When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 371

Henrietta barely knew Aster Leland, leaving her at a loss for words. Yet, there he was, pulling out all the stops. He knew exactly how to play the puppy-dog card, vying for her attention even when it was completely futile. Maybe it was his youth that made him so effortlessly manipulative.

But Henrietta felt absolutely nothing for him. "Stop this," she said bluntly. "I appreciate you saving my life, but my gratitude ends there. It has nothing to do with personal feelings. Let me make this clear again: I am married, my husband and I have a wonderful relationship, and I will never do anything to betray him or ruin what we have."

"You saved me, so I will treat you with the utmost courtesy. You will get every ounce of compensation, care, and gratitude you deserve. But there will never be anything else. I expect you to respect me, and more importantly, respect yourself."

Her words were firm and righteous, but Aster only looked even more pitiful. "You're so mean to me, Henrietta," he muttered.

Henrietta ignored the pout. "Rest up and heal. I'll... come visit you again." With that, she turned to leave.

"Henrietta," Aster called out, stopping her. "Do you love your husband that much?"

She paused in her tracks and glanced back. Not wanting to get dragged into a pointless debate, she gave a curt nod. "Yes."

Yosef's investigation wasn't finished yet. If this whole incident turned out to be a setup, treating Aster too kindly would only blow up in her face later. Keeping him at arm's length was the smartest move.

Besides, there was no way she would ever entertain his advances. Whether his feelings were even genuine was highly debatable. It felt more like a calculated disruption. As if Joaquin wasn't enough of a headache, now his younger brother was joining the fray. They clearly had too much time on their hands.

Hearing her unhesitating answer, Aster slumped in apparent disappointment and let out a soft sigh. "It's my fault for being too young. If I was a little older, I would have gone after you a long time ago."

He looked up, his gaze locking onto hers. "To be honest, I've had a crush on you for a very long time."

He stared at her intently. "Do you know what? Acting like this only makes me want you more. You're so fiercely loyal, so clear about where the boundaries lie. It's incredibly captivating."

The sweet talk rolled right off her. She had zero intention of entertaining this nonsense any further. As she turned toward the door again, Aster spoke up. "Never mind, I'll respect your wishes. But Henrietta... my head is killing me. I did save your life, and I don't want your money. Can I at least ask for a small favor?"

Henrietta crossed her arms. "Name it."

Aster looked up through his lashes. "While I'm stuck in the hospital... I'd love it if you could make me some soup. Personally."

Henrietta was speechless once again. She shot the idea down instantly. "I don't even know how to cook, so that's not happening. Money is the easiest way to settle this. Just tell me how much."