The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 13

"That's not necessarily true. If you keep working on your physical therapy, you'll be able to stand again. You can't give up!" Natalia blurted, forgetting she was still sitting on Magnus’ lap. If she could help his legs recover, that would be ideal, because even if he found out she wasn't his sister, he would forgive her, wouldn't he?

"Do you want me to stand up? Afraid I'll fight your beloved one for the family fortune?" Magnus looked at her coldly.

Natalia noticed his sudden icy demeanor and realized she was still sitting on his lap, a position that could have been misinterpreted. She hastily stood up. "Of course, I want you to stand up. Even if you have to fight... Mr. Lucius for the family fortune, you need a healthy body, don't you? I read about it in this book. If you diligently do physical therapy, there will come a day when you'll be able to stand again."

Natalia finished her sentence and handed Magnus the cup of tea from the table.

After a sip of tea, Magnus left the study room in his wheelchair. Natalia sighed and picked up her book to continue reading on the balcony.

After a while, Linden came to call her for lunch. When she went downstairs, she saw the table full of food. "Where is Mr. Magnus?"

Linden replied, "He went out. He'll be back tonight."

Natalia was surprised. "Then all this food is going to be wasted. Let's all eat together."

This was the habit of the wealthy. They would throw away the leftovers after the first meal.

After lunch, Natalia spent the entire afternoon reading. She ate a little bit in the evening and went back to her room to continue reading.

As the day turned into night, she remained in her chair, engrossed in the book about massage techniques. The night was quiet, and Magnus hadn't returned yet. Natalia, tired from reading, fell asleep in her chair on the balcony.

A car stopped at the beach at ten o'clock at night. The man got out and looked at the quiet villa. He walked directly into the villa, leaving the car behind on the beach.

Magnus quietly went upstairs. The weariness was evident on his face. He paused in front of Natalia's room, staring at the door handle. He gently pushed the door open. The room was pitch black.

Without turning on the light, he stepped in, and by the moonlight, he noticed the absence of Natalia on the bed. He was taken aback. Where could she have gone in the middle of the night?

Just as he was about to reach for his mask, he saw Natalia sleeping on the balcony from the corner of his eye.

He walked over quietly. There she was, lying peacefully in the chair, holding the book she was reading in the morning. Her long hair cascaded down the back of the chair. Under the moonlight, her smooth face beautifully contrasted against her dark hair, making Magnus hold his breath. He took the book from her hand, picked her up, and carried her to the bed. She was light as a feather, sleeping soundly in his arms. Her long eyelashes cast a shadow on her eyelids.

Magnus tucked her into bed, and seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he felt a slight stir in his heart.

From her behavior and attitude these past few days, she didn't seem like the lady of the Clarkson family at all. Even if she was pretending, she couldn't fake it so well. Perhaps their family feud shouldn't involve women. She was just a pawn, and it wasn't her fault that she fell for a man. The mistake was that the man happened to be Lucius! Therefore, she was destined to sacrifice her happiness in this life.

Magnus watched Natalia lying on the bed. Under the moonlight, her face was as dazzling as stars, exuding a soft beauty. He sighed, tucked her in, and left the room.

The next morning, Magnus was still groggy when he felt something moving on his leg. He opened his eyes wide, almost kicking out in surprise.

He saw a dark head bent over his bed, and two small hands slowly massaging his leg. It was Natalia, back to massage his legs. How dare she!

He wasn’t even awake, and she was touching his legs.

Her hands were stronger than yesterday. The sensation was like an electric current spreading through his legs.

He looked at her, but Natalia didn’t know he was awake. She kept massaging his legs. After all, he couldn’t feel it, so it wouldn’t wake him up. She just wanted to do something to help him. If it could make his legs a bit better, even if it meant massaging his legs every day, she was willing to keep doing it.

Suddenly, she felt his leg had become extremely rigid, and hot. She was slightly surprised. She looked up at Magnus and met his dark gaze. He was staring at her, causing Natalia to jump up in fright. "Mr. Magnus... I wanted to give you a massage. I didn't mean to disturb you. I read in the book that early morning is the best time to intensify the massage. Knowing that your legs are numb, I thought I could help you. I'm sorry."

She stood in front of Magnus' bed, wearing a plain white dress. Her petite body was slightly trembling, and her face was covered with fine fuzz. The sunlight from the pentagonal window directly shone on her face, giving it a glow. Her clean eyes were looking at Magnus lying on the bed. She was afraid that he would get angry and strangle her.

Magnus moved to sit up, and with a push, he smoothly moved to the edge of the bed and into his wheelchair. He glided towards the bathroom. At the entrance to the dressing room, he turned to look at her. "Come and help me change."

His deep gaze held no anger, just a calm expression. He elegantly entered the bathroom.

"…Okay." Natalia quickly walked over and waited by the bathroom door with his clothes.

After a while, the sound of water stopped, and the bathroom door opened.

Natalia looked up to see Magnus in the wheelchair. He was wearing a black bathrobe, and his hair was wet and dripping.

He had his chest partially exposed, his bronzed skin glowing under the light. His gaze was as deep as the sea, staring at the girl standing at the doorway.

Natalia quickly lowered her head. "Mr. Magnus, your clothes." She handed him the clothes, but he glided past her towards the bed.

"Help me put them on over here." He stopped in front of the bed, waiting for Natalia to help him dress.

Natalia silently looked at his wet hair; hearing he wanted her to help him dress, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly dried his hair with a towel, then handed him his shirt and shorts.

"Mr. Magnus, you should put on your underwear yourself. I…" She lowered her head, unsure of how to help him dress.

"What? You don't want to help me dress?" Magnus’ gaze was fixed on Natalia.

Today, she was dressed in a snow-white sundress that accentuated her petite yet curvaceous figure. Undoubtedly, she had a body to die for, and any dress she wore seemed to take on an air of elegance and style. She was as pure as a water lily floating on a pristine lake, and her voice no louder than a mosquito’s whisper; yet, Magnus heard every word clearly.

"You can't dress me?" A frown darkened his face. “Is it that you can’t, or you won’t?”

“Don’t you forget, you’re already my wife, and these are the things you should be doing. Or do you regret marrying a cripple? Do you wish to return to your beloved? Hmm?” His voice suddenly fluctuated, and the deep and indifferent tone laced with mockery.