Reborn as the Villainess

Chapter 85 66%

In the dressing room, Gregory sat on the couch, his face dark with anger as he furiously played a video game. His Carter House, was pacing around the room, clearly agitated.

manager,

"Greogory, please," Carter pleaded, "you've already signed the contract. Do you have any idea how much trouble we'll be in if you back out now?"

Gregory let out a cold laugh. His fingers deftly executed a special move, taking down his opponent in the game. Only then did he speak. "It's just a matter of paying the penalty fee, isn't it? It's not like I can't afford it. I'll pay them off and be done with it. There's no way in hell I'm doing this show, no matter what you say."

Carter ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He moved closer to Gregory, almost ready to get on his knees. "Listen, it's not just about the money. We've already negotiated everything with Victor. If you bail now, it'll seriously damage our reputation in the industry. You know how well-connected Victor is.

"If we get on his bad side, do you really think you'll be able to work in this business anymore?"

Gregory let out a derisive snort. "You think I'm afraid of that?"

"You may not be scared, oh great one, but I sure as hell am!" Carter exclaimed, exasperated. He couldn't help but wonder what terrible luck had cursed him with such a troublesome client.

Carter had been completely taken in by Gregory's face at first-handsome and refined, exactly the type girls would swoon over, He'd signed him on the spot, and his instincts had been spot-on. Gregory shot to stardom instantly, amassing countless fangirls. Just when Carter thought he'd found his golden goose, set for life, Gregory proved to be completely unpredictable.

First off, he couldn't care less about winning awards or even landing good roles. All that mattered was looking good on screen. He'd probably act for free if the director promised to hang a sign reading "Handsome" above his head throughout the film. Gregory was a loose cannon-a wild card no one could control. He had a knack for stirring up trouble wherever he went.

There was the time he caught a director and actor fooling around. Instead of keeping quiet, he camped outside their door with a megaphone, blasting "The Wheels on the Bus" all night. Rumor had it the director was whisked away in an ambulance before dawn.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Gregory's antics were legendary - creating fake social media accounts to troll his critics, setting off firecrackers to spook directors, snoring loudly through award ceremonies, and insisting on wearing a military jacket to red carpet events. The list of his misdeeds seemed endless.

Gregory had barely respawned when he saw the "DEFEAT" screen. Furious, he hurled his phone onto the table with a loud bang. "See? I told you that woman I'm co-starring with is bad luck for me. She's not even here, and I've already lost the game." Carter replied dryly, "Haven't you always lost at this game?"

Gregory bristled, his temper flaring. "You son of a-"

Realizing he'd struck a nerve, Carter quickly backpedaled. "Okay okay, my bad. I was talking nonsense. You're absolutely killer at gaming."

"Humph." Gregory's hackles lowered, appeased. "At least you know when to fold."

Carter plopped down next to him with a sigh. "Look, if you're really not into this film, fine. But throw the a bone here. I need something to tell Victor, you know?"

Gregory was undoubtedly a star, but even A-listers rode the waves of youth and popularity. To stay relevant in the long run, he needed to reinvent himself, and the most convincing way to do that was by winning awards.

Victor's films, while a bit artsy, were practically designed to win awards. Landing a role was practically a guarantee of recognition - even the extras walked away with something for their trophy case. It was a no-brainer. That was why Carter was baffled by Gregory's sudden change of heart.

Gregory barely glanced up as he muttered, "I'm not wasting my time with amateurs who can't act." He'd heard that his co-star was some high school student the director had picked. He scoffed at the idea of a teenager with any real acting chops.

Word on the street was that Samuel was also filming in this studio. Gregory knew if Samuel caught wind of him working with an amateur, he'd surely plant negative stories about him in the media. He couldn't risk it. No way was he going to let his rival gain more fans. After a long pause, Carter's eye twitched. He couldn't help but ask, "You think you...know how to act?"

As Gregory's agent, Carter tried to be objective. But the hard truth was that even the extras on set had more talent than his client.

Gregory puffed out his chest, brimming with unearned confidence. His conviction was so strong, he looked ready to run for office. "My acting skills? Without exaggeration, I could easily snag a Best Actor award."Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Carter was speechless. 'Where did he get all this confidence?"

Oblivious to Carter's disbelief, Gregory continued, "So, with my natural-born acting talent, there's no way I'm going to work with some amateur who can't act. I won't give them a chance to leech off my success. I've made up my mind. I'm not doing it. Go tell the director. We'll pay whatever penalty we need to."

"You... Never mind. Do whatever you want. I'm done trying to manage you," Carter sighed and stood up, thinking that this stubborn mule was impossible to reason with. "I'll go talk to Victor, but you absolutely have to attend the dinner tonight. Be on your

best behavior, alright? Don't let Victor think you're being a diva. Got it?"

Gregory rolled his eyes and flopped back on the couch. "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Only then did Carter reluctantly open the door and walk out.

Meanwhile, Eleanor's helicopter touched down on the hotel's rooftop helipad. A group of white-gloved attendants in crisp suits was already waiting. As she stepped out, they bowed in unison. "Welcome, Ms. Vanderbilt."

Eleanor's first thought was, 'Thank God we're on the roof. No one else can see this.' She cringed inwardly. This felt like a scene straight out of some over-the-top romance novel.

Just then, a young woman in athletic wear approached. She looked to be in her early twenties, exuding efficiency and poise. "Hello, Ms. Vanderbilt. I'm Grace Hodgson, the personal assistant Mr. Vanderbilt assigned to you. I'll be taking care of your day-to-day needs." Without missing a beat,. Grace turned to direct the staff in whisking Eleanor's luggage into the hotel. "Ms. Vanderbilt, the director's ready to start the costume photo shoot. We should head over," she said.

Eleanor nodded. "Sounds good. Just call me Eleanor from now on, or Ellie if you want. Let's drop the 'Ms. Vanderbilt thing - it's too stuffy."

The thought of Grace suddenly announcing "Make way for Ms. Vanderbilt!" made Eleanor cringe. She could already picture herself wishing for a convenient sinkhole to appear.

Grace shifted awkwardly, her mouth twitching. "But Mr. Vanderbilt insisted you're extra special care of you."

not just any actress. He told me to take

3

In reality, Andrew's words had been more along the lines of. "If my sister so much as chips a nail, you can kiss your job goodbye."