When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 275

Henrietta knew he would say that. Of course it was hard work. She looked at him, her lips pursed as she said seriously, 'Mr. Nash, what line of work isn't hard? Making money is hard. Building an empire is a struggle. Isn't it exhausting for you... navigating the complexities of a global conglomerate?' Yosef was taken aback for a moment. Indeed, it was very hard. When he was busy, he worked around the clock, and even during his downtime, he could never fully relax. He had to constantly improve, defend, strategize, and control. Every detail was etched into his being; he couldn't dare to let his guard down for a single moment. 'Mm,' Yosef nodded. 'You're right. But it's natural for a man to work hard. You don't have to push yourself so much.' 'It's not that hard for me, actually,' Henrietta said. 'They’re just talent, Henrietta. They don’t hold the power. But I... I have enough power to ensure that I don't have to struggle that much.' Yosef raised an eyebrow. Henrietta explained, 'First of all, I can choose scripts that avoid excessively difficult scenes. Secondly, even if there are tough scenes, I'll have far more people catering to me than they do.' Yosef's gaze deepened. 'I understand,' he said. 'Our Ms. Sargent has plenty of confidence.' Henrietta felt a little embarrassed. 'Mr. Nash, please don't tease me.' Yosef pulled her into his arms. 'I'm not teasing. I'm complimenting you.' In the driver's seat, Calvert felt his heart swell with sweetness. Day in and day out, he was getting a full dose of their romance. Yosef, on the other hand, found Henrietta refreshingly pragmatic. Anyone else might have complained about how hard it was. Filming that night wrapped up at midnight. Artina didn't want to go back to the Harmon residence. She'd be all alone, and her parents still didn't know she and Jethro had broken up. If they found out, they'd probably want to kill her. The night felt too lonely by herself; misery loved company. So, she insisted on going home with Matteo. The events on set had deeply shaken Matteo. Yosef's understated yet overwhelming aura of power had been a profound blow to his ego. He found himself wondering if he had ever made Henrietta feel as happy as she seemed with Yosef. Yosef had even kissed her in public. He'd never even kissed her lips! So, Henrietta must have looked down on him, right? She was just playing with him from the start, wasn't she? The moment a top-tier tycoon appeared, she'd tossed him aside without a second thought. So much for being a pure goddess. In the end, she was just as materialistic as anyone else. But... he had loved Henrietta so much! How could she be so ruthless? Matteo was once again lost in a spiral of conflicting emotions. When Artina said she was coming home with him, he snapped. 'Can you just stop clinging to me?' 'I'm carrying your child in my belly, and you want me to stop clinging to you?!' Artina shot back, her voice a furious whisper. She had no one else to cling to now. Having sunk to the bottom with Matteo, she wasn't about to let him go. The words choked the anger in Matteo's throat. Not wanting to cause a scene, he relented and took Artina home with him. The moment Artina walked in, she gasped, 'Why are we here? Where's your villa?' Matteo tossed his keys onto the table. 'Henrietta took it back.' Artina stood in stunned silence for a long moment before asking, 'So, you're living here now? With your parents?' 'If you have a problem with it, you can get the hell out,' Matteo retorted. Artina took a deep breath and said no more. They went into the bedroom, and Matteo collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted and unwilling to speak. The thought that he had been forced to perform like a clown in front of Yosef was eating him alive. In the freezing cold, half-naked, in a water scene, kissing Artina of all people… all while having to act his heart out. He felt a deep, bone-crushing sense of humiliation. He finally, profoundly understood the unbridgeable chasm between a star and true capital. Artina got onto the bed as well. Matteo closed his eyes and said wearily, 'From now on, all we can do is film this movie and not cause any trouble. And you keep your mouth shut. Don't provoke Henrietta again. Otherwise, I can't help you.' This time, surprisingly, Artina didn't argue. 'I know,' she said quietly. People with no options left have no right to be willful or throw tantrums. After a moment, Artina added, 'But Henrietta's plan to promote us hasn't changed. Once we establish ourselves internationally…' 'What's the use of being international stars?!' Matteo's eyes flew open as he erupted in rage. 'We'd still just be actors! Do you think that makes you a power player? Don't you get it? Even if you worked nonstop for a year, shooting movies and ads, you wouldn't be worth as much as a single word from that man!' Yosef had triggered a deep-seated insecurity in Matteo, and it was now on full display. 'You're comparing yourself to him?' Artina sneered. 'There's no one else like him in the world. What's the point of comparing? Anyway, no matter what, it'll be better than how things are now!' Matteo fell silent. She had a point. Artina wrapped her arms around him, her voice sullen. 'I'm in a bad mood.' When she was in a bad mood, she needed a distraction, a release. Matteo, too, was filled with a burning rage and self-loathing that needed an outlet. They were in perfect sync. Matteo roughly pinned Artina down, hissing, 'If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess! You bitch!' He began to treat her with brutal force. Artina remained silent, letting the pain ground her, a dark distraction from the void in her heart. The pressure she was under was immense, pushing her to the brink of collapse. She needed this to distract her, to grant her a moment's reprieve from her misery. What she didn't expect... was for Matteo, in the heat of the moment, to cry out... Henrietta's name. Artina finally broke. Unwilling to be outdone, she screamed out Yosef's name in response. After all, if she had lost Jethro, then Yosef was also forever out of reach. If Matteo couldn't have Henrietta, he could still call her name. Why couldn't she do the same? Hearing the name, Matteo exploded with fury. He grabbed her by the throat, his voice a venomous rasp. 'Who did you just call?!'