When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 178

They were in a completely different league from the hired muscle Shirley had brought.

Artina, now defenseless, was grabbed by a bodyguard who tried to force her to her knees. She twisted away, crying out, “Wait, wait! Mr. Nash, how much are you going to make them drink? That much alcohol can be dangerous!”

“And now you’re concerned about the dangers of forcing someone to drink?” Yosef asked, his voice dripping with irony.

Artina was at a loss for words. “It wasn’t my idea, it was just…”

“After they drink, take them to have their stomachs pumped,” Yosef interrupted, his gaze fixed on her. “If they still haven’t learned their lesson, make them drink again. And again. Until they do.”

Artina’s eyes widened in horror. In that moment of distraction, the bodyguard kicked the back of her knees, sending her crashing to the floor. The humiliation was absolute.

“Apologize,” the bodyguard commanded, shoving her head down without a hint of compassion.

Artina gritted her teeth. She would not apologize. Jethro hadn’t even arrived yet. She couldn’t give in now.

“Mr. Nash…” she began, trying to plead with him.

“Apologize,” he repeated, cutting her off.

His cold, unyielding demeanor was terrifying. For a moment, Artina was paralyzed by fear.

Just then, the greeter at the entrance announced in a loud, clear voice, “The matriarch of the Nash family has arrived!”

Artina’s eyes lit up. With a surge of renewed hope, she struggled to her feet. Without a command from Yosef, the bodyguard let her go. She rushed to intercept her friends, who were about to be dragged out of the hall.

“My future mother-in-law is here!” she whispered excitedly. “I refuse to believe she’ll side with an outsider like Henrietta over me!”

“Exactly,” one of them chimed in. “You’re the one who’s officially engaged to Jethro Nash! That Henrietta has a long dating history. She’s hardly pure. The Nash family would never accept someone like her. Even if Yosef does like her, her status in the family will never be as high as yours!”

“Right, right,” another agreed. “I bet Yosef was just putting on a show for her. Now that your mother-in-law is here, he’ll have to back down. I heard the Nash siblings are very close.”

“She was clever to sneak off and call for backup,” a third added. “But the person she called is no match for Artina’s connections! Now that Artina’s mother-in-law is here, Henrietta will be the one apologizing to us!”

Their confidence restored, they eagerly followed Artina as she went to greet Zelina, her smile sweet and her voice cloying. “Zelina, you’re here! Why didn’t Jethro come with you? Please, come this way.”

She mentioned Jethro deliberately, a reminder to Zelina that she was the woman he had chosen, a fact that was a source of immense pride throughout Juno City. She still couldn’t believe that a single piece of candy given to him after a chance encounter in their childhood had made her the object of his affection for all these years.

Artina’s innocent, sweet-faced appearance was her greatest asset. As long as she kept her true nature hidden, people saw her as a simple, sweet girl.

She smiled brightly and reached out to take Zelina’s arm, an intimate gesture designed to cement their new relationship.