Reborn as the Villainess

Eleanor took a deep breath, about to respond when a loud, commanding voice boomed through the room, cutting her off. "I don't agree."

Gloria, who had been on the verge of tearing her dress out of frustration, suddenly lit up at the sound. She raised her head. her eyes gleaming with hope, and shouted, "Andrew," Andrew?' Eleanor blinked in surprise, turning to see who had just arrived.

In the original story, Eleanor's six brothers hardly paid her any attention because they never liked her. They were always at school or work, conveniently absent when she needed them. Most of the things said about Andrew in the novel had to do with how much he dotes on Gloria. Now, seeing him storm in like this, Eleanor figured he was probably here to back up Gloria. She frowned, instinctively wanting to avoid any confrontation, and began to inch back slowly, her heels barely making a sound against the marble floor. Andrew had rushed here straight from the airport, barely taking a breath after his long flight. The moment he stepped into the villa and laid eyes on the petite figure standing across the room, his entire body sagged with relief. Thank goodness 1 made it. She's still here, he thought.

As soon as Gloria spotted Andrew, she dashed over to him like a damsel finding her knight, tears pooling in her eyes. Grabbing his sleeve, she began her performance. "Andrew, you're finally back. Look what Eleanor did to me. She hit me, and Moru and Dad didn't even But Andrew hadn't taken his eyes off Eleanor since he walked in His brow suddenly furrowed when Gloria mentioned the slap. He stopped in his tracks, "She hit you

Thinking he was concerned about her, Gloria quickly nodded and pulled back her hair to reveal her reddened cheeks. "Yes. look, Andrew. Eleanor was so cruel to me. She's always bullying me...

As expected, the moment Andrew saw the marks on Gloria's face, his expression darkened. Gloria smirked inwardly, sure that Andrew would side with her.

But instead of comforting her, Andrew pushed her away so abruptly that she staggered. Gloria nearly lost her balance, shocked by the roughness of his action. She clenched her fists, anger flaring, but when she saw him storming toward Eleanor, she swallowed her frustration, thinking he'd e'd soon get back at her nemesis. Stephen, who had Diana and Zack, frozen with worry, seemed like thyes, moved a few steps forward, his demeanor growing tense. If Andrew dared to lay a hand on Eleanor, Stephen was ready to step in. had been watching with with narrowed

they wanted to intervene to shield Eleanor, fearing Andrew's unpredictable temper would hurt her.

To everyone's shock, Andrew suddenly pulled Eleanor into a tight embrace, holding her close to his chest, His normally stoic face softened, his sharp eyes clouding with an emotion that looked suspiciously like relief. A slight tremor ran through his body as he whispered, "Ellie... I'm so glad you're alive. Thank goodness." Eleanor was completely dumbfounded. Wait, he's not here to avenge Gloria?" she wondered.

She stood frozen in his arms, her mind blank. Andrew then gently took her hand, inspecting it with tender care, his brow furrowing in concern. "Why did you bother with this yourself, dammy? We have enough servants for this sort of thing. Did you hurt your hand? Do you need to see a doctor?" Eleanor's brain short-circuited. She was not alone in her confusion-Gloria's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Even the normally sharp-tongued Eleanor couldn't muster a response. This... This isn't how the story is supposed to go. Wasn't Andrew supposed to pamper and spoil Gloria? Since when did he start fussing over me? Eleanor pondered, utterly sonfused. 1/8 Chapter 6

Red, UCT

Gloria's face twisted with jealousy, her bloodshot eyes filled with rage. Her nails dug so deep into her palms that they nearly broke the skin. "Why?" she bellowed internally. Why does that backwoods country girl get everyone's attention and favor? First Mom and Dad, then Albert, and now even Andrew is treating her differently.

A dark thought crossed Gloria's mind. "No. I can't lose Andrew too. He's my last lifeline. I won't let this slip through my fingers. "Andrew, i

, it's me, Gloria. Your sister." Gloria's voice was shrill, her frustration turning into desperation. "Didn't you just call me yesterday, saying you'd come back today to stand up for mer Andrew's v's brow furrowed, and he shot her a cold, piercing glare that could freeze anyone. "What are you yelling for? All that money we spent on your etiquette lessons-did you learn nothing?" The moment those sharp words left his lips, a wave of satisfaction swept over him. He felt somehow liberated. After all, he'd reborn.

been

Even Andrew still found it hard to believe. He remembered everything, including the collapse of the Vanderbilt family, the downfall that left them on the streets, and Eleanor, who had saved them from utter ruin. Her kindness had been the reason they rose from the ashes. And now, fate had given him a second chance to make amends. This time, he wouldn't take her for granted. This time, he would protect Eleanor no matter what After getting scolded, Gloria stood there, wide-eyed and utterly stunned, tears of disbelief welling up. "Andrew, she hit me first. It was Eleanor who started it."

She was used to this game-acting hurt, making her eyes all big and pitiful-knowing full well that Andrew would always rush to comfort her whenever he saw her like that. But today, for the first time, things weren't going her way and she was left disappointed. Andrew's expression remained as icy as ever. "Ellie is such a nice sweet girl. She wouldn't hit anyone unless you pushed her too far. You must've provoked her."

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, his presence commanding. No one dared to challenge Andrew's words.

the

the

"You way. I hate you all." Gloria's tantrum shattered the silence as her face flushed with embarrassment, her defiance crumbling. Her reputation felt torn to shreds in front of everyone. With a stamp of her foot, she burst into tears and stormed upstairs. her sobs echoing down Meanwhile, Eleanor shifted uncomfortably in silence, attempting to free her hand from Andrew's grasp. But his hold was firm, and to her surprise, his hand trembled slightly. She tried polling away a few more times, but each effort was met with resistance.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Andrew," she asked cautiously, "shouldn't you go after Gloria? You know, check on her?"

Andrew's demeanor shifted in an instant. Gone was the intimidating figure that had scolded Gloria just moments ago. Now, his gaze softened, and his hand gently brushed through Eleanor's hair. "Don't worry. Ellie. I'm always on your side. I'll protect you, no matter what." Eleanor stared at him, unsure of how to respond. Something didn't feel right about this as if she had stepped into an alternate universe where Andrew wasn't the same man described in the novel. Before she could fully process the strange turn of events, Andrey had already turned away and walked over to Albert. Nodding respectfully, he greeted the older man with deference and said, "General Lloyd, it's been a long time. You're looking as well as ever. Alliert huffed, a childish scoff escaping him. "Hmph."

Andrew pretended not to notice the cold reception. "I heard you mention about the engagement between Ellie and Stephen

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Ellie's still youne

casually General, Ellie's still young. There's no rush."

That is ridiculous. Ellie is only seventeen. She's practically still a kid, Andrew thought with a smirk. Meanwhile, Stephen's already twenty-three, way too old for her. How could he be wordly of her? Albert's stern gaze sharpened at Andrew's remark. "What's that? Are you trying to back out of a deal? Don't you know your family lost the wager?" General

Lloyd, Andrew replied calmly, "we live in different times. Arranged marriages aren't the way anymore. You gotta respect the kids' wishes. Ellie is still a student. She has her whole future ahead of her. We can talk about engagements when she hasn't even graduated from high school, let alone college. Wouldn't you agree?" Albert's eyes narrowed as he mulled over the response. Kieran's eldest grandson... He's more clever than I gave him credit for. With just a few words, he's dodged the entire issue. If I push any further, I'll come off as a stubborn old fool.

The tension in the room visibly ticked Albert off. His neck turned red, frustration bubbling up inside him.

With a scowl, he jabbed Stephen with his cane, his brows furrowing in sheer frustration. He let out a gruff cough, shooting Stephen a glare so sharp it could've sliced through steel. Stephen, standing to the side, straightened under the pressure of his grandfather's stare. Albert's eyes glinted with a warning. 'Say something, you brat, he thought angrily. If you let my future granddaughter-in-law slip through our fingers. I'll teach you a good lesson for this