The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

Chapter 360

James acted swiftly to dissolve the partnership with Stitches Fashion and swiftly filed a lawsuit against

them for maliciously deceiving Andersen Corporation and causing significant financial loss. In the

process, he also brought the main culprits, William and Diana, to court.

The court found Stitches Fashion guilty of fraud and ruled that Andersen Corporation would solely own

the Mangolia brand. No company or individual was allowed to infringe upon it. It also imposed hefty

fines and sentences of two years of hard labor on William and Diana.

For Magnus, these verdicts were of no interest. His heart ached as he framed all the sketches Natalia

had drawn and stored them on his desk. Even though he no longer had the courage to look at those

drafts, the tear stains on them were a constant reminder of his ruthlessness.

In an attempt to find Natalia, Magnus conducted a carpet search throughout Rome, only to find a small

courtyard where she had spent a year.

One day, he dismissed everyone, even James, and visited the small courtyard alone. The yard was Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

deserted, but Natalia's easel and the plants she had cultivated were still there, growing wildly and

blooming brightly.

Magnus strolled through the yard, taking in the scene as if Natalia was still there. He took a deep

breath and closed his eyes. He could almost see Natalia sitting in front of the easel, adding colors to

the drafts with a sense of sorrow and helplessness. The drops of water falling on the ground were the

tears from her eyes, full of pain and helplessness.

Magnus' eyes moistened as he walked from the yard into the house. The lingering scent of magnolia hit

him as he opened the door. The delicate fragrance was heartwarming. Magnus could not help but wrap

his arms around himself as if he were holding Natalia.

Yet, after a long silence, Magnus had to return to reality. The emptiness of the house reminded him that

Natalia had already gone far away.

He toured the rooms of the house—one by one—where Natalia used to live. Her kitchen, her bedroom,

even her bathroom... The empty rooms were filled with Natalia's presence, but he could no longer hear

her cheerful laughter.

Magnus lay quietly on Natalia's bed, whispering, "Nat, if you want to punish me, you've done enough.

I'm already scarred. Please, don't be so cruel. Come back, please. How am I supposed to live without

you?"

Magnus stayed in the courtyard where Natalia used to live for three days and nights, not eating or

drinking, heartbroken. By the time James found him, he was emaciated.

James was furious and pitied Magnus at the same time. "Magnus, look at you! A small setback has

made you lose the will to live! Shouldn't you gather your strength and continue to search for Natalia?

Jonas is waiting for you to take care of him. You...!"

Overwhelmed with anger, James reached out to shake Magnus, who was lying on the bed, only to

discover that he was burning hot, "Damn it, he's got a fever! My God, if I hadn't come looking for you,

were you planning on just burning up and dying?! How could you be so irresponsible!"

Angry as he was, James couldn't just stand by and let Magnus fall ill. He carried Magnus—tall and frail

—out of Natalia's courtyard, put him in his car, and drove away from the place that had broken Magnus'

spirit.

While Magnus was wasting away due to Natalia's departure, Natalia was battling for her life. Every day,

she relied on an oxygen machine to breathe, and intravenous fluids nourished her body.

The sterile room was a scene of utter defeat. The only sounds were the monotonous beeping of the

monitor and Hector's relentless whispers.

"Natalia, I know you can hear me. How are you feeling today? Are you feeling a bit better? Please, get

well soon.

"Natalia, you're a strong girl. I believe you can encourage yourself to overcome this. There's still a

wonderful life waiting for you.

"Natalia, you need to get better soon. Today, I secretly placed a cactus outside your room, hoping you'd

be as tenacious as it is.

"Natalia, I've brought a cactus for you every day. This is the twenty-third one. When are you planning to

open your eyes and see them?

"Natalia, today is the fifty-ninth cactus. The nurse has threatened to throw them all in the trash if I don't

take them away.

"Natalia, the dean agreed to my request. The cacti are now placed on a special rack outside your room.

There are ninety-seven of them. I'm waiting for you to wake up. Wake up, Natalia!

"Natalia, this is the ninety ninth cactus. The girl selling flowers even thought I was interested in her.

Haha, isn't that ridiculous? Natalia, I'm waiting for you to wake up. Hang in there!"

Natalia lay quietly in her hospital bed. The outside world seemed of no use to her. She felt as if she

were walking down a foggy street. The street was cold, damp, endless, uninhabited, and seemingly

silent.

Yes, who was she? Where did she come from?

After a great deal of thinking, Natalia found her mind blank and could only hang her head in defeat. She

couldn't remember anything.

Natalia sprinted after the fleeting figure with all her might. She was panting and gasping by the time she

finally caught up, only to discover it was a child.

A little boy, incredibly adorable, with soft hair and light-blue eyes, beaming a joyous smile at her.

"Who are you? Who am I? Where are we?"

This single word hit Natalia like a bolt of lightning. Suddenly, a flood of memories surged into her mind,

her tumultuous past playing out before her eyes.

Shipwrecked, giving birth, detoxing, escaping...