Chapter 336

Back at the hotel, Noah carried Katrina upstairs the whole way and had someone bring over a warming herbal tea, which he fed to her himself.

Katrina couldn't help but think of Martina.

The old woman's acupuncture skills were practically legendary. If she could convince her to come do a session right now, the cramps might vanish instantly.

"What are you thinking about?" Noah brought over a glass of water with a white painkiller beside it.

Katrina gave an awkward smile and said nothing more, afraid that if Martina actually showed up, their secret would be blown.

"I just sent someone to ask Martina to come over. She can treat you properly—you can't keep suffering like this." Noah's words came out of nowhere.

Katrina nearly spat out her water.

"What? You asked Martina? Doesn't she have other things to do? Why would she listen to you?" She was stunned. Martina was always swamped with work. How could she possibly agree to come here?

Noah glanced at her coolly, his lips curling into a smirk. "Is there anything in this world I can't make happen?"

Katrina's heart began to race with unease.

She suddenly remembered—Martina had mentioned Helena last time.

Maybe the old woman agreed to come partly because of that connection.

After taking the painkiller, Katrina's color improved noticeably, and she drifted into a drowsy sleep.

When she woke again, it was around six or seven in the evening. Martina hadn't arrived yet, but several people from the production crew had come to check on her.

As usual, Noah hid away while Alice stayed nearby to greet the visitors.

Everyone had brought plenty of food and nutritional supplements, ostensibly to visit someone who was sick, but their real agenda was clearly to fish for information.

"Katrina, are you feeling better? You don't know—after you left today, Instructor Edward was totally out of it. He really does care about you." Sierra sat on the sofa, smiling sweetly.

She looked harmless enough, but every word was a landmine. If this got leaked, it would be tantamount to announcing that Katrina and Edward had something going on.

Worse still, Noah was in the suite's inner room.

"I didn't expect something like this to happen on the first day of training either, but I think if it had been anyone else, Instructor Edward would have shown the same concern." Katrina's smile didn't reach her eyes.

Her color had improved somewhat by now—at least she no longer looked half-dead and deathly pale—but when she spoke, a subtle aloofness radiated from her, making people instinctively wary.

Sierra, rebuffed by her response, gave an awkward laugh. "Right, exactly."

"Katy, this morning when you left, one of the crew members saw someone get out of the car that picked you up. Who was it? A new boyfriend?" Helena chimed in casually.

Instantly, everyone's eyes converged on Katrina.

She was a walking trending topic. The slightest hint of a relationship or any personal development would trigger massive online discussion.

"Well, he must have been mistaken. It was just a driver the hotel sent." Katrina's voice turned cold as she swept her gaze over Helena.

"You're so interested in my love life—why don't you get one yourself? Ever since the Quinn family called off your engagement, you haven't seemed to develop any new prospects."

Those few simple words turned Helena's face deathly pale. The others in the room exchanged awkward glances, falling silent.

Helena hadn't called off her engagement with the Quinn family—she'd been dumped outright, and at the wedding ceremony no less.

The whole thing was common knowledge, but people had enough tact not to bring it up to her face.

"Katy, you know perfectly well why my engagement was called off. I've already let it go—why do you have to twist the knife in my heart?"

After a moment of silence, Helena's voice broke with emotion, making it sound as though Katrina had bullied her all over again.

"All right, if there's nothing else, everyone should go now and let Katrina rest properly." Kyle spoke up.

The atmosphere eased slightly.

Alice helped Katrina to her feet to see everyone to the door. Just then, Martina arrived.

The moment Helena saw the old woman, a flash of something complicated crossed her eyes. She stood rooted to the spot.

She'd only seen Martina once since the wedding—so much time had passed without another encounter. Every time she'd tried to visit the Quinn family, she'd been turned away. Everyone said she had no right.

Now that she'd finally run into her again, she couldn't waste this opportunity.

Wait—what was Martina doing here?

Had she come for her? It must be. Martina looked cold on the outside, but she had the softest heart. She must have felt bad seeing Helena suffer and came to check on her specially.

Helena bit her lip. Tears suddenly spilled from her eyes as she rushed forward. "Grandma, why are you here?"

Everyone present, including Martina, froze.

They all stared at the scene, exchanging bewildered looks.

Why was Helena suddenly crying? Hadn't she already burned her bridges with the Quinn family? Why was she desperately trying to claim kinship again?

"Grandma, I've missed you so much. Why did it take you so long to come find me?" Helena didn't stop there—she actually dropped to her knees, shoulders trembling as she cried pitifully.

"What are you doing?" Martina's brow furrowed sharply, her face clearly displeased. "Why are you suddenly kneeling like this for no reason?"

She'd come here today partly because she genuinely wanted to check on Katrina, but also to take the opportunity to see what kind of person Helena had become.

If she'd truly learned her lesson and genuinely reformed, Martina wasn't so heartless that she wouldn't give her a way out.

But in that instant just now, Martina caught a glimpse of shallow calculation flickering in Helena's eyes.

That calculating look stung.

She remembered when the two of them had treated each other as grandmother and granddaughter—Helena had probably been scheming every single moment.

And she herself had genuinely, wholeheartedly wanted to help this girl.

The feeling was like swallowing a fly. Disgusting.

"Grandma, you came here today to see me, didn't you? I've really missed you. Even if we can't be family anymore, at least don't ignore me…" Seeing that things weren't going her way, Helena knelt even deeper and cried even harder.

Even Katrina felt embarrassed for Martina.

With so many people watching, and given the old woman's soft heart, she might actually do something in response to Helena's shameless pleading.

"Mrs. Quinn, I—" Katrina started to speak, but Martina walked right past Helena and headed straight toward her.

"I came here today to see Katrina. She's not feeling well, and I'm here to perform acupuncture on her. It has nothing to do with you." Martina's voice was calm, carrying a thick layer of detachment.

Someone couldn't help but let out a small laugh. It was quiet, but painfully conspicuous.

The atmosphere in the hallway grew even more awkward.

Helena nearly turned to stone.

She froze there, staring at Martina in utter disbelief, unable to fathom that the old woman who'd once been so devoted to her could be this cold now.