Reborn as the Villainess

Eleanor followed Gloria's direction and saw a young youthful.

man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his face handsome and

Strangely enough, Eleanor had no memory of him at all. She wondered, 'Could he be someone the original Eleanor had pursued? Yet, from what I remember, the previous Eleanor was timid and weak, which was why she had been bullied by Gloria upon returning to the Vanderbilt family. How could someone so meek ever have the courage to pursue a boy?'

Just as Zane finished changing clothes, he spotted Gloria waving at him from afar. His eyes lit up. He quickly jogged over with a perfect smile. "Ms. Vanderbilt, were you calling me just now?"

Gloria covered her mouth with a coy smile. "Oh, Zane, don't be so formal. Just call me Gloria."

"Alright, Gloria," Zane responded.

Although Zane wasn't a top-tier celebrity yet, and he didn't have many notable works to his name, his looks had earned him. quite a few female fans and a good public reputation. He could be considered an up-and-coming star with potential.

Zane had once endorsed a product for Vanderbilt Group, and during the product launch, he'd met Gloria. His manager had told him then that she was the only daughter in the Vanderbilt family, the one that all the Vanderbilts doted on.

At the time, he thought a princess as lofty as her would never cross paths with him again. Yet here she was, not only running into him on set but even recognizing him.

Zane thought, 'If I could catch the eye of the Vanderbilt heiress and marry her, my career... Wait, what career? The Vanderbilt family is old money. I wouldn't need to work at all. I could lie around doing nothing, and wealth would still flow my way. The more he thought about it, the happier and more excited he became. His gaze toward Gloria grew explicit.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow as she noticed Zane's expression.

Wholly absorbed in Zane's flattery, Gloria paid no mind to his increasingly bold gaze. She giggled sweetly and asked, "Zane, do you still remember Eleanor?"

When Zane turned to look at Eleanor, a flash of admiration flickered. He prided himself on having met plenty of beautiful actresses in the entertainment industry, but even so, he couldn't help but be captivated at first glance. Despite her youth, Eleanor carried a hint of maturity, an innocent charm tinged with an irresistible allure. He wondered what man wouldn't be drawn to her.

Eleanor, however, found Zane's gaze revolting. He looked her up and down as if assessing her, making her feel like an object on display.

Zane smiled, one perfected through countless hours of corporate grooming. "Hello, I'm Zane Bach. Gloria mentioned we went to the same high school. What a small world."

Eleanor frowned as she fought to suppress the disgust rising within her. "Yes, hello."

Hearing Eleanor's response only fueled Zane's excitement. "You're Eleanor, right? I had a junior named Eleanor back then. She even wrote me love letters, though..." His eyes roved over Eleanor once more before he continued. "You're far prettier than she was." Eleanor clenched her jaw, feeling her patience wearing dangerously thin. She could hardly muster any polite words now. "Is

that so?"

But Zane, oblivious to Eleanor's growing hostility, kept boasting about his supposed charm. "Oh yes, back then, I was the heartthrob of our school. Tons of girls sent me love letters, but that one girl was persistent. She kept at it for a whole week. I remember her well. 09:57 Sat, Nov 9

"But after I graduated and joined the entertainment industry, I lost track of her. I wonder how she's doing now."

Seeing Zane's unwavering gaze on Eleanor, Gloria clenched her teeth. But she swallowed her anger, reminding herself of her plan. 'Patience, she thought. 'Small sacrifices now for a bigger victory later.

Suddenly, Gloria jumped into the conversation with an exaggerated air. "Oh my, Eleanor, what year did you graduate?"

Eleanor, her face stoic, responded flatly, "Class of 2020.

Zane's eyes lit up at Eleanor's words. "I graduated in 2017. The girl who sent me love letters was from the class of 2020, too..."

Feigning shock, Gloria covered her mouth and gasped dramatically, "Oh my goodness, Eleanor, so you were the one who had a crush on Zane?"

By now, people nearby had begun whispering. Eleanor didn't need to hear them to know she had become the subject of the gossip.

Eleanor was speechless. She thought, 'So this is the trap she set for me.'Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Zane couldn't help but blush. Although his goal was to marry Gloria and secure a place in the Vanderbilt family's elite circle, the idea of being admired by a beauty like Eleanor fed his ego.

Zane glanced at Eleanor, then, in what he believed was a gentlemanly manner, cleared his throat. "Ahem, so you were that junior. What a coincidence. But, I must be honest, I'm already in love with someone. I'm really sorry. Even if you followed me all the way to the set, I have to turn you down. But we can still be friends."

Zane meaningfully looked at Gloria, who shyly lowered her eyes, playing along like a couple in their own little world.

Eleanor, on the verge of rolling her all the

eyes

way into the next century, couldn't stand it anymore. She'd never met someone so utterly self-absorbed, not in this life, the last, or even the past eight centuries.

Finally, unable to hold back, Eleanor raised a hand and cut through Zane's delusions. "I think I need to clarify a few things. First, I don't know you. Not before, not now. I have no idea who you are, and if you want to strut around like a peacock, please don't do it in front of me. I couldn't care less.

"Second, I'm in this industry because I love acting. You? You're irrelevant. Lastly, narcissism is a condition. Get it treated."

Zane's face went from pale to red, then pale again. It was the first time someone had dared to openly challenge him like this and he was so furious that he couldn't even find the words to respond. "You..."

Grace had long found Zane and Gloria irritating and decided it was the perfect time to fan the flames. With a mocking tone, she chimed in, "Oh, look at you. You're so angry that you've practically turned into a watercolor painting. Gotta say, though, your skin must be well- maintained. It's thick enough to handle it."

"Pfft-" Several people nearby couldn't help but snicker.

Gloria hadn't expected Eleanor to still act so boldly without the Vanderbilt family's support. She bit her lip, forced a few tears, and expertly began her usual act of playing the victim. "Eleanor, how could you say something like that to Zane? He's only here to help Victor. After all, since Gregory refused to act with you, the whole crew's been in chaos."

Gloria's implication was clear. She was practically saying, "It's all your fault. Gregory doesn't want to work with you, we're just here trying to clean up your mess."