When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 359

"You're a married woman now," Joaquin teased, his tone mocking. "Why dial the police when you have a husband to handle your problems?"

Henrietta's hand hovered over the receiver.

Joaquin's smile widened. "What's the matter? Afraid that if you call him, he won't be able to fix this for you?"

"Joaquin!" Henrietta grit her teeth, her voice slicing through the tension. "Enough! What exactly do you want from me?"

Joaquin's grin turned predatory. "I'm just doing you a favor, testing your husband's boundaries. His wife is being harassed—though I'd call it wooing, let's stick with your dramatic definition for now."

"If his wife is being harassed, how exactly will Mr. Nash punish the Leland family? Aren't you dying to know? Because I certainly am."

The sheer arrogance rolling off him was staggering; he genuinely believed he was untouchable.

Henrietta took a slow, suffocating breath, forcing her surging temper down.

It was true—Joaquin's behavior bordered on obsessive harassment, but giving it a label gave him power.

When he had shown up previously, treating him like invisible air had actually worked better.

Engaging with him, showing disgust, or actively trying to throw him out only fueled his twisted ego.

Sensing her silence, Joaquin pressed harder. "Why don't you call him right now? Let's see what he does to me."

In that instant, it finally clicked.

Henrietta understood exactly what game Joaquin was playing.

Stripping away his ridiculous claims of attraction, his underlying motive was glaringly obvious.

He wanted to provoke her into dragging Yosef into the mess.

But if Yosef intervened, he wouldn't just be dealing with some random stalker—he'd be going to war against Britney's older brother. Against the entire Leland family.

Boiled down to its core, Joaquin was forcing the immensely powerful Yosef Nash to make an impossible choice: his ex-girlfriend's family, or his current wife.

Because, deep down, she already suspected who Yosef would be forced to choose.

And the reality of that dilemma stung more than she wanted to admit.

Knowing this, there was absolutely no way Henrietta was going to play into Joaquin's hands.

But the bastard was pushing her to the breaking point.

She let out a sharp, cynical laugh. "Yosef would choose the Leland family. Well? Does hearing that satisfy your pathetic ego?"

Joaquin blinked, momentarily caught off guard before throwing his head back and laughing aloud. "I always knew you were a brilliant woman. So, if you already know the answer, then why are you still..."

He let the sentence trail off, the implication hanging heavily in the air.

Why are you still holding on? Why are you playing the devoted wife when you know you come second? The unsaid words echoed loudly in the room.

Henrietta didn't flinch. "He's my husband. Why the hell would I hand him over so easily? It doesn't matter how he treats me right now, and it doesn't matter if he shields your family in this exact scenario. What matters is that I am the woman he chose to marry. We're building a life together, and at the end of the day, he's mine."