The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)
Chapter 443

Callum looked at Natalia with a tinge of regret in his eyes. "I've got to head back home for a couple of days, I'll be back soon. Take care of Lexi for me, will you?"

"Cal, don't be silly," Natalia quickly waved off his concern. "Lexi and I have been tight for years. Looking out for her is what friends do."

"Alright then, I'm off. Once I sort things out, I'll come back to pick up Lexi."

Callum hurriedly packed his few belongings and left the sunny shores of Hawaii behind.

In the evening, when Magnus returned home to replace Callum's presence missing, his heart did a little happy dance. Looked like his phone call to James paid off. He'd asked James to replace a way to send Callum packing, and oh boy, did it work!

But why hadn't Callum taken Lexi with him? It seemed that another night would pass without cuddling his beloved wife to sleep. The thought pained him deeply.

Despite his silent grudges against Lexi, Magnus had no choice but to endure. And endure was what he did, until Callum finally dashed back to Hawaii and whisked Lexi away.

That night, Magnus couldn't contain his glee, humming an old tune under his breath, relishing his newfound freedom.

Watching Magnus' cheerful antics, Natalia pinched him playfully. "You're terrible. Why are you happy that Lexi's gone? Now, who's going to chat with me?"

Magnus quickly wrapped his arms around Natalia, resting his head against her swelling belly. "My love, how could you be short of company? Am I not here? Plus, Gabby's great company too. She's smart and down-to-earth. She'd make a perfect new bestie for you."

Natalia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Gabby's cool. We've already hit it off, you know?"

Magnus, eyeing Natalia's pregnancy-enhanced curves with a certain hunger, swallowed hard, his voice husky. "Honey, I was thinking..."

But before he could finish, Natalia shut him down. "Don't even think about it. This isn't the honeymoon phase anymore. You could hurt the baby."

"Fine, I'll wait. But when she's out, I'm spanking that little rascal for all this abstinence," Magnus said, a note of self-pity in his voice.

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Didn't you just...? Anyway, no! If you can't handle it, go sleep in the guest room."

Hearing the eviction threat, Magnus quickly began massaging Natalia's shoulders, eager to please her. "How's that, my dear? Am I doing good?"

"Fine, you've convinced me. You can stay... for tonight," Natalia drawled, playing the grand dame to the hilt.

The sweet days of life often slipped away so quietly, and before they knew it, Natalia was in her ninth month of pregnancy, with the due date fast approaching. One day, Gabby approached the door of the CEO's office and knocked.

"Come in," Magnus said, tidying up his desk, eager to finish work and be with Natalia.

Gabby spoke up, "Mr. Andersen, my father's fallen ill back in the countryside. I need a couple of days off to go see him."

"Is it serious? Do they need money?" Magnus asked, genuinely concerned for Gabby, his diligent employee.

Gabby declined, "No, thank you. He's always been frail. I just want to visit."

"Alright then. Just remember, if there's any trouble at home, let me know. The company will help you out," Magnus offered sincerely.

"Thank you, Mr. Andersen. I'll head out today and come back once everything's sorted," Gabby said, then turned to leave the office.

After she left, Magnus let out a sigh of resignation. Gabby was a whiz at handling the small stuff, and her absence would definitely make his next few days busier.

Gabby drove from the bustling city toward the quiet countryside, where she had grown up in a modest, timeworn house. The house was tidy, though. Gabby moved slowly into her dimly lit bedroom, where a man in black stood by the window, his chilling silhouette reminiscent of a figure stepping out of hell itself.

Gabby's eyes lit up with obsession at the sight of the man's back. "Dummy, I'm back."

The man didn't turn around but spoke in a cold tone, "According to our plan, we can start next month."

Gabby's eyes flickered with sadness as she pleaded softly, "Dummy, I'll do as you say. Can I stay tonight, just this once?"

Without moving, his voice flat, he replied, "Our time is coming soon. Stay calm. Finish your task, and I'll marry you in style, and take you to the ends of the earth."

Gabby's face bloomed with longing at the promise of marriage and escape with the shadowy figure. She fantasized about wearing a wedding dress, walking hand in hand with him, exchanging vows under the gaze of a priest and their families, a passionate kiss sealing their union, and then fleeing to the horizon together.

Lost in her daydreams, Gabby didn't notice the tears streaking her face or that the man had silently departed. Wiping away her tears, she walked out to the balcony, leaning against the railing, her expression wistful as she gazed into the distance.

The sunset sky was ablaze, mirroring the fiery turmoil in her heart.

What did it mean to love someone from the shadows? Was it right or wrong?

As Gabby stood there, watching the clouds and the sinking sun, she pondered the difficult choices of life - gaining something always meant losing something else.

Happiness seemed tantalizingly within reach, yet Gabby's heart fluttered with unease and entanglement, fearful that the things she yearned for might vanish like bubbles, dissipating under the sunlight.

As time trickled by, the sun finally rolled down the hillside, and the sky gradually darkened, eventually becoming dyed in a deep, inky hue. It was then that Gabby seemed to snap out of a dream, regaining her senses with a determined glint in her eye. She stepped away from the balcony and pushed open the secret panel in the library that no one else knew about.

The old door creaked with a raspy sound, and the dim light from within spilled out, casting an eerie glow.

Tiptoeing inside, Gabby found the secret room wasn't large; it contained only a bed with a worn quilt thrown over it, and a rickety table that had seen better days.