When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 261

Matteo’s throat went dry. He couldn’t force out a single word. Pamela and Dexter fell silent, too. Once the room was quiet, Yosef finally spoke. “You’re after nearly ten million dollars? Even as a parting gift, that’s a pathetic amount. Are you so poor that you can’t even afford to be in a relationship?” Yosef’s gaze pinned Matteo. His voice was calm, devoid of emotion, but the mockery was absolute. Matteo was speechless, completely at a loss for words. Pamela, mustering her courage, whispered through clenched teeth, “Eight or nine million might be pocket change to you, but to us… that money is our entire life’s work.” To this, Yosef offered a single, dismissive response. “Hah.” Matteo’s face burned with humiliation. In the contest between men—a battle of money, power, and influence—he was outmatched by Yosef in every conceivable way. It was utterly hopeless. But the older couple didn’t grasp the bigger picture. To them, that money was everything. “That’s right,” Dexter chimed in. “They broke up a long time ago. You’ve already taken the house back, so it’s only fair that she returns the money to my son. Otherwise… it just doesn’t make sense.” Pamela nodded furiously. If they couldn’t keep the villa, they had to get the money back. She was drowning in regret for ever encouraging Matteo to give Henrietta all that cash just to win her over, only for that shameless harlot to turn around and marry someone else. Of course she had to pay it back. She had to. Yosef glanced at Matteo. “Is that so?” he asked, his voice low. Matteo remained silent, unable to breathe under the weight of Yosef's presence. Henrietta didn’t have to say a word; Yosef knew she had no intention of returning the money. He turned his attention back to Matteo, his words sharp and direct. “You have the audacity to date when you’re broke? My wife has been the most beautiful woman in Juno City since she was a girl, born into a top-tier family. She gave up an arranged marriage to a man of equal standing to waste years of her youth on you. She’s the one who lifted you up, which is how you managed to earn that eight or nine million and become an A-list actor. You’ve barely managed to make a name for yourself in this city. Are you sure you want her to give that money back to you?” Hearing those words from the man who had replaced him was the ultimate humiliation. Matteo was mortified. He might have been able to argue with Henrietta, but hearing the exact same truth from Yosef’s lips, he found he had no defense. Seeing his pathetic state, Yosef sneered with contempt. “So shortsighted. What’s the matter? Are you done with your career in Juno City?” Those two sentences jolted Matteo back to reality. That was right. He still needed Henrietta’s influence. He had been swept up in the emotion of the moment, losing all perspective. His only thought had been that if the villa was gone, he should get his savings back. He’d completely forgotten that he still had a future to build. “She can keep the money,” Matteo said abruptly. “Son, how could you…” Pamela started to protest. “Be quiet!” Matteo snapped, cutting her off. Dexter quickly pulled his wife back, and Pamela finally understood the situation. Yosef had no desire to spend another second there. He turned to Henrietta. “My dear, it’s time to go home.” Henrietta nodded. As they stood up, Yosef instructed, “Calvert, leave a few men here to assist with the eviction.” “Yes, sir,” Calvert replied, bowing his head. Back at Elysium Manor, after they had dinner, Yosef tried to pull Henrietta into the shower with him. They had just been intimate, and Henrietta wasn't ready to be so casual. Her face flushed, and she pushed him away gently. “You… you go first.” She remembered she hadn't taken her pill yet. This was the perfect opportunity. As the flush crept up her neck, Yosef felt a low, heavy thrum of desire settle in his gut, shattering the last of his iron self-control. “Alright, I’ll go first,” he said, ever respectful of her boundaries. As he headed to the bathroom, Henrietta retrieved the box of emergency contraception from her purse. After carefully reading the instructions, she put it back and went to get a glass of water. When she returned to the bedside, water in hand, she froze. Yosef was sitting on the bed, having emerged from the bathroom at some point, holding the small box and examining it. Henrietta was speechless. When he saw her, Yosef looked up, his gaze cool and silent. Henrietta hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. She placed the glass on the nightstand and explained softly, “You said you wanted to wait a couple of years to have kids… I was afraid that if my luck was too good and it happened on the first try, it would… complicate things.” With their financial stability, they couldn’t possibly consider not keeping the baby if she got pregnant. But having one now would certainly derail some of their plans. Yosef nodded. “You’re right. It’s just… that pill isn’t good for your body.” He reached out, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. “Just this once. I’ll use a condom from now on.” Henrietta nodded, her face turning red again. But Yosef didn’t let her go. “Isn’t there a pill for men?” he asked suddenly, his voice laced with frustration. “It’s okay,” Henrietta said. “Just this once won’t have any real effect on my health.” Yosef grunted in agreement but still held her, savoring the quiet, tender moment. Henrietta didn’t rush to take the pill, content to stay in his embrace. After a moment, Yosef murmured, “Baby…” Henrietta froze, her heart starting to beat a little faster. He… he’d never called her that before, not with such intimacy. A fresh blush crept up her neck. She never thought hearing him call her ‘baby’ would feel so… different.