Chapter 210
The Imposter Bride
She wouldnât remember her precious baby, who was taken away far too soon.
With that thought, Nataliaâs hand involuntarily caressed her abdomen. The scar there began to throb with a dull pain.
Once, it had nurtured a tiny life, but due to her carelessness, the little one never got to see the colorful world before his time came too soon.
Sighâ¦
Natalia heaved a long sigh, and a tear trickled down her cheek, for herself and her unfortunate baby.
âButtercup, if you want to cry, let it out. Seeing you holding back emotions makes me feel worse,â
Callum said, using a tissue to gently wipe the tear from her cheek.
From the moment they boarded the plane, Callum had been carefully observing Nataliaâs expressions.
Callum saw her downcast, almost tearful demeanor, and felt an overwhelming sense of regret; he wished he had punched that bastard Magnus a couple more times.
Magnus was the one to blame!
Natalia removed her eye mask, and guiltily looked at the bruise on Callumâs face. âCal, Iâm so sorry.
Does it hurt?â
Callum burst out laughing. âNot at all. Didnât you see how I made his jaw fly? If that scumbag ever crosses my path again, Iâll beat him so badly that even his parents would not recognize him!â
Natalia noticed Callumâs nonchalant behavior and felt even more guilty. She knew Callum didnât want her to worry. He always downplayed things. As for Magnus, there would never be any interaction between them. There probably wouldnât be a next time, would there?
âButtercup, donât let anything upset you. Letâs just consider today as having run into a mad dog and, unfortunately, getting bit. Once we reach England, weâll forget all the unpleasantness.â Callum gazed at Natalia with deep affection. âWe agreed before we left, that once we return, we will have a grand wedding. When that time comes, you have to be my beautiful bride.â
Looking into Callumâs earnest eyes, Natalia, for a moment, couldnât bear to meet his gaze. âCal, Iâ¦â
Seeing the obvious panic in Nataliaâs eyes, Callum felt a pang in his heart. He knew Magnus was the rotten apple spoiling the barrel. Without Magnus, Natalia would definitely not be like this.
However, Callum didnât show his feelings. His Buttercup was feeling down, but that was okay, he could wait. Once they returned to England, Callum would patiently wait for his Buttercup to say she wanted to marry him.
If one year wasnât enough, then two years, if two years werenât enough, then three years. Even if it took five years, it was okay. He had time. As long as his Buttercup wanted to get married, he would always be her one and only love!
As for Magnus, that jerk, if he dared to come to England, Callum certainly wouldnât let him off easily.
Callum would definitely settle old and new scores with him.
âButtercup, we still have a while before we arrive. You should rest for now,â Callum said, replacing the eye mask on Natalia.
He had seen the hesitation in her eyes, so, he wouldnât allow her any opportunity to reject him. She was his Buttercup, and he wouldnât allow anyone to covet her! He would spend a lifetime protecting her and loving her!
âOkay, I understand.â Natalia knew Callum was trying to comfort her. But after running into Magnus at the airport and remembering all those memories, Natalia really couldnât calm herself down.
She had lost her beloved baby; the pain was too deep. It was something Magnus could never fully understand.
How great would it be if she didnât remember all this, didnât return to Melfort, and didnât run into Magnus?
Though Natalia said she was fine, her furrowed brows and sorrowful eyes betrayed her true feelings, which Callum could see right through.
Callum knew Magnus had hurt her again. He felt a heartâwrenching pain. He immediately reached out to pull Natalia into his arms, gritting his teeth inwardly. âThat bastard Magnus. I definitely wouldnât let him go!â
Once they returned to England and Callum had finally managed to soothe Nataliaâs emotions, he would definitely return and settle the score with that bastard!
Initially, Natalia was to return back home with Callum after having settled her motherâs affairs. Then, she would have been able to let go.
And she could look forward to their wedding day, becoming Callumâs happy bride.
But after unexpectedly running into Magnus at the airport, even after returning to England, Natalia was constantly in a daze, and dwelling on the painful past.
She hated Magnus, his heartlessness, and his indifference. She hated his unfaithfulness and hated him for indirectly causing the death of their child! But the more she hated Magnus, the more she recalled their times together, the more her heart ached. Sometimes, unknowingly, tears would start flowing like rain.
Buttercup, whatâs wrong? Why are you crying?â Callum asked, having entered the room unnoticed. Natalia was by the window, reminiscing about the painful past.
Itâs nothing, just thinking about my mom and feeling a bit sad.â Not expecting him to see her in such a state, Natalia felt a bit guilty. Hastily, she wiped her tears away and tried to play down her emotions.
Soon, she would be Callumâs bride. Though a sliver of hesitation remained in her heart, the fact was irreversible. So, no matter what had transpired between her and Magnus in the past, she couldnât let Cal know, that she was still thinking about Magnus!
Callum knew why she was crying, but he didnât have the heart to expose her. He simply went along with her, saying understandingly, âI understand how you feel, but the past is the past. Donât be too hard on yourself.â
Then, Callum reached out, holding Nataliaâs shoulders, and saying with deep affection yet firm determination, âDonât worry, Buttercup. I will take good care of you in the future. I will ensure your mom rests in peace and make you happy. No matter what has happened in the past, promise me youâll forget about it, okay? You need to let go of the past to embrace a better future, donât you think?â
On the surface, Callum seemed as cool as a cucumber, brimming with confidence. But beneath that calm exterior, his heart was in a state of turmoil.
Ever since they returned from Melfort, Natalia had been in a funk, all thanks to that scoundrel, Magnus.
Even though Callum was desperate to help, he felt completely powerless when it came to Nataliaâs situation.
His worst fear was that even though Natalia detested Magnus with every fiber of her being, she could have still harbored feelings for him. What if Magnus relentlessly pursued her, reigniting the old flame?