Reborn as the Villainess

This time, Nine Shadows' sudden appearance in Cendelch and their equally abrupt decision to attend the banquet definitely had something fishy going on. It was as clear as day, and Gregory had figured it out without much effort. "So, what do you need me to do?" Ross replied, "Simple. King and I will be attending as well. You just need to show up and act like you don't know us. Once there, play it by ear."

"Got it." The three of them had always worked together on missions, so they had a solid unspoken understanding. Gregory could already grasp what Ross had in mind.

Cendelch had tightened its grip on arms control, and no matter how capable they were, no one would dare start shooting in broad daylight-not even Nine Shadows. So, their only move was to throw money at the problem.

***

Meanwhile, Stephen carried Eleanor to the door of his presidential suite.

The hotel was owned by Lloyd Group, and by standard protocol one of the suites was always reserved exclusively for Stephen so he could stay whenever he came by for inspections.

Given Stephen's severe germophobia, not only was the suite kept just for him, but it was also regularly cleaned and disinfected just in case he decided to drop in.

As Stephen was about to scan his fingerprint to open the door, the drunken Eleanor in his arms, who had lowered her head, suddenly jerked upright and stared at him with wide, sparkling eyes. "Who...who are you?" Stephen was in a good mood. He smiled, "Who do you think I am?"

Eleanor's mind was a complete haze. She squinted at the man in front of her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make out his face. She thought, 'Hmm, who is he?'

"I don't know who you are," Eleanor said earnestly, leaving Stephen with no comeback.

Stephen wasn't upset. "It's fine if you don't know now. You'll figure it out when you're sober."

Eleanor's head wobbled adorably, her expression innocent and sweet. "Okay."

Once they were inside, Stephen gently set Eleanor down on the couch. "Stay here and sit still. I'll order a honey lemon for you. Don't go wandering off, alright?"

Eleanor nodded like a little child.

"Good girl." But when Stephen hung up after calling the front desk, he turned around only to find the couch empty. "Ellie? Ellie?"

Stephen felt a chill run down his spine. He thought, 'We are on the 21st floor. Has that little drunk climbed out the window?' Fortunately, none of the windows had been touched, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Stephen finally found Eleanor crouching beside a potted plant in the corner of the living room. Her eyes were misty, and she was holding a couch pillow on top of her head.

Seeing Eleanor there, Stephen's heart finally returned to its normal pace. He approached to pick her up and return her to the couch, but she took a step back, eyeing him warily. "I'm a mushroom, and I'm blooming. You can't pick me."

Stephen thought, 'Seriously?' He couldn't help but chuckle. Her serious demeanor was so endearing that Stephen was utterly charmed. Drunk Eleanor was just too cute. If he had the time, he'd happily sit there all day and watch her act like a

mushroom.

But seeing sweat forming on Eleanor's forehead tugged at Stephen's heartstrings. "Even mushrooms need water and fertilizer to grow. Come on, let's get you some water first."

At this moment, Eleanor's stomach growled. She had spent the entire evening butting heads with Stephen and hadn't eaten much. Though drunk, she wasn't entirely clueless. The moment she heard there was food, she obediently followed Stephen to the table. The hotel's chef worked quickly, and a full spread of dishes was delivered soon.

Even in her drunken state, Eleanor ate with such grace. Despite her hunger, she chewed slowly and delicately, like a refined lady of high society-after all, she was one.

But then Stephen noticed something strange. After Eleanor finished eating a meatball, she carefully wrapped another one in a napkin and slipped it into her pocket. Eleanor did the same with a shrimp. She ate one and pocketed the other.

When Eleanor was about to sneak away a sandwich, Stephen couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed her wrist, frowning. "What are you doing? Eat your food properly. Why are you stuffing it into your pockets?"

Eleanor sniffled, her voice full of innocent sorrow. "I want to...take it back for Jackie."

Stephen was puzzled. "Jackie?"

Eleanor nodded. She answered seriously, "Yes, Jackie is my best friend. The others were so mean to me. They called me a bastard with no parents, threw stones at me, and smashed the flower baskets I spent hours making. They even locked me in a dark room without food.

"But Jackie was always there for me. It was so well-behaved and even helped me bite the ones who bullied me. That's why I want to bring some good food to it."

With that, Eleanor carefully wrapped a fried chicken in a napkin and slipped it into her pocket.

Stephen's chest tightened, a sharp, twisting pain spreading through him. Even his fingers trembled with the effort to hold back his emotions.

Eleanor was the heiress of the Vanderbilt family, the Vanderbilts only lady. She should have grown up surrounded by love and care, not like this-carefully stashing away food with a pleading look in her eyes.

It was clear Eleanor was talking about her time abandoned at the orphanage.

Stephen said, "If you want to take food, go ahead. But not in your pockets. I'll have them bring a pack as much as you want."NôvelDrama.Org © content.

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Stephen's gentle words seemed to ease Eleanor, and she obediently stopped sneaking food into her pockets. "You're so kind." She looked up at him, her eyes full of trust and dependence.

Stephen couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and playfully pinched Eleanor's nose, teasing her, "Just a couple of takeout boxes, and I'm suddenly 'kind'? After all the things I've given you before, not once did I hear a compliment." Stephen spoke too quickly for Eleanor's foggy brain to process. She just stared at him blankly.

The more dazed Eleanor looked, the more Stephen felt like teasing her further. "Ellie, how about I give you ten more takeout boxes? Am I nice?"

Eleanor blinked her drowsy eyes and nodded. "Nice."

"So if I'm so nice, what are you going to call me?" Stephen grinned, watching Eleanor closely. Seeing that she was scratching her head in anxiety, he had no intention of helping her. Stephen wanted to hear her true thoughts Whether it was taking 2/3 Chapter 106

advantage of the situation or not, he didn't care. He was, after all just a man with selfish desires.

Under Stephen's gaze, Eleanor wracked her brain. After a long pause, she suddenly lit up with excitement. Her eyes sparkled like stars, perhaps gems, as she exclaimed, "I'm going to call you the merciful Jesus." Stephen was speechless.