The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

Chapter 10

James cast a glance at Magnus' increasingly dark face, teasing him further. "You've been cooped up

for years now. Maybe you should dip your toes in the water. It's not a bad idea to let a woman get to

you."

James' words earned a round of hearty laughter from Chase and an involuntary twitch at the corner of

Carter's mouth.

Magnus picked up his wine glass and suggested smoothly, "I hear Silent King's been pretty idle lately.

There's a mission in Chile that needs some attention, something about encountering primitive orcs in

the wild. Seems like it's right up your alley."

James' eyes widened in astonishment as Magnus casually picked up a set of keys from the table.

Chase, in his impatience, failed to grab the keys. "I remember you've got a couple of Rolls-Royce

Phantoms just sitting around at your place. I'll have Linden pick them up and give them a good

cleaning!" Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

James quickly intervened, patting Magnus on the shoulder. "Come on, man. A desert is no place for a

man to be. And what happens if you run into a female orc? Will you still have your buddies?"

"A female orc? That's right up your alley, I remember you had a strong taste for threesomes last year. A

single orcis nothing for you!" Magnus countered coldly.

James shivered at the thought of a large, imposing female orcs overpowering him in the desert. He

quickly flattered Magnus. "I know you're a man of restraint. You wouldn't let any woman get to you. Let

me pour you a drink!" James decided to be more careful with his jokes around Magnus.

Suddenly, the sounds of shattering glass came from the neighboring booth. Magnus furrowed his

brows, gesturing to Chase.

Chase stood up abruptly. "Who the hell is causing a ruckus in my territory? They're asking for trouble!"

He stormed off to the neighboring booth.

Inside the booth, Lucius was drunk, being propped up by two bodyguards. He swung a punch at one of

them, sending him crashing to the floor. The wine bottles and glasses on the table smashed to the

ground.

The bodyguard wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "Mr. Lucius, you've had too

much to drink. Ms. Lillian asked us to take you home."

"Home?" Lucius barked out a laugh, "Does Morgan even consider me family? He gave my woman to

that cripple! I hate him!"

Chase walked into the booth and threw a warning glance at Lucius. "This isn't your playground, Lucius.

The next time you decide to throw a tantrum, do it somewhere else."

Lucius pushed away the bodyguards and glared at Chase. "Who the hell do you think you are,

meddling in my business?"

Chase kicked Lucius onto the sofa, swiftly dealing with the two bodyguards who tried to intervene. He

grabbed Lucius by the collar. "I'm warning you! Keep your tantrums out of my territory. You're nothing

more than a coward, and you dare to insult me? I'll have you picking up your teeth off the floor!"

Chase dragged Lucius out of the booth, tossing him into the corridor. The bodyguards, despite their

pain, quickly picked up Lucius and left.

Magnus, James, and Carter left the booth, masking their faces before stepping into the neon lights of

the entertainment city.

Lucius, being propped up by his bodyguards, stumbled past a man with a mask. Two other masked

men followed behind him, one with a cold, menacing aura.

Lucius chuckled. "What's with the masks? Trying to play gangsters?"

He signaled his bodyguards to take him home.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom passed by the Andersen Corporation building under the neon lights. The man

in the car glanced at the towering building, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Magnus returned to Sapphire Island. Linden was already waiting for him,

wheeling him into the villa.

"What's her status today?" Magnus asked Linden, referring to Natalia.

Linden answered, "Ma'am cleaned the bathroom and the bedroom today. Then she was on her phone

for the rest of the day. The maids heard her crying at noon. She stayed in her room in the afternoon

and barely ate dinner."

Magnus' handsome face darkened. So, she was crying already, and it was only the second day.

“Good, Kendra,” Magnus thought. “We have a long way to go. Let's see how long you can keep this

up.”

"But, I have a hunch that Ma'am isn't as they've been investigating. She's gentle with the staff and very

humble. She does everything you've asked of her and does it well. She doesn't carry herself like a

spoiled heiress. She doesn't seem like a scheming girl." Linden furrowed his brows.

Magnus closed his eyes, whispering, "Could she be pretending? To gather information for Lucius, could

she be feigning innocence?"

Linden was about to retort when Magnus wheeled his way into the study's en-suite bathroom. It was

immaculate, not a speck of dust in sight. His frown deepened. "Find out who she's been in contact with

today!"

"Yes, sir!" Linden exited the bedroom and headed straight for the basement on the ground floor.

Magnus wheeled himself directly into Natalia's room. A small lump was evident on the large bed, and

the room was eerily silent. He couldn't even hear her breathing.

Magnus quietly rolled his wheelchair to the foot of her bed and casually turned on the bedside lamp.

Natalia was on the bed sleeping peacefully, and her face was turned to the side.