Chapter 341

Martina noticed his darkening expression and realized something was wrong. She followed him out reluctantly.

"You're coming home with me. Now." Adrian's voice was low, but it wasn't a request.

Martina frowned. "What do you mean? Lena, she—"

"Grandma, hasn't she done enough damage to our family already? This whole thing was definitely orchestrated by her or the Fontaine family to manipulate you into taking her back!"

Adrian's voice rose sharply. "Whatever happens, I will not let our family make the same mistake twice!"

Martina's frown deepened, but she didn't know what to say.

She'd had her suspicions at the time, but Helena's injuries were real. The fact that she still couldn't get out of bed was real too.

No matter how vicious someone was, they wouldn't gamble with their own life just to cozy up to the powerful, would they?

"That's exactly what she did—risking everything for a big payoff. She's utterly ruthless!" Adrian sneered. "We absolutely cannot fall for it."

"You go back first. I'll handle things here." After a long silence, Martina finally spoke.

"Then I'm staying with you. I need to keep an eye on her—make sure she doesn't worm her way back in." Adrian still wasn't convinced.

Martina said nothing more, but her tightly pressed lips betrayed her inner turmoil.

"Mrs. Quinn, how is Helena?" Katrina arrived just then.

She'd come in person to assess the situation.

She worried Martina might soften, and she feared Helena might pull something else.

But she hadn't expected to run into Adrian at the hospital.

Adrian had been abroad these past few days and hadn't returned. For him to come back at this exact moment—it was hard to believe it wasn't because of Helena.

"Not much better. The doctor said she needs rest and can't be upset." Martina sighed softly.

"Who knows what's really going on with her? She's probably just putting on a show." Adrian muttered reluctantly.

If Katrina hadn't heard it with her own ears, she wouldn't have believed the future head of the Quinn family could say something like that.

It showed just how much he hated Helena.

Katrina's anxious heart finally settled.

Still, to seal the deal, she decided to say a bit more.

"Mrs. Quinn, don't worry. She'll get better and atone for what she's done. After everything she's been through, I'm sure she won't be like she was before. This could be a fresh start." Katrina smiled as she spoke.

The moment the words left her mouth, Adrian's expression changed.

His gaze turned icy. He glanced at the half-closed door and caught sight of Helena slowly turning over, her pale face radiating fragility.

For a split second, Adrian felt like a vengeful ghost was clinging to him.

A chill ran down his spine. He turned away.

Katrina's words had reminded him.

Someone like Helena—shameless, with no moral boundaries—if she managed to latch onto Martina again, the Quinn family might never know peace.

Katrina exchanged a few more words with Martina before leaving. On the way back, her expression was complicated.

This time, not even God could save Helena.

But then again, she had it coming.

Thinking about how the demon that had plagued her for so long was finally meeting its end, Katrina felt an almost surreal sense of disbelief.

"You look like something's on your mind. What happened?" When she got home, Noah came over to ask.

Katrina told him everything that had just happened.

"Given Adrian's way of handling things, Helena's probably done for." Noah's lips curved slightly. "Good. People like that deserve exactly that."

"What do you think Brandon will do?" Helena suddenly thought of that.

Brandon's cold, ruthless face flashed through her mind, and she shivered.

"Wait… could it be…" Her face went pale. "Brandon already knew this would happen?"

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

Even though she'd long since realized how cruel Brandon could be, the sudden understanding still sent a chill through Katrina's entire body.

Brandon, through and through.

The trap he'd set this time—he'd never intended for Helena to survive.

A living Helena was a burden to the Fontaine family now. Only in death could she serve her greatest purpose.

---

Late at night. The hospital.

Martina had stayed all day, but Adrian finally convinced her to rest at a hotel.

Now, he was alone in the room.

"Adrian, thank you for still being willing to see me…" Helena struggled to turn her head, gazing at him with tear-filled eyes, full of affection.

Meeting her gaze made Adrian feel like he'd swallowed a fly.

This woman was too good at playing her part.

She'd never loved him, yet she could act like she couldn't live without him. Look at those eyes—anyone who didn't know better would think she was madly in love with him.

That was what he despised most.

He'd almost been fooled once. This bitch.

"You can still smile right now?" Adrian scoffed and walked over slowly, sitting down on the sofa by the bed.

Helena pressed her lips together. There was a kind of fragile, sickly beauty about her.

"Adrian, whether you believe me or not, I have to tell you—you're the only one I've ever truly loved. Otherwise, I wouldn't have rushed out to save your grandmother in that moment. I did it for you…"

Helena looked at him sadly, tears streaming down her face.

Inside, she was wound tight.

She'd already won over Martina. If she could win over Adrian today, her path forward would be so much smoother.

"Oh, really?" Adrian's smile was ice-cold, like he was watching a clown. "So you'd be willing to die for me?"

Helena froze.

She couldn't exactly shake her head and say no.

"Of course." She kept her gaze burning, looking at him like he was the love of her life. "For you, I'd do anything. Even die."

For some reason, she felt Adrian's eyes were impossibly cold right now—like he wanted to devour her.

No. That couldn't be.

No matter how much Adrian disliked her, she was still Martina's savior. How could he possibly come after her?

"Good." Adrian slowly stood up. The coldness in his eyes grew more and more chilling. "Then right now… go ahead and die."

He pulled a small syringe from his pocket.

The needle was sharp. A cold gleam flashed.

Helena's eyes widened in disbelief. She stared at him, then at the terrifying needle.

Fear swallowed her like a tidal wave.

"What—what are you doing?" Helena trembled all over, unable to keep up the act anymore. "You're going to kill me? You wouldn't dare… If you kill me, Adrian, you're insane! Do you really want to be a murderer?"

Only now did she realize something was wrong.

Adrian had always despised her. Why would he come to see her on his own?

Where were the nurses in the hallway? The doctors?

And where were Brandon and Lancelot?

Adrian had cleared them all out.

Or rather, the Fontaine family was part of this plan.

Helena's entire body turned ice-cold.

Scenes from recent days flashed through her mind, and the crushing terror of death bore down on her.