Reborn as the Villainess

Andrew furrowed his brow, still unconvinced. "Are you absolutely sure there's no probleContent (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Vincent, standing nearby, nodded hastily. "Everything's perfect, I promise." He had meticulously gone through every item on the checklist. There couldn't possibly be an issue.

Andrew gave a cold nod. "Alright. But if anything goes wrong, you can start planning your early retirement."

Vincent was speechless.

Eleanor and Felix were taking their exams at the same school, while Gloria had been assigned to a more distant location. The chauffeur had already left with her. Andrew was personally escorting Eleanor and Felix.

For once, Andrew wasn't buried in business papers during the car ride. Instead, he was engrossed in a book with an eye-catching title: [100 Things Parents Should Do for University Admissions Testing] Vincent wasn't surprised. Andrew had been practically glued to that book for the past month.

Suddenly, Andrew's brow furrowed as he read something. "Huh, he mumbled, "it says here parents should give their kids roses after exams."

He looked up. "Vincent, get in touch with that farm owner we know."

Vincent blinked, caught off guard. "The farm owner? What for?" He thought to himself, 'We haven't had any recent business with the farm. Why the sudden need to contact them?

Andrew promptly provided his answer. "I'm thinking of buying an acre of roses. It'll be perfect to give to Ellie after her

exams."

Eleanor let out an exasperated sigh. "Andrew, don't you think that's a bit much? We're talking about an entire acre here."

She couldn't help but wonder what on earth she'd do with such a ridiculous number of flowers. It wasn't like she was planning to open a boutique florist.

Andrew nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, an acre does seem insufficient. Let's make it six acres then. It should be enough

"Very well, Mr. Vanderbilt," Vincent replied.

Eleanor was left speechless.

"The book also says wearing evening attire helps students perform their best," Andrew mused, pressing his lips together. After a moment, he turned to Vincent. "Eleanor doesn't have time to change, so Vincent, you'll need to suit up." "What? But Mr. Vanderbilt, I..." Vincent's face crumpled in dismay. No one had told him being an executive assistant involved moonlighting as a prom date for test-takers.

'Besides,' Vincent thought to himself, 'I'm not even Ms. Vanderbilt's parent. Won't it look strange if I show up dressed like

this?

He recalled the golden rule of office politics - when faced with tasks outside people's job description, learn to say "no" with -confidence.

Vincent cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Vanderbilt, I don't think-"

"Ten times your usual bonus," Andrew cut him off.

"Of course, Mr. Vanderbilt. I'll go shopping right away," Vincent quickly replied. 'A man can't live on dignity alone,' he

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reasoned to himself.

Eleanor massaged her temples, dreading the thought of Vincent waiting for her in a tuxedo. She nudged Felix, whispering. "Talk some sense into Andrew. Since when did UAT turn into red carpet events?" Felix blinked, unfazed. "I think Andrew's got the right idea. It doesn't matter to me, but you need to do well on this test."

Turning to Vincent, he added, "Don't forget to bring a banner to cheer Eleanor on."

Eleanor could only stare in disbelief. "They've lost it,' she thought. "They've all completely lost it!

Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Eleanor glanced at the screen. It was Liam calling.

The car filled with a piercing voice the moment Eleanor answered. "Boss! You there? I'm on my way! Can you hear me? Hello?"

"Shut up," Eleanor snapped, cutting off his howling. She couldn't help but think the guy must've been a caffeinated squirrel in a past life, all that energy and chatter.

"I'm on my way too," Eleanor said coldly. "We should reach the school in about ten minutes."

"No kidding! We're about ten minutes out. We might just run into each other... Wait a second." Liam's excited chatter suddenly halted. "Boss, I think I see your car. You're in the black Rolls-Royce today, right?"

Eleanor glanced out the window, phone still in hand. A black Bentley caught her eye. Suddenly, she saw Liam's unruly mop as he leaned dangerously far out the back window, arm flailing wildly as he shouted, "Boss! I'm over here! Boss!" Eleanor fell silent, feeling a bit embarrassed. Just then, a deep, slightly husky voice came through the phone. "Liam, sit down. It's dangerous."

"Oh, okay," Liam replied. As expected, his silhouette instantly vanished from the Bentley's back window.

'Was that Stephen's voice?' Eleanor wondered. 'He has come to support Liam during the exam too?' Eleanor couldn't deny it - the moment she heard Stephen's voice, her heart seemed to skip a beat.

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Just then, the chauffeur suddenly brought the car to a halt. He turned to address Andrew, who was calmly reading in the backseat. "Mr. Vanderbilt, it looks like we're stuck in traffic."

It wasn't exactly a traffic jam. The Rolls-Royce and Bentley were both large vehicles, and they happened to meet on the same commercial street. There wasn't enough room for them to pass side by side. One would have to back up to let the other through. Andrew glanced up to assess the situation. Indeed, Stephen's Bentley was blocking their path completely. There was no way for their car to get through.

Eleanor took in the scene, blinking in surprise. "Why don't we just turn back? We can still get to the school using the other route."

"No way," Andrew cut her off before she could finish. "Life's about pushing forward. It's your exam day, and we're not backing down."

Eleanor couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Seriously, Andrew? For a top university grad who's always preached about making your own luck, you're suddenly getting superstitious now?'

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to say it out loud. Still, they couldn't just sit here at a standstill forever.

Andrew, cool as a cucumber, simply said, "Drive on through."

The chauffeur hesitated, eyeing the narrow gap between the wall and the car. His hands trembled. "Mr. Vanderbilt, if we force it through, your car..." This was a multi-million-dollar luxury vehicle. Even a scratch on the paint would be beyond his ability to pay for it. Andrew w