Reborn as the Villainess

moment they fell upon her.

It was then that Eleanor noticed the two men seated on the sofa The guy on the left sported those trendy rimless glasses, gold frames with chains that hooked behind his cars. They somehow made his jawline pop even more. His smiling eyes regained their composure the If the first man could be described as refined, then the one sitting to the right could only be called exquisite.

This second guy had eyes that could melt steel, with irises the color of honey. His lips were cherry-red, and his body proportions adhered perfectly to the golden ratio. He looked like he'd stepped right out of a designer store window, too flawless to be real. Eleanor recognized him-his face graced countless billboards. This was Samuel Vanderbilt, her fifth brother, the current heartthrob of the entertainment industry.

By process of elimination, the bespectacled man must be Dylan Vanderbilt, the fourth brother and a current researcher at a national-level scientific institute.

As Eleanor sized them up, they were doing the same to her. Well, to be precise, it wasn't just sizing her up. It was more like a scrutiny tinged with hostility. Eleanor was certain they disliked her intensely.

The man with delicate features spoke first. "No matter how busy I am, I had to come back for something as important as Gloria's University Admissions Testing. After all, she's our precious little princess. We can't let certain people try to steal her place." Eleanor raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, keeping her face impassive. The message was crystal clear.

Samuel's message was clear. Eleanor shouldn't waste her energy on a lost cause. In this family, Gloria would always be the golden child, occupying a pedestal Eleanor could never hope to reach.

Gloria's reaction was predictable. Her chin lifted slightly, and she cast a smug look at Eleanor, already savoring her imagined victory.

'Heh, dumb woman, Eleanor scoffed inwardly.

She easily caught Samuel's hidden meaning, and Felix, of course, didn't miss the subtext either. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Samuel Vanderbilt, what are you implying?" he demanded, using Samuel's full name for emphasis. Unfazed by Felix's threatening tone, Samuel leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed, meeting Felix's glare head-on. "Nothing much," he replied coolly. "Just a friendly reminder not to mistake fool's gold for the real thing." Felix felt his mind go blank for a moment. When he came to his senses, he found his hand already gripping Samuel's collar, his eyes blazing with anger. "Samuel," he growled, "I dare you to say that again." Samuel casually raised his eyes, narrowing like a haughty Persian cat. His words, however, held no warmth. "I'll repeat it as many times as necessary. Gloria is the lady of the Vanderbilt family, and that's not changing." "You son of a-" Without thinking, Felix raised his fist, ready to teach Samuel a harsh lesson. But before he could land the punch, a large hand caught his wrist. A cool voice cut through the tension. "Stop messing around, you two. Cut it out." Felix bristled, practically vibrating with anger as he whirled on the newcomer. "Who's messing around? Dylan, did you not hear the crap Samuel was spewing? He needs to be taught a lesson."

Even though Felix had been given a second chance at life, his quick temper remained unchanged. He was still a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

Tue,

Dylan clenched his fists tightly, looking at them with disapproval. "You're brothers, for crying out loud. Is it really worth fighting over something so trivial? What do you think this looks like?"

"How is this trivial?" Felix interrupted loudly, his face flushing with anger. "You have no idea how great Ellie is. What gives you the right to treat her like that?"

Samuel wasn't having it. "Treat her like what? We didn't hit her or yell at her. You are the one who barged in here like a lunatic. If anyone should be saying that, it's us!" Dylan sighed, "Samuel."

"What?" Samuel glared at him.

Seeing that the two were about to go at it again, Dylan raised his hand in frustration, smacking each of them on the head. "Both of you, shut up. Are you even listening to me anymore? One more word out of either of you, and I'm calling Andrew right now." At that, both of them instantly fell silent. Andrew had always held a position of towering authority in their eyes. If he were to find out about the fight, it wouldn't be a simple matter of scolding and lecturing.

Seeing that the two had finally settled down, Dylan seemed to notice Eleanor standing nearby for the first time. He approached her with a smile and said, "Hello, I'm Dylan Vanderbilt, fourth in line. You can call me Dylan, just like Gloria does."

As he smiled, the lenses of his glasses reflected the light, making it impossible to discern the emotions in his eyes. Still, Eleanor could sense that his smile didn't quite reach them.

It made sense. From the moment Samuel had mentioned her, Dylan had maintained a cool demeanor and hadn't intervened. He only stepped in when Felix was truly about to lose his temper and start a fight.

Even then, he had focused solely on restraining Felix, showing a clear bias.

With such obvious behavior, Eleanor didn't need to guess at his thoughts to know that he disliked her.

Eleanor wasn't one to chase after someone who showed no interest. Seeing his indifference, she also became more distant. "Hello Dylan, I'm Eleanor," she said coolly.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Their formal introduction resembled a business meeting - stiff and impersonal.

Gloria couldn't hide her smirk as she watched the scene unfold. Seizing her chance, she latched onto Dylan's arm and cooed, "Hey, didn't we say we'd catch Samuel's new show together? It's about to start." Dylan, clearly pleased by her affectionate display, replied, "Of course, I'll get it set up now."

"Great!" Gloria chirped.

As Dylan moved to turn on the TV, Gloria crossed her arms and looked down at Eleanor with the smug air of a victorious rival. "Care to join us?" she asked, her tone dripping with false sweetness.

Eleanor didn't take the bait. "No, thank you," she said coolly, not giving Gloria the satisfaction of a reaction. She was exhausted after a full day of exams. Even with her past life's academic knowledge, she felt drained and longed for a nap. She wondered how Gloria could still have so much energy to put on a show.

To Gloria, Eleanor's refusal to engage looked like a hasty retreat, which only inflated her ego further. She thought smugly, So what if Felix is protecting her? Can she compare to me, who's been close to my brothers since childhood? Even without Felix, I have Patrick, Dylan, and Samuel. I've got her outnumbered."

Eleanor couldn't be bothered to deal with Gloria's antics. She calmly approached Felix, who was still sitting on the couch looking irritated and gently pulled him up. "Come on, Felix. Your hand is injured. Let's go upstairs, and I'll put som Chapter 75

medicine on it."

Only then did Felix notice the small cut on his hand. It wasn't deep happened when he grabbed Samuel in anger, probably scratched t was surprised Eleanor had noticed such a small detail. Suddenly