The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 354

Hector quietly slipped out of the room, placing a freshly made milkshake next to Natalia. He trod lightly, careful not to disturb her. He admired her focus and her determination. Whatever she set out to do, he would support her wholeheartedly.

The next day, Natalia's overnight sketches were sent to Melfort. Upon seeing them, Diana was taken aback. The colors! They were all wrong. She quickly changed the monotonous grey to a deep, passionate red.

She proudly handed over the revised design to Magnus. As he unfolded it, he felt as though his blood had turned to ice. Such a sorrowful, hopeless design!

He recognized it. It was Natalia's work. He could feel her despair and heartbreak radiating from the paper. Was she blaming him for bringing Diana to Melfort? Magnus was overcome with guilt. He knew Natalia was still in Rome.

The red color was clearly a later addition, and the magnolia petals were speckled with dew drops that looked suspiciously like tears.

Magnus felt a sharp pain in his chest as if a healing wound had been torn open again. He was in agony.

"Natalia, is it really you? Where are you? Why won't you see me? Why are you hiding?"

Magnus silently screamed out these questions, his heart breaking as he gazed at the altered designs. He turned his cold gaze to Diana. "Miss Diana, can you tell me what was going through your mind as you designed this piece?"

Diana shivered under Magnus' icy stare. She was certain there must have been a significant error in the design. How else could she explain his furious expression? "Um, Mr. Andersen, is there a problem with the design?"

"No. Just tell me what inspired you as you worked on it," Magnus responded, his face impassive as he waited for Diana's answer.

"Oh, well..." Diana began, a sheepish grin on her face. "I was thinking about a beautiful, moving love story. Like, for example, you and..."

Before she could finish, Magnus impatiently closed his eyes. "James, please escort Miss Diana home."

"Absolutely!" James couldn't hide his excitement. He'd been waiting for this moment since Diana's arrival in Melfort.

Diana was stunned. Why was she being dismissed so suddenly? "Mr. Andersen, is there a problem with my design?"

"Off you go!" James unceremoniously grabbed Diana's arm and led her out.

"Mr. Andersen! Don't send me away!" Diana protested loudly, but James' firm grip overpowered her, and she was quickly escorted out.

Magnus was left alone in the room. He slumped on the couch, staring at Natalia's tear-streaked design, his heart broken into pieces.

The design was filled with despair and heartbreak. Did Natalia feel the same way about him? Was she also filled with hopelessness?

“Natalia, I would never betray you in this lifetime. You left me and moved far away. How could I possibly hurt you? Natalia, please come back! If someone needs to bear the burden, let it be me.”

Yet, the room remained silent. There was no one to answer Magnus' questions.

William caught her other hand as well and scolded loudly, "Are you crazy? If there's a problem with the design draft, you can just redraw it. How could you come here and slap her!"

Diana struggled to free herself, threatening Natalia with a small dagger she pulled from her purse.

The cold and sharp dagger immediately made William alert, "Diana, what are you doing? Don't do anything foolish!"

Diana pressed the knife against her own throat, pointing at Natalia with one hand, and said with bloodshot eyes, "It's all because of this woman! If it wasn't for her, how could I have been humiliated in front of Mr. Andersen?! I don't care. I want her out. Get her out of the company!"

"Calm down. Natalia is an excellent designer. The company’s achievements are all because of her! We can't..."

"William! I’m asking you to choose, her or me? Only one of us can stay!" Diana hysterically yelled, venting all her resentment on Natalia.

William glanced at Natalia, hesitating. His parents passed away early, leaving only his sister as his family. He had promised his parents to take care of his sister. Even if it means losing the company, he cannot lose his sister.

Sensing his hesitation, Natalia gave a faint smile, "It's okay, Mr. William, you can terminate the contract."

William let out a sigh, really unwilling to let go of Natalia, a key figure in the company. But he couldn’t convince his stubborn and willful sister. All he could say in apology was, "Natalia, I'm sorry, I..."

"It's okay, really." Natalia took this in stride. It was just a job and it was not a big deal. Besides, she wanted to leave early anyway. With things going this way, she feared that Magnus might come after her.