When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 282

The main reason for her silence was that Yosef was holding her hand, his grip a little tight. Hector had had enough to drink and needed to rest, so Henrietta and Yosef announced they were heading back to Elysium Manor. "Alright," Sabrina said. "You two go get some rest." She walked them to the main entrance, and Quinton naturally followed to see them off. Just as they were about to get in the car, Henrietta stopped. "I'd like to have a word with Quinton." She felt a brief farewell was the most appropriate gesture. Yosef raised an eyebrow slightly, then released her hand. "Of course." He got into the car first but left the window down. Henrietta walked over to Quinton and, in front of Sabrina, asked, "Quinton, are you sure you've thought this through? You really want an arranged marriage?" Quinton was taken aback for a second before nodding. "Since I'm agreeing to it, of course I've thought it through." Henrietta pressed her lips together. "Alright, then I wish you happiness in advance. I hope you'll be happy after you're married." Quinton stared at her, momentarily lost in her gaze. The pain in his heart hadn't stopped for a second. Would he… ever be happy again? No. His happiness had always been in her hands, and that would never change. Sabrina nudged Quinton. "What are you thinking about? Henrietta is talking to you." Snapping back to reality, Quinton gave a slight nod. "Yes. I'll try my best." Henrietta nodded back, then turned to Sabrina. "Mom, we're leaving now." "Okay, go on home and rest. Yosef drank quite a bit," Sabrina said. "We will," Henrietta replied with a smile. Calvert held the car door open for her, and she slipped inside. The moment she was in, Yosef pulled her into a tight embrace. The scene, of course, did not escape Quinton's eyes. But two seconds later, the car window rolled up. Once the car had driven off the Sargent property, Yosef finally spoke. "So, your brother is getting an arranged marriage. Any thoughts?" Henrietta's lips formed a thin line. "Mr. Nash… what thoughts do you think I should have?" The faint, sweet scent of wine clung to Yosef. "You really don't have any thoughts at all?" "I hope he finds happiness and lives a good life after he gets married," Henrietta said honestly. Yosef leaned in, his lips brushing against her earlobe. "Since when did my wife become so concerned about others? Whether he lives a good life or not is none of your business." "..." Henrietta felt he was being a little unreasonable. "Mr. Nash, you were the one who asked for my thoughts." "And you still shouldn't be worrying about him," Yosef retorted. For a moment, Henrietta was speechless, but she relented. "Fine. I won't worry about it." Yosef seemed satisfied with that. "But you're right," Henrietta added. "It's not something I can worry about anyway. I was just offering a simple blessing." Yosef didn't respond. After a moment, he asked, "In your heart, you think Quinton is a pretty good guy, don't you?" Henrietta thought about it seriously. "Well, yes, I suppose. There's never been anything fundamentally wrong with his character. Everyone can see that." Hearing this, Yosef's expression soured. "Is that so?" Henrietta looked at him. "Are you upset? My brother getting married… isn't that a good thing?" "Then tell me," Yosef pressed, "what's so good about Quinton?" "..." "Well..." Henrietta was at a loss for words. She had a feeling that if she told the truth, Yosef would only get more upset. So she hedged, "He's not especially good, just… decent, I guess." Yosef, seemingly emboldened by the wine, latched onto the issue. "How is he 'decent'?" Henrietta looked at him suspiciously. "Are you implying… that my brother is a bad person?" To her surprise, Yosef, who rarely spoke ill of anyone, nodded. "Yes. Quite bad." Henrietta's eyes widened slightly. "Why would you think that?" "It's a fact," Yosef stated flatly. For a moment, Henrietta didn't know how to respond, so she said nothing at all. After a pause, Yosef took her hand. "Henrietta, as the legally adopted son of your family, he is equivalent to a biological son. Besides the lack of blood ties, everything else is the same." Henrietta took a deep breath. "I know." "Therefore," Yosef continued, "the worst, most unforgivable thing he did was to develop inappropriate feelings for you." "I know that, too," Henrietta said. "I've been trying to keep my distance, but he is, after all…" "After all what?" Yosef interrupted her for the first time. "After all, he's your brother?" Henrietta frowned. "What are you trying to say?" "It's precisely because he's your brother that he never should have harbored those feelings. If he was going to hide them, he should have hidden them for a lifetime, without ever letting a single hint show. That would have been true strength. But he couldn't even hide them properly, leaving them half-exposed and forcing you to keep your distance. Henrietta, that is your home." Henrietta was stunned. Was Yosef… angry? What was he so angry about? Seeing her dazed expression, Yosef pressed on. "That is your home, and no matter how good Quinton is, he's not their biological son. You are your parents' only daughter. Why should you have to tiptoe around in your own home? What do you need to avoid? Why should you be the one keeping your distance? He's pushed you to this point, and you still say he's a good person?" Henrietta stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. So… he was angry on her behalf? It was almost as if… he was hurting for her. But was this the first time… he had ever seemed to lose his temper with her?