When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 172

Before Winona could finish, the short-haired girl cut her off. “Grab those two! Make them drink!”

This time, however, almost all the company employees stood up. “What’s going on? Ms. Harmon, what do you think you’re doing?”

Sensing the shift, the short-haired girl, whose name was Shirley, quickly tried to smooth things over. “Everyone, calm down! It’s not a big deal, and it has nothing to do with Artina. Ms. Sargent was just being disrespectful and unreasonable! We wanted to thank her for promoting Artina by toasting her, but she wouldn’t even lift her glass. It was incredibly insulting, so I got angry!”

“But don’t worry,” Shirley continued, raising her voice. “This is just between me and Ms. Sargent. Besides, she’s not the only one who can open a production company. Artina’s fiancé is about to start one for her! And when he does, you’re all welcome to join! For any artists who want to come over, he’ll even cover the contract termination fees!”

“So, really, this is our private matter. Please, sit down and enjoy your dinner!”

A murmur went through the crowd. Artina’s fiancé was starting a new company for her? That would require a massive investment, not to mention the cost of buying out artists’ contracts.

Suddenly, the employees were frozen, unsure whether to step forward or stay back. It wasn't that they were all eager to jump ship, but it was clear that when titans clashed, a pawn could easily get crushed. Still, they couldn't just sit down; they were all Henrietta's employees. Besides, this Shirley girl was just talking big; she couldn’t make those kinds of promises.

The atmosphere was thick with tension.

Artina grabbed Shirley’s arm, putting on a show. “That’s enough, Shirley, you’ve gone too far! If you keep this up, I’m going to get angry!”

“Let me go, Artina!” Shirley retorted. “I’m not letting her get away with this. It was her fault from the beginning, so why should I back down?”

She turned and pointed dramatically toward Henrietta’s seat, only to find… it was empty.

Shirley’s eyes widened. “Did she run away? Find her!” she ordered the bodyguards.

Henrietta had indeed slipped away during the commotion to make her call. The noise from the employees all standing up had provided the perfect cover.

The bodyguards, taking Shirley’s orders seriously, started to search for her.

Shirley laughed mockingly. “The great heiress of the Sargent family, the big boss, is a coward! She actually ran away and left her useless teammates behind! Hahaha!”

Her laughter was echoed by her four friends, their scorn filling the air.

Charlotte trembled with rage. “You’re asking for it. Fine, just you wait! We’ll see who’s laughing in the end!”

“You had your chance to drink when we were being polite,” Shirley retorted. “This is what happens when you refuse a toast! Well? Is she drinking or not?”

“I’ll drink,” Winona said firmly. “What’s five measly bottles?”

“Fine,” Shirley said. “Since you’re so eager to protect your master, I’ll give you a chance. Go ahead. Drink. Buy your master some time to call for backup.”

Henrietta had slipped into a corner of the banquet hall, hiding behind a large column with her phone. She was calling Yosef.

She hadn’t wanted to bother him, but she hadn’t anticipated Artina’s calculated trap, or how her friends would escalate the situation step by step.

Her hesitation stemmed from a strange silence on his end. They hadn’t spoken since last night, and aside from his one message explaining himself, he had been uncharacteristically quiet today.

Normally, he would video call her in the evening and send texts during her day, always starting with a “good morning.”

But today… nothing. It left her feeling uneasy, even wondering if he might reject her call. But now, she had no other choice.