The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)
Chapter 490

Rolling his eyes ever so slightly, Jonas drawled into the phone with a hint of teenage nonchalance. "Dad, can you, like, not be so full of yourself? Are you even half as cool as me?"

"Sure, sure, you got me there. My son's obviously the coolest, most dazzling dude on the planet!" Magnus boasted unabashedly.

Then, with a chuckle, he told Jonas, "Hey, bud, how about I swing by your school with your mom in a few days, huh?"

Jonas, acting all grown-up, shook his head. "Nah, you guys do your thing. I've got everything under control here, no need to fuss over me."

Hearing his son's confident response, Magnus let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, I know you're the man. But your mom's been missing you like crazy lately."

"Really?" A grin Jonas couldn't quite hide spread across his face. Ah, his mom missed him!

"Ahem," Jonas cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "Well, if that's the case, you should let Mom come over. I mean, I've grown into a little man, sure, but I can't exactly stop her from wanting to see me, can I?"

Magnus internally laughed but happily played along. "Alright, then. We'll pack our bags and head over to your school in a couple of days."

"Cool, no problem," Jonas agreed. "But let's get something straight, when you guys get here, I'm bunking with Mom."

"What?" Magnus suddenly bristled, standing up in a puff of indignation. "Son! You're pushing ten for crying out loud! And do you still wanna cuddle up with my wife? Are you kidding me?"

Compared to Magnus' fiery temper, Jonas remained calm and collected. "Dad, get this straight. Even if I'm ninety, she's still my mom. I've been stuck in the kids' room all this time, and I hardly ever get to sleep next to her. Now that she's finally coming to see me, can't you grant me this one little wish?"

"Hmph!" Magnus was nearly apoplectic. "Dream on! I'm telling you, go replace a girlfriend to snuggle with, but you're not sharing a bed with my wife!"

Unruffled, Jonas continued, "Dad, please understand one fact. Until I replace a girlfriend, I'll have to sleep with Mom."

"That's it! Jonas, I'm telling you flat out; forget about it!" With those words, Magnus hung up, still fuming.

No sooner had he ended the call than Natalia approached him, her voice soft with concern. "What's up? I could hear you huffing and puffing from a mile away."

Still seething, Magnus pointed at the phone and looked at Natalia with a mix of frustration and disbelief. "It's that little brat Jonas. That kid's actually learned to talk back to me. Can you believe it?"

"Jonas? What's he done?" Natalia replied, puzzled. Jonas was supposed to be training in the States, wasn't he? Where would he replace the time to challenge Magnus?

Magnus pursed his lips, recounting the argument with Jonas to Natalia, his face still red with anger. "Can you believe that cheeky brat has the nerve to argue with me?! Humph, I've made a decision; I'm not visiting that kid anytime soon. That'll teach him a lesson."

Natalia couldn't help but smile at Magnus' childish behavior. He might've been tough and cunning to others, but with her, he was always just a big kid.

She laughed gently, trying to soothe her husband's ruffled feathers. "Oh, honey, are you really squabbling with our son? Besides, he's not wrong. I wasn't around for him until he was five, and when we finally got back together, you shipped him off to the kids' room. If you think about it, I really haven't had the chance to properly tuck Jonas in at night."

"So what? I grew up the same way! Since when do real men need their mommies to sleep at night?"

Magnus, unfazed, continued, "I don't care. Does he want someone to sleep with? He better grow up, replace a wife, and quit trying to steal mine."

Natalia chuckled, torn between annoyance and amusement. Magnus might've appeared domineering and shrewd to others, but was always adorably petulant in her presence.

She played the peacemaker, smiling and soothing Magnus. "Alright, alright, why are you getting upset with the kid? Cool it, will you? We really don't have time to go see him anyway."

"Ha, I know you get me!" Magnus mistook Natalia's words for an agreement not to visit Jonas and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, kissing her affectionately. "You're the best, babe."

"What are you talking about!" Natalia said, laughing as she handed Magnus an invitation. "Look, I got an invite from the Queen. She's grateful for that crown design I did for her last time and wants to host me a the palace for a few days. If possible, she'd like to commission some new jewelry designs from me in person."

Magnus quickly perused the invitation, indeed replaceing the earnest words Natalia had described.

"A trip to England, huh? Babe, I'm coming with you," Magnus declared decisively.

Natalia hesitated. "You're coming with me? The invitation does say family is welcome, but who'll handle things here if you're gone?"

Magnus hadn't even thought about work; he dismissively waved a hand. "Babe, if the company crumbles because I'm gone for a few days, then it's not worth keeping anyway. Done deal, let's head to England!" And with that, they boarded their flight bound for England.

In England, Callum and Lexi were scouring the castle, busy as bees, since their little kid had gone missing once again.

Whether it was Callum's mischievous genes or just the trials of parenting toddlers, those two children were a handful. They were a cause of headaches on weekdays and weekends. They'd play hide-and-seek, watching amusedly as Callum and Lexi searched high and low.

Learning from their previous hide-and-seek escapades, Lexi discovered the trick-check the most concealed nooks and crannies. Soon enough, she found the twins hiding behind a floral trellis, each donning a decorative straw hat.

She and Callum exchanged a knowing look, each picking up a child to take them for a bath. Their little adventurers were covered in paint, resembling two mischievous little mud monkeys.

After finally settling down the pair of rambunctious munchkins, the nanny came to whisk them away, leaving Lexi to collapse halfway onto the couch, gasping slightly. "Oh my God, what was I thinking, having another kid? These two little rascals are practically taking years off my life!"

"Honey, it's a sweet burden," Callum said with a sly grin, kneading Lexi's shoulders and playfully nuzzling her back. "Actually, I've been thinking about going for round three."

"NO!" Lexi shot up like she'd been zapped, immediately putting a distance between herself and Callum, "I'm already at my wit's end with two, and you want another? What do you think I am, a breeding sow?"