When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 283

Henrietta remained silent. Yosef continued, "'Losing control' is just an excuse people use to justify their selfish desires. If he had decided from the beginning to hide his feelings for a lifetime, he never would have let himself entertain unrealistic hopes after you broke up with your ex. He should have acted like a real older brother. He could have loved you in his heart, but he never should have shown it. In reality, he's deeply selfish and was just waiting for an opportunity. All his supposed restraint was just a grand, self-deceiving excuse. So no, he's not as good as you think. He's not worthy." Hearing his analysis, Henrietta's eyebrows rose in surprise. He was so perceptive, so able to see through the surface to the core of the issue. "I understand," Henrietta nodded, saying nothing more. Yosef tugged at the high collar of his sweater, feeling an inexplicable irritation rise within him. But within moments, he had forced his expression into a state of glacial composure as he fell silent. It had been a long time since the car had been this quiet. Henrietta turned to look out the window, her own expression troubled. She felt that he was right. But… she and Quinton had more than a decade of history as brother and sister. The protection he'd given her as a child was real. The reliance she once had on him was real. Growing up together for over ten years was also real. Some feelings couldn't simply be erased. And with some people, some matters didn't need to be handled so drastically. They would still have to see each other, and it was always best not to burn bridges. Besides, Quinton had never done anything extreme or despicable. What truly unsettled Henrietta was Yosef losing his temper with her. She thought to herself that no one could be emotionally stable one hundred percent of the time; there was always that one percent that could slip out. She had thought the dinner at the Sargent estate today had been a happy one. It turned out that while the surface was calm, a storm was brewing underneath. Yosef remained sullen and silent, clearly in a bad mood. In truth, it wasn't a huge deal. He could have just explained it to her calmly; she was, after all, much younger than him. No matter how bright or perceptive she was, she lacked his life experience. Why had he been so harsh with her? Up front, Calvert could sense that the two of them were… having a spat. But he didn't dare say a word. The car drove all the way to the entrance of Elysium Manor, and they still hadn't spoken. Calvert peeked at them in the rearview mirror and noticed they were no longer holding each other. This wouldn't do. After a moment's thought, Calvert spoke up. "Mrs. Nash, please don't be angry. Mr. Nash was only speaking so forcefully because he's truly worried about you." Henrietta blinked, looking up. Calvert continued, "You might not know this, but while we were still abroad, Mr. Nash personally called Quinton to reprimand him. He told him he never should have expressed his feelings and, in doing so, pushed you out of the Sargent family." "Mr. Nash said that is your home. Quinton owes your parents a great debt of gratitude, and he should have hidden his feelings and protected you for the rest of his life. But he couldn't control himself, and instead of being your protector, he became the very person who hurt you, forcing you to avoid him and making it difficult for you to return to your own home. But that's your home, not his!" "That's why Mr. Nash froze all of his projects, as a form of punishment!" Henrietta was stunned. "What did you say? While you were abroad?" Calvert nodded. "That's right. Mr. Nash intervened in this matter a long time ago. This isn't the first time he's said these things." Shaken, Henrietta turned to look at Yosef. His expression was once again a placid mask of cool indifference, all traces of his earlier anger gone. He didn't speak, nor did he look at her. After a moment, Henrietta looked away and said to Calvert, "I see." Although she didn't speak to Yosef, the shock of the revelation reverberated within her for a long time. So he had been hurting for her even back then? It must have been… after that time Quinton came to her bedroom drunk. She had thought the incident was over and done with. She never imagined Yosef had privately called Quinton to berate him and that he was the reason his projects were stalled. It seemed those projects had been on hold for quite some time. Lost in thought, she didn't realize the convoy had entered the underground garage. After parking the car, Calvert saw that the two were still silent and couldn't help but say, "Mr. Nash…" Yosef finally spoke, waving a hand. "You're all dismissed." "Yes, sir." Calvert bowed his head, got out of the car, sent everyone else away, and left himself. Henrietta turned to Yosef, unsure of how to begin. After a few seconds, she managed, "Mr. Nash…" Yosef turned to her, cutting her off. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you." He admitted to himself that he had been a bit aggressive, scaring the poor girl into silence. "Henrietta," Yosef said, taking her hand. "Don't be angry. I think I just got carried away." In truth, Henrietta wasn't angry anymore. Far from it, she was deeply moved. "I'm not angry," she said quickly. "Mr. Nash, I'm sorry too. You were looking out for me… and I think you were right about everything. I understand now. But we have over a decade of history as brother and sister. I don't want to make things too ugly." Yosef looked at her. "I understand what you're thinking. But Henrietta, you consider your history with him, but has he considered you? If he had, he would have controlled himself. In this world, some things can never be said. Once they are… control is lost, and there's no going back."