The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

As the auditorium emptied, Anna remained lost in thought, still captivated by Jonas' speech. There was something about him that felt so close, so familiar, as if he were a long-lost relative with whom she shared a bond of blood. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Anna chuckled to herself. The only family she had was her brother, Johansonn.

"Excuse me, miss, what's your name? How old are you?"

Startled from her reverie, Anna looked up to find Jonas standing before her, his gaze warm and inviting. For some reason, his smile felt like a spring breeze, warm and comforting. She stood up excitedly, responding with a smile, "My name's Grace, and I'm ten years old."

Jonas' eyes briefly sparkled as they met Anna's blue ones, seeing a resemblance to his mother, Natalia. But his hope faded when he heard her answer.

For a fleeting moment, when the girl had looked up at him, he felt a striking familiarity, as if she had his mother's eyes. But the world was full of look-alikes; Jonas cautiously inquired more about Anna, secretly hoping she was his long-lost sister. What a wonderful twist of fate it would be if she were!

However, Grace was ten, and his sister Anna was just nine.

With a disappointed sigh, Jonas let his head drop. He had been wishful thinking - this girl was not his missing sister. Besides, his sister, whom Gabby had abducted, couldn't possibly be in such a prestigious school.

Blinking in confusion, Anna asked Jonas, "Major Jonas, do you ask for any particular reason?"

The smile vanished from Jonas' face, and he gave Anna a cursory glance. "No reason." he said before walking away, his manner suddenly cool. The girl wasn't his sister, and he realized he had let his emotions get the better of him for a moment.

Anna watched Jonas' retreating figure, uncertain whether to tell Major Jonas her real age. She wasn't ten at all; she had just turned nine. If it weren't for her brother Johanson giving her a new name and age, she would've still been Anna, aged nine. Johanson had said they needed to add a year to her age to get into this class because she was a transfer student.

As Anna hesitated, Jonas was already striding away. She thought to herself, maybe it was best to embrace the new name Johanson had given her. The old one could stay buried alongside memories of Gabby. At the thought of Gabby, a bittersweet smile crept onto Anna's face. Gabby had told Anna before she died that she wasn't her real mother, and that her biological parents lived far away in Melfort. Melfort was so distant that she probably would never find her real mom and dad in this lifetime.

The sound of a bicycle bell chimed from outside, pulling Anna from her thoughts. She turned to see Johanson astride his bike, beaming at her. Her mood instantly brightened. It didn't matter if she never found her biological parents - she had Johanson, who treated her like his own sister. What more could she ask for?

With this realization, Anna picked up her backpack and walked toward Johanson, calling out sweetly, "Johanson."

Johanson handed her a bottled milkshake. "Heard you had a presentation today. Figured the room might be stuffy, so I brought you a milkshake to cool down. Drink up!"

Anna's heart swelled with warmth. Johanson always doted on her, caring for her every need. She took the milkshake, her eyes curving into a smile. "Thanks."

"Alright, off you go back to class. I've got to run. The kids are waiting for my coaching," Johanson said, pedaling away with effortless cool.

He'd taken a shine to cycling, loving the exhilarating feel of the wind after a good ride, especially when Anna's small hands wrapped around his waist. It made him feel like he had the whole world in his grasp.

*

Invited to Canada for a three-day stay at a renowned boarding school, Jonas found himself wandering into the library one evening. The hushed ambiance was only broken by the soft rustling of pages as students immersed themselves in their studies.

Jonas was on the hunt for a calculus textbook, but as he reached for the book, he noticed Grace, the same girl from the day's event, sitting at a nearby desk, engrossed in a book well beyond her age. Impressed, he quietly took a seat next to her, occasionally stealing glances at the diligent girl.

"Brother!" The soft call snapped Jonas out of his reverie. He had longed to hear someone call him that in the countless sleepless nights.

Looking up, he saw it was Grace on the phone, not calling out to him but to her own brother. He envied the boy who had Grace as a sister. Her sweetness was a rare treasure.

Watching her chat on the phone, Jonas wished he could find his sister and hear her call him with the same affection.

He observed as Grace packed her bag and left. Her brother was probably waiting outside to take her home. Jonas smiled faintly at the sight of such a well-behaved child.

His days in Canada flew by, and before leaving, Jonas made a point to pass by Anna's classroom. Seeing her hard at work, he felt a sense of closure. As Anna focused on her studies, an unnoticed smile graced Jonas' face. Maybe, deep down in his subconscious, he'd already adopted the girl with the same blue eyes as his mom, as his little sister.

"Good luck, kiddo. Hope you live a life that's nothing short of amazing!" Jonas whispered to himself, turning on his heel and heading toward the school gates. He had booked his return flight for today, pondering if he'd ever encounter such a sweet and well-behaved girl again.

No sooner had Jonas' silhouette vanished from the window than Anna, who was in the middle of a lesson, felt her heart suddenly tighten, a piercing pain that was hard to bear.

This sensation... it was like that year when she had let go of the young boy her brother Johanson had thrown into the dungeon. Clutching her chest and furrowing her brows, she tried to focus on the lecture, clueless as to why her heart was suddenly aching so.