The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)
Chapter 400

The moment the blonde bombshell tried to assert her grip on him, James deftly twisted out of her clutches with a casual backhand motion. Wiping his mouth and wearing a puzzled expression, he asked, "Who the hell are you?"

As James' words hung in the air, Angela's eyes filled with hurt. "Darling, don't you remember me?"

"What? No, who are you, really? Barging in here calling me 'darling?"" James shook his head in disbelief. "Look, lady, I might have the charm of a young Brad Pitt, but this isn't how you pick up a guy." Angela stepped back, evidently wounded by his words. "Sweetie, have you truly forgotten me? Don't you recall that one wild night at the bar over a year ago?"

James shrugged with a smirk. "A wild night? Babe, I've never had a 'wild night' with anyone. You must be mistaken..."

Mid-sentence, James halted.

Back in his younger days, he had indeed lived it up, but as time went on, his interest in the opposite sex had cooled. Aside from the occasional hookup, he seldom went out of his way to seek female company. Except for that one time...

It was a little over a year ago when he had followed his buddy Magnus to England to corner Callum at his castle, succeeding at last in helping Magnus win back Natalia. That night, in high spirits, he had hit the local pub for a few drinks.

As the night wore on, a sassy girl with bold makeup and a revealing outfit collided with him. It was like fate. The encounter ignited a spark in James.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps he had just been too pent up. It was unclear who seduced whom first, but James vividly remembered the craziness of that night. The girl's tantalizing figure had wrapped around him until dawn, leaving him barely able to walk straight in the morning.

It was a consensual one-night stand, no strings attached, just adults having fun. James left with a swagger at sunrise and did not even say goodbye.

He still sometimes dreamt of that fiery girl, but he'd never believe that the vision before him was that same girl from the bar. The difference was night and day.

"Uh... you are...?" James asked again, uncertain. "Where exactly did we meet?"

Angela's curly locks whipped through the air in frustration. "I've been searching for you for over a year, and this is how you act? You don't remember how you caressed my feet that night in the bar in England while calling me 'sweetheart?""

James choked on his drink as Natalia and Lexi tried to stifle their laughter at Angela's brazenness.

James turned crimson, regretting his past actions. All he had wanted was to please the girl for the night. Now, thanks to Angela's words, he seemed like a sleaze.

"You don't remember at all, do you?" Angela said, shaking her head in disappointment. "I've been unable to forget you. I remember the sexy, old scar on your left shoulder blade, the cute bull tattoo on your hip, and even your butt..."

"Stop!"

James cut her off before she could reveal more about the tattoo on his rear. "Right, right, I remember now. You're that feisty little kitten from the bar, the one with all the passion. It's definitely you." Natalia and Lexi were close to bursting with laughter, burying their faces in their palms, and their shoulders shaking silently.

Meanwhile, Callum and Magnus couldn't contain themselves. Callum let out a hearty laugh, teasing, "Oh, James, a cute bull tattoo on your hip?"

"And what's on your butt, buddy? You've kept that a secret all these years! Let's hear it; give us a good laugh!" Magnus joined in.

James' ears reddened as he cleared his throat and tried to sound composed. "What's so funny? Everyone has their wild stories!"

"Sure, but not everyone has a cute bull tattoo on their hip." Magnus laughed again.

"That's my zodiac sign, you jerk!" James shot back at Magnus, then turned to Angela, who was gazing at him with starry eyes. "So, what brings you here after all this time? You're not looking to rekindle an old flame, are you?"

"How did you know?" Angela's mouth dropped open in surprise.

James inwardly cursed his loose tongue. He'd seen too many of his friends fall prey to complicated relationships and was determined not to let that happen to him. To avoid any misinterpretation, James decided to set the record straight. "Look, gorgeous, it's been over a year. Whatever we had is probably long gone. I'm sorry, but it's best to move on."

I

As he tried to usher the unexpected guest out, Angela stood her ground. "That won't do! We have a child together! I gave you my most precious gift that night, and then I got pregnant."

Everyone gasped, and Natalia and Lexi turned their gaze to James, shocked to hear he might be a father.

Magnus and Callum, however, reacted differently. Magnus clicked his tongue in admiration. "Wow, James, you've got a kid? Impressive!"

But Callum, fuming, rolled up his sleeves and advanced on James. "So you're the one who's been making me take the fall for nothing? We've got some settling to do!"

Before Callum could take two steps, Lexi grabbed him. "Hold up, what 'fall' are you talking about?"

Callum halted in his tracks, pointing an accusing finger at James with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Lexi, do you have any idea why I've been off the grid these past few days? It was all to track down this jerk! He knocked up Angela, and the poor girl ended up having a baby. Then, her old man pushed her into a shotgun wedding, of all things. And to cover for him, can you believe she had the gall to say I was the father of her kid? No way, I'm not anyone's scapegoat!"

Lexi's eyes widened as the pieces clicked into place, but Angela, standing nearby, bristled at Callum's words. She shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Hold your horses, Callum," she snapped. "Who said you had to take the fall? Don't flatter yourself!"