When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 177

Throughout Juno City, it was doubtful that any other heiress, even from the most prominent families, would dare to speak to Yosef with such defiance. It was well-known that the Nash and Sargent families were close, but this was beyond mere familiarity. This was arrogance.

From an outsider’s perspective, Henrietta was clearly in the wrong. Artina had humbled herself, offering apologies and toasts, yet Henrietta had refused to even touch her glass. It was a blatant provocation.

Seeing her opportunity, Cheryl couldn’t resist a snide remark. “With Ms. Sargent’s current status, I suppose she doesn’t need a reason.”

The implication was clear: Henrietta, now backed by Yosef, could do whatever she pleased. She could torment anyone for any reason, or for no reason at all.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yosef’s gaze snapped to her. It was a look Cheryl knew all too well, a look that struck terror deep in her soul. She immediately dropped to her knees.

“I spoke out of turn,” she stammered.

It was a self-inflicted wound. The matter had nothing to do with her, yet she had interjected, only to be terrified into a public display of submission. It was a twisted, almost pathological way of seeking his attention, of craving his punishment now that she could no longer have his affection.

Her dramatic act sent another shockwave through the room. Aside from Calvert and the hotel staff, who were accustomed to such things, everyone else stared in stunned silence. They had never seen an employee so terrified by a single glance from their boss that they would fall to their knees in apology. They all knew the Nash family held immense power, but this was on another level. Was he an emperor?

Yosef paid Cheryl no mind. After a beat of silence, he said simply, “Alright, I understand.”

The crowd was dumbfounded. Was that it? Was Yosef really going to let her off the hook?

It seemed so. He turned his cold gaze to Artina and uttered a single word: “Apologize.”

Artina stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Me… apologize?” she stammered.

“On your knees,” Yosef added, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Yes, sir!” the bodyguards replied.

Panic seized the girls. All their earlier bravado vanished, replaced by terrified cries. “What are you doing? Why us? She was the one who was wrong! Is there no justice in the world?”

But their protests were useless against the professional bodyguards. They were swiftly subdued and dragged toward the exit. One of them struggled violently until a sharp slap across the face silenced her.

Artina’s face went pale as she watched her friends being taken away, her entire support system collapsing in an instant.

“Artina, help us!” one of them cried. “How much do they want us to drink? I can’t hold my liquor!”

It was a pathetic sight, but Yosef was not a man who dealt in mercy. He had brought more than forty of his own personal bodyguards, a formidable force of highly trained professionals.