying to comfort you, so you wouldn't keep blaming yourself. Don't overthink it, okay?"

Since Natalia refused to reciprocate his feelings, Hector decided to bury his affection for her deep within his heart, hoping that one day, she would change her mind.

Finally, Natalia burst into laughter, believing that Hector was simply trying to cheer her up. Her previous turmoil, caused by learning about Magnus' new girlfriend, instantly dissipated, leaving her feeling much better.

Picking up her paintbrush, she playfully looked at Hector. "Alright, let me repay you by painting a cool portrait of you. Absolutely free."

"Sounds good," Hector replied with interest, pulling up a deck chair to sit down and act as Natalia's live model.

They tacitly avoided talking about Magnus' situation in Melfort, temporarily restoring their superficial harmony. But ignoring a problem didn’t make it disappear.

*

Meanwhile, in Melfort, Magnus had become the target of local paparazzi. They monitored his every move, practically camping out 24/7, desperate to capture any intimate moments between Magnus and Diana.

At the most luxurious hotel in Melfort, the inside was filled with extravagant decor while the outside was swarmed with paparazzi crouching down, straining their ears to catch any hint of gossip, waiting for Magnus and Diana to emerge hand-in-hand.

"Damn, we've been staking out for days and haven't seen Magnus and that chick step out together once. How long do we have to wait?" Complained one tabloid journalist, dissatisfied with Magnus' tight control over information.

Another journalist slapped him on the back of the head. "What are you thinking? He's a big shot. Countless media outlets would kill for an exclusive interview. Do you think he'll just walk out and give you a photo op? Are you out of your mind?"

Choosing the lesser of two evils, James reluctantly accepted Magnus' order. He put on a charming smile and approached Diana. "Ms. Diana, your design drafts are truly remarkable. How did you come up with such brilliant designs?"

Although Diana was tipsy, she hadn't completely lost her wits. She looked up at James with a flirtatious smile. "What's so hard about that? I just design based on my feelings."

"And what feelings inspired these designs?" James probed further.

Diana's tipsiness faded slightly. She suddenly felt that James was trying to pry information out of her. From the moment they met, they had been relentlessly asking about the design drafts. Could it be that they came here specifically for the design drafts, just like her brother had warned?

Although Diana had a bit of a spoiled and willful streak, she was far from the stereotypical blonde bimbo. She continued to feign tipsiness, laughing off James' questions. "Well, you know, it's a feeling that's hard to put into words. I guess it's all just inspiration, and the designs just sort of...flow out from there. Why? You interested?"

James paused for a second, then poured Diana another glass of wine. "Not really. I was just so impressed by your innovative and chic designs, Miss Diana. I couldn't help but ask. I hope you don't mind."

As Diana listened to James' half-hearted flattery, she began to question her own suspicions. They were part of a multinational corporation; surely, they had access to all sorts of experts. Why would they resort to such games for a couple of simple sketches?