Reborn as the Villainess

Gregory quitting the role because he couldn't stand his co-star had become common knowledge around the set, so it wasn't surprising that Gloria and Zane were aware of it. However, they were the first to bring it up so publicly.

Eleanor's expression remained cold, entirely unbothered by the sarcastic tone thrown her way. "Oh, really? Well, good luck landing the part, I heard quite a few people got a last-minute call, so I wouldn't celebrate too soon. You don't want to have nothing to show for it." Zane's face darkened. He hadn't expected Eleanor to be so sharp tongued.

Sensing the shift in Zane's mood, Gloria quickly stepped in, playing the peacemaker and shielding Zane. Her eyes "Eleanor, how could you say something so harsh to Zane?"

Eleanor frowned, thinking, 'Have I even said anything that bad?"

welled up.

But Gloria, looking as if she had been dealt the gravest injustice, burst into tears. Her face was a picture of sorrow, fragile and delicate. It wasn't just Zane. Now, even the bystanders who had been mocking them moments before began to think Eleanor had gone too far. Gloria was truly a master at twisting the facts to her advantage.

With Gloria shielding him, Zane's heart swelled with sweetness. He could already picture his future among the elite.

Feeling emboldened by a sudden surge of righteousness, Zane pushed Gloria behind him and glared at Eleanor, declaring, "If you have a problem, take it up with me. Bullying Gloria, a defenseless woman, is beneath you.

No wonder Gregory refused to work with you. Not only do you lack talent as a newbie, but your morals are questionable, too. People like you are a stain on the acting profession."

Zane's voice boomed with such self-righteousness that it seemed like Eleanor had just brandished a weapon, trying to tear apart a loving couple.

Standing behind Eleanor, Grace frowned in disbelief. She thought, 'Wait, what? Are these two out of their minds? They were the ones looking for attention in the first place, and now they had the nerve to play the victims?' Suddenly, an angry voice cut through the tension. "Who are you calling morally questionable, you Zane the Zany?"

Everyone froze, whipping their heads around to see Gregory with his bright pink hair.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Eleanor was stunned that Gregory had lashed out at Zane.

Zane's already sour expression darkened even further at Gregory's words. He was clearly fuming but didn't dare lash out at Gregory. After all, Gregory's fanbase was notorious for tearing people apart online.

Grinding his teeth, Zane explained, "Gregory, we weren't talking about you. And...as a public figure, it's not really appropriate to go around calling people nicknames, is it?"

Gregory tilted his head defiantly and stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Eleanor. "She's under my protection. If you insult her, you're insulting me."

"And for the record," Gregory continued, "I didn't give that nickname on a whim. I put a lot of thought into it. What? You think you're too good for it?"

Zane was speechless. He thought, 'Is that really the point here? No matter how much thought you put into it, it's still a nickname.' He glanced back at Gloria, hoping she'd step in and say something to help him out. With the Vanderbilt family's influence, she had no reason to fear Gregory.

But Gloria remained still, not intending to jump to Zane's defense. She frowned, eyeing Gregory, who had suddenly appeared. She thought, 'Wait a minute, wasn't Gregory supposed to have a terrible relationship with Eleanor? Bad enough to

quit over? Then why örrearth is he now standing up for her?'

It wasn't just Gloria who was confused. Eleanor herself couldn't make sense of it either. She thought, 'What on earth is this guy up to now?' Her voice turned icy. "Sorry, but we're not exactly close. If I remember correctly, you said something about quitting as long as I was in the role about half an hour ago."

The crowd sucked in a breath at Eleanor's words. Everyone knew Gregory hated being contradicted in public. Rumor had it that once, a rookie actor, feeling cocky because they had financial backing, dared to mouth off to him. Gregory wasn't having it. Right then and there, he went live on social media and exposed the actor's dirty little secret-an affair with a business mogul.

No one knew how Gregory got his hands on the evidence, but he even sent a copy to the mogul's wife.

Needless to say, that rookie was never seen in the industry again

And that wasn't a one-time thing. Gregory had pulled stunts like this more than once, each time dropping evidence that couldn't be disputed. By now, no one dared cross Gregory. He had a reputation for having dirt on just about anyone.

In this industry, the one thing everyone feared most was their dirty little secret getting exposed, and who in this business didn't have skeletons in their closet?

Well aware of Gregory's notorious temper, Gloria couldn't help but gloat inwardly. 'Eleanor is new to the Vanderbilt family and hasn't been in the entertainment industry long enough to realize just how bad Gregory's temper can be. This is going to be quite the spectacle." But to everyone's surprise, the usually arrogant Gregory, who never hesitated to lash out at anyone, was now bending over backward to stay in Eleanor's good graces.

He said, "Ms. Vanderbilt, come on now. There is no need to say things like that. We were strangers the first time we met, but now that we've met twice, we're practically friends. Your business is my business, but of course, my business is still my own.

"I was the one who didn't recognize your greatness. I'm the one to blame. Please, Ms. Vanderbilt, be the bigger person and don't hold a grudge against someone as clueless as me, okay?"

Gregory's posture was so humble that he might have been on his knees.

Gloria, who had just silently mocked Eleanor, suddenly couldn't keep it together. Her gaze locked onto Eleanor, her eyes full of jealousy. She thought, 'What's going on? Wasn't Gregory supposed to hate Eleanor? Why is he acting like this?" Overwhelmed with envy, Gloria couldn't help but blurt out, her voice sharp, "Gregory, didn't you quit the role because of Eleanor? You even said-"

"Bullshit! Who said I quit?" Gregory immediately jumped, cutting Gloria off in a panic, desperate to defend himself. "Ms. Vanderbilt, you have to believe me. I love this role, and I'm thrilled to be acting alongside you. If anyone tries to stop me from playing this part, they'll have to deal with me."

Gregory had just managed to pledge his loyalty to Eleanor, and now some clueless fool was trying to mess it up? If anyone

the order. And by "take care of them", made Eleanor angry, Gregory would definitely take care of them before she even gave

he meant it literally-skinning them alive and pulling them apart, piece by piece.

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