The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 517

Jonas steadied his resolve and gazed up at the moon, now pristine against the velvety darkness. The stars sparkled like diamond dust in the sky. He was searching for the North Star, the guiding light Richard had taught him to use as a beacon when lost at sea.

Soon enough, Jonas found the brightest star piercing the night and, with it, his bearings. Having set his course, he paddled the small boat toward the southeast, the ocean around him a silent expanse chilled by the deep night. Yet Jonas felt no fear. His poise was far beyond his years as he calmly stroked through the water, his dark eyes glinting with brilliant determination.

*

In the States.

A roaring Land Rover kicked up a cloud of dust as it approached, screeching to a halt on the beach. Richard stepped out and walked straight to Magnus' tent. "Magnus, any sign of Jonas?"

Magnus, his face stormy, shook his head and stared out at the sea, his brow deeply furrowed. Days had passed without a trace of Jonas.

After a while, Magnus finally spoke with a gravelly voice, "I've rarely regretted anything in my life, but now I do. I shouldn't have trusted you to take care of Jonas."

Richard's face blanched as if slapped. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault," he said, full of remorse.

Magnus didn't even glance at Richard. "What good is sorry? When will my son come back?"

Richard was riddled with guilt, regretting ever allowing Jonas to join the military ranks. He turned to Natalia, who was standing beside Magnus, and said, "Natalia, I'm so sorry. My negligence led to this, I apologize."

Natalia, too, stared blankly at the sea. After days of searching, her tears had dried up, leaving her unable to cry. Facing Richard's apology, she continued to gaze out at the water, not looking back at him.

"I don't need your apology," she said faintly. "I just pray that Jonas returns soon. We've combed every inch of this sea, and yet, there's no sign of him. Who can tell me when he will be back?"

Her words struck Richard hard. "Natalia, I promise you, I will bring Jonas back. He's my proudest protege, and I won't allow him to just vanish!" With that, Richard turned and strode back to the Land Rover, driving away from the beach without a backward glance.

Magnus and Natalia barely reacted to Richard's sudden appearance and departure. Their minds were consumed with thoughts of Jonas' whereabouts.

Recalling Jonas' first grueling days of training, Richard allowed a proud smile to cross his lips before succumbing to exhaustion aboard the speedboat.

In the dead of night, a sudden squall stirred the sea, chilling to the bone and rudely awakening Richard from his slumber. He craned his neck to gaze at the brooding storm clouds, keenly aware that the weather out on the open sea was a fickle mistress, capable of conjuring a gale with little warning.

The sea breeze gathered strength, escalating into a fierce wind that began to whip the once-calm waves into a frenzy, causing the speedboat to buck and sway precariously.

Torn between forging ahead and turning back to escape the brewing tempest's epicenter, Richard’s dilemma was abruptly interrupted by the thunderous roar of massive waves ahead.

He squinted into the distance, where a massive dark shape was rapidly approaching, its wake churning the water into a spectacle of terrifying beauty against the otherwise serene night.

A shiver of dread ran down Richard’s spine as the thought struck him—could it be a shark? If it indeed was one of these cold-blooded leviathans of the deep, no amount of speedboat would be enough to save him from being capsized!