Reborn as the Villainess

Grace jumped in surprise at Eleanor's cry of pain and quickly asked, "What's wrong, Eleanor? Are you hurt somewhere?"

Eleanor licked the stinging corner of her lips. It was wounded. Suddenly, the memory before she nearly passed out from lack of oxygen rushed back.

It seemed like a man in white had jumped into the water and saved Eleanor. His presence had been overpowering, and he had pulled her tightly into his arms. His hands were large, gripping her waist with such force that she could barely move. His desire had been evident, his strength so overwhelming that it felt like he wanted to fuse her into his body.

As for the wound on Eleanor's lips, it seemed she had clung to his neck, desperately stealing oxygen from his mouth. Eleanor wondered, 'Who was this man who saved me?' The thought sent shivers through her entire body. Drawing on her memory, she quickly glanced around the room. Many crew members wore white, but only one had soaked clothes-clear evidence of who had jumped into the water for the rescue. He was sitting next to Gloria. It was Zane.

Eleanor's expression froze, her eyes filled with disbelief. The muscles in her face began to tremble as the acid in her stomach threatened to rise at any moment. She thought, 'Was it Zane who saved me? And the one who kissed me to give me air was also Zane?' Seeing Eleanor's face grow paler by the second, Grace, growing concerned, asked, "Eleanor, are you alright? Do you still feel unwell? Should I call the doctor to check on you again?" With that, she started to get up.

Eleanor quickly stopped Grace, her face still deathly pale as she weakly said, "No need, I'm fine....just feel a bit...like throwing up."

Eleanor thought, 'This is strange! When Zane had given her air earlier, she hadn't felt any discomfort. In fact, she had even succumbed to her own desire for closeness, craving more. But now, just the thought of it being Zane made her feel a wave of sickening disgust she couldn't shake off, a strong physical revulsion that made her stomach turn.

With things turning out like this, the shoot had been called off. Victor waved everyone off, telling them to head back to the hotel to change. The night scene was canceled, and after wrapping things up, they were all to gather for dinner.

*****

That evening, in the luxurious private room of the hotel where the cast dinner was held, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Stephen sat at the head of the table, his face cold as stone. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the tabletop, sounding like the drumbeat of frustration.

Victor sat to Stephen's right. Even with all his years navigating the entertainment industry, he couldn't quite figure out what was going through Stephen's mind. He could only repeatedly wipe the sweat forming on his shiny bald head with a napkin.

Now, in a fresh set of clothes, Zane sat to Stephen's left. This seat had been deliberately arranged by the directors. Although Zane wasn't the lead, they had to show respect. Stephen, after all, had come to visit Zane on set today, so even if Zane wasn't the star, they had to offer the courtesy.

The seat next to Zane remained empty. Eleanor hadn't arrived yet.

Next in line sat Gregory, the lead actor. He seemed to be the only one unaffected by the awkward atmosphere, lounging in his chair with his legs crossed, his fingers flying over his phone screen as he typed messages to someone unknown.

Further down the table were Camilla, Gloria, and the other supporting actors.

All the dishes had already been served, but Stephen, still with a stern face, hadn't picked up his cutlery. And since he didn't move, no one else dared to.

The tension was palpable, leaving everyone on edge.

Victor wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced at Zane, signaling him to say a few words to Stephen. But Zane was even more timid, He didn't even dare to look up at Stephen.

Just as Victor was about to roll up his sleeves and handle the situation himself, Gloria stood before he could, holding a wine glass. She approached Stephen, her tone soft and bashful. "Stephen, it's been a while. Just the other day, my grandpa was talking about how much he misses you. He wants you to come visit him sometime."

All eyes in the room immediately turned toward Gloria the moment she spoke.

Victor's eyes widened in surprise. "Gloria, you know Mr. Lloyd?"

Gloria lowered her gaze with a shy smile. "Yes, my grandpa and Stephen's grandfather were comrades in their younger days. Our families have been close for generations. We grew up together."

Gloria's words carried a clear implication, though she stopped short of outright stating "I'm very close with the Lloyd family".

Victor, sharp as ever, instantly picked up on the meaning. Laughing heartily, he said, "What a surprise! You and Mr. Lloyd are actually this close."

Others quickly followed, echoing Victor's enthusiasm. "That's right, Mr. Lloyd and Gloria seem to have a great relationship."

Another added, "So, Mr. Lloyd traveled all this way just to see Gloria."

One said, "They really are a perfect match, aren't they?"

Another echoed, "Exactly."

The more they talked, the more outlandish the compliments became.

Sitting nearby, Oscar frowned when he heard the conversation spiraling out of control. 'What are they even talking about?" he thought. The flattery had taken a wild turn in the wrong direction. No one knew better than him just how much Stephen despised Gloria. If not for the Vanderbilt family's influence, Gloria would likely have been erased from Earth long ago.

As expected, when Oscar glanced up, he saw Stephen's expression darken to a chilling, dangerous level. Stephen looked ready to start a massacre. Driven by sheer survival instinct, Oscar quickly clarified. "Everyone, let's not make wild guesses. Mr. Lloyd already has a fiancée."

All the flatterers immediately froze with embarrassment, wishing they could slap themselves.

No one looked more humiliated than Gloria, who stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

But when Stephen heard Oscar's words, his ominous expression lifted. His face softened, and he even slightly acknowledged.

"Hmm."

Victor, ever the opportunist, quickly jumped in to shift the conversation. "Oh, so Mr. Lloyd is engaged. Our apologies for being so blind. Your fiancée must be an extraordinary beauty. When the big day comes, we'll all be there to celebrate and drink to your happiness." He then laughed.

'Happiness? With Eleanor?' Stephen thought, and without realizing it, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He thought, "That doesn't sound bad.'

Seeing this subtle change, Gloria gritted her teeth, her grip tightening around her wine glass in frustration. She thought, Why? I had spent over a decade living with the Vanderbilt family practically raised as their heiress.

'If there were to be an engagement with Stephen, shouldn't it be with me? Shouldn't I be the one to be his fiancée? Who does Eleanor think she is, daring to compete with me for him?'

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