When Two Winters Met (Henrietta and Yosef) novel Chapter 373

He looked completely harmless—young, fresh-faced, and practically radiating boyish charm. If this were a cliché romance between a naive younger man and an older woman, it might have actually been seductive.

But Henrietta felt absolutely nothing. "Once you're healed, there's no need. My gratitude ends the second you walk out of here. I'd advise you to quit while you're ahead."

Aster pouted, his voice dripping with faux grievance. "You're so heartless, Henrietta."

Right as he played the victim, Yosef Nash strode into the hospital room. He moved like a storm front, his commanding presence instantly sucking the oxygen from the air. His face was a mask of icy fury, his jaw clenched tight in a deeply intimidating scowl.

"Since when were you two so well-acquainted?" Yosef demanded, his voice dangerously low.

Aster jumped in surprise, his pout vanishing into thin air. Recovering quickly, he smirked. "We've known each other for a while, right, Henrietta?" He looked up at her, waiting for validation.

Henrietta froze. She never expected Yosef to follow her here. Not only had he followed her, but he'd clearly stood outside the door and listened to their entire exchange.

Aster's words had been laced with deliberate ambiguity and cloying flirtation. If Yosef hadn't heard her shutting him down so coldly, he definitely would have gotten the wrong idea.

"Henrietta," Yosef shifted his intense gaze to her. "Didn't you tell me it was just a coincidence? You said he happened to be there to save you, and that you didn't know him."

For a moment, she was completely lost for words. Aster wisely kept his mouth shut.

Surprisingly, Yosef didn't explode. Instead, he simply asked, "Do you have anything you want to explain to me?"

Henrietta nodded stiffly. "Yes."

"Okay," Henrietta nodded.

They got into the car, the ride steeped in heavy silence. She stared out the window, realizing the truth was unavoidable now. She couldn't hide the fact that Aster had been harassing her too.

But honestly, calling it "harassment" felt a bit dramatic. Aster had only shown up a handful of times, spouted some nonsense about love at first sight, and then essentially vanished. It was annoying, sure, but hardly qualified as stalking.

Joaquin Leland was infinitely worse. Joaquin was relentless, constantly saying things that made her skin crawl. He had even tried to use "getting rid of Jolie Coleman" and the secret of "why Yosef wouldn't destroy the Leland family" as leverage to blackmail her into a private dinner. That was actual harassment.

If she had actually agreed to eat with Joaquin... it didn't take a genius to imagine the trap.

He would have orchestrated paparazzi, carefully framing photos to make them look intimate, dragging her into a scandal just to ruin her life.