Reborn as the Villainess

After the cast's makeup photoshoot and the opening ceremony of the production were completed, it was already late. According to the original plan, there was no need to rush the filming progress today. Victor had initially planned to let the actors return to the hotel to rest and have dinner together in the evening. However, Zane approached him and requested that they start filming today, no matter what. Victor didn't expect Zane to be so eager. "Aren't you tired? Don't you want to go back and rest for a bit?"

Zane held his head high, brimming with energy. "Victor, I'm not tired at all. The crew's daily expenses are enormous, and every extra day we spend here means more costs for the equipment and locations. To save on expenses for the crew, I'm ready to start filming right away."

Victor felt relieved by Zane's hard-working and dedicated attitude, and he looked at him with admiration. "Alright, we'll do as you say. I'll have the production staff notify the actors that well begin official filming today."

Zane smiled at Victor's words, "Thank you, Victor. I'll give it my all."

"Good," Victor replied.

Watching Victor leave, Zane clenched his fists in excitement. He thought, 'This is perfect. Victor agreed to start filming today, which means I'll get to impress Mr. Lloyd.' He was determined to seize this opportunity and make sure Stephen saw him in a whole new light.

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On the other hand, Gregory almost jumped up when he received the news. If it weren't for his agent, Carter, who had the foresight to hold him down.

Even though Gregory was restrained, he couldn't stop ranting. "Is that Zane the Zany out of his mind? Does he love acting that much? Victor gave us time off, and now he's playing the part of a model-actor. Should I give him a certificate for it?"

Carter quickly covered Gregory's mouth. "Oh, for heaven's sake, lower your voice. There are people everywhere. How bad would it be if someone heard you?"

Gregory swatted Carter's hand away and started shouting even louder. "I won't. I'm not lowering my voice. I want him to know exactly how I feel. What a joke, as if I'm afraid of him."

Sitting beside Gregory, Eleanor was getting a headache from all the noise. She snapped, "Mr. Harper, could you quiet down? You're distracting me from reading my script." She thought, 'Is this guy really an actor? He loves showing off, and has a bad temper. Somehow, he hasn't been beaten up yet. Honestly, it's a miracle.'

When Eleanor finished speaking, Gregory, who had been so full of himself moments ago, immediately deflated like a balloon. Even his voice carried a hint of grievance. "Fine, I'll be quiet, okay?"

Carter blinked hard, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. He stared at Gregory, unsure if this was the same person he'd known for the past years. He thought, 'Is this really the actor who used to snap back with ten retorts for every one of my three comments? The same fearless, untouchable Gregory?'

After a long pause, Carter leaned close to Gregory and whispered, "Did you... Did she catch you committing murder or something?"

Gregory rolled his eyes. "If I were killing someone, do you think I'd let myself get caught? What a joke. Are you questioning my skills?"

Carter mentally brushed off Gregory's comment as one of his typical arrogant jokes and didn't take it seriously. "Then why are you so obedient around her?"

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Just earlier today, Gregory had stubbornly refused to act alongside Eleanor. Yet now, not even half a day later, he was practically glued to her side like a shadow.

Gregory lifted his chin, his posture haughty as ever. "Hmph, you don't deserve to know."

Carter was speechless.

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Eleanor overheard their conversation, her hand pausing as she flipped through the script. She glanced at Gregory, who was still lingering by her side, and couldn't help but feel something was off.

Eleanor thought, 'Why is he suddenly sticking so close to me? It's not like he's trying to take advantage of me. On the contrary, his gaze is strikingly pure, without any ulterior motive. In fact, it's as if...as if he's simply...submitting Eleanor chuckled at that thought. 'Submitting? I must be going crazy, thinking something that absurd. Still, it's better to get to the bottom of things.

"Mr. Harper, could I have a word with you?" Eleanor asked.

Gregory blinked, immediately scooting closer. His grin was overly eager. "Ms. Vanderbilt, whatever you need, just say it."

Hearing Gregory address her so formally, Eleanor frowned. "Gregory, you can just call me by my name. After all, you are my senior."

In the entertainment industry, status and hierarchy were taken way too seriously. As a rookie, having someone as famous às Gregory to submit to Eleanor like this would have his fans tearing her apart online. She wasn't exactly aiming for fame through controversy. But Gregory's eyes widened dramatically as he declared, "Calling you by your name would be way too disrespectful. That's an S-class crime, no less."

Eleanor was baffled. She thought, 'What? Is this some new slang from the internet?' She wasn't following at all.

Ignoring Eleanor's confusion, Gregory continued, "Don't worry about it. We'll each call the other what we want. You call me Mr. Harper, and I'll call you Ms. Vanderbilt. It's a fair trade-no disrespect on either side."

Internally, Gregory gave himself a thumbs-up for his brilliance. According to the rules of Ghost Sect, if the sect leader addresses me as her senior, it would be bad for me. But if I submit to her as my senior, according to showbiz rules, it would be bad for her. So, we can respect each other in our own way.

'And who knows? When the new sect leader takes over, maybe she'll remember my hard work and dedication and spare me from a particularly tragic fate.

Pleased with his logic, Gregory tapped his forehead, smirking to himself. 'Man, I've got such a sharp mind.

Eleanor clenched her teeth, feeling like she was trying to reason with a brick wall. She thought, 'How is someone with this level of intelligence even competing with Samuel? Are fans really into this kind of dimwit now?' Taking a deep breath, she forcefully calmed the storm brewing inside her. "Mr. Harper, I wanted to ask why you have been following me around?"Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

Since Gregory suddenly insisted on acting today, he hadn't left Eleanor's side. He even bumped Grace out of the way to stay glued to Eleanor.

When Eleanor asked the question, everyone around them, including Carter, turned their attention to Gregory. Clearly, they were all curious, too.

Gregory faced the crowd's stares and said frankly and sincerely, "Because I need to honor you, Ms. Vanderbilt."

Everyone was stunned. "Honor?"

"Yeah. Didn't I say it before? From now on, what's mine is Ms. Vanderbilt's. Ms. Vanderbilt's enemies are my enemies. If

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someone bullies Ms. Vanderbilt, they're bullying me. I am dedicated and loyal, and I will tirelessly devote myself to Ms. Vanderbilt's cause, without complaint, until the very end," he proclaimed, full of righteous conviction.

Eleanor couldn't hold it in anymore. Her lips twitched as she raised a hand to dismiss Gregory's impassioned loyalty speech. "Okay, I really don't think I need this honor of yours."

"What do you mean you don't need it? Of course, you need it. You definitely need it," Gregory protested, unwilling to back down.