Chapter 74
It was a woman dressed in an elegant gray business suit. Her makeup was subtle and refined, giving her an air of sophistication.
Eleanor realized she hadn’t seen this woman before. Her gaze must have been too intense as the woman quickly noticed she was being watched. With a slight smile, she gracefully approached, her high stilettos clicking against the floor.
“Hello, I’m Anna Watson from Headlines Entertainment. May I interview you?” she asked, her voice smooth as silk.
Eleanor eyed her warily. Something in her gut told her this woman harbored ill feelings towards her. But Eleanor couldn’t recall ever meeting her before. Given their apparent age difference, she wondered what could possibly be the source of this hostility.
Despite her suspicions, Eleanor knew she couldn’t refuse with so many cameras around. She forced a polite smile and replied, “Of course.”
Anna’s ruby lips curled into a smirk as she fired her first shot. “I’m curious, why do you finish every exam so early? Are you that confident in your abilities? Or do you just love the attention of being first out the door?”
Eleanor’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Just as she’d suspected, Anna was trouble. Her very first question was loaded with hostility, clearly trying to put Eleanor on the spot.
Fortunately, Eleanor’s experience dealing with reporters in her past life came in handy. She replied with a slight smile, “The questions were straightforward. Once I finished, why would I stick around? It’s not like I could take a nap in the exam room.”
Anna pressed on, “So you’re saying every subject was easy for you?”
“Pretty much, yeah.” Eleanor nodded. She wasn’t exaggerating. The science questions that followed were a breeze for her. She could practically figure out the answers at a glance of the questions, especially in physics. She finished the entire exam in just half an hour.
If it weren’t for the rule that students could only turn in their papers 30 minutes before the end of the exam, she would’ve been done even sooner.
Anna, however, interpreted Eleanor’s words differently. Her eyes gleamed with contempt, clearly not believing a word. “So, what you’re saying is you’re gunning for valedictorian?”
There she went again, putting words in Eleanor’s mouth. But Eleanor remained unfazed, responding with cool confidence, “The scores will be out at the end of June. You’re welcome to look for my name.”
The tension between the two was so palpable that even the cameraman noticed. He cleared his throat, subtly hinting at Anna to dial it back. After all, this footage would be uploaded to social media, and coming on too strong could leave a bad impression, especially when dealing with a young interviewee.
But Eleanor’s cocky attitude had Anna seething. If not for the audience, she might have hurled the microphone at Eleanor.
Anna caught the cameraman’s warning glance and reined herself in. After a beat, she managed to ask one last somewhat civil question, “So, what are your plans after the University Admissions Testing?”
“To make money,” Eleanor replied bluntly.
Anna’s eyes glittered with fresh disdain. “That desperate for cash, huh?”
Eleanor nodded, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “Yes.” She didn’t know when the Vanderbilt family might go bankrupt, so she desperately needed to save money. Only with enough savings could she ensure a comfortable life for herself and her brothers. In that sense, she truly did need money.
Chapter 74
61%
Anna, unaware of Eleanor’s inner thoughts, gazed at her delicate lace. Her previous irritation melted away almost instantly. ‘Desperately needs money?‘ she scoffed inwardly. ‘So she must be from a poor family. That could make things much easier!
In the car, Andrew reached into his wallet and pulled out a sleek black credit card. “Here. It’s unlimited. Treat yourself to whatever you want.”
Eleanor blinked, caught off guard by the sudden gesture. “No neeil, Andrew,” she replied casually. “I’ve been saving the pocket money you’ve given me. I still have quite a bit left and don’t need a card right now.”
To Eleanor, her response seemed perfectly ordinary. But to Andrew, her words were unexpectedly painful, making his heart skip a beat.
Andrew’s mind flashed back to Eleanor’s previous life – a time of sacrifice and hardship. She had sent every spare penny home, often going without basic necessities. ‘Is that why she had looked so terribly thin when we last saw her?‘ He couldn’t help but wonder.
He gritted his teeth, fighting back the emotion threatening to spill over. “Take it,” he insisted, pressing the card into her palm. “Your brother’s loaded now. Spend it however you want. Don’t think twice about it.”
This time around, Andrew had turned things around. He’d plugged all the financial holes and reversed the company’s downward spiral. Not only was bankruptcy off the table, but the business was actually thriving.
He was determined that in this life, Eleanor wouldn’t have to struggle.
Felix, witnessing the scene, seemed to recall something and joined in the persuasion. “Come on, Ellie, just take it. It’s only a black card. What’s there to be shy about?”
Ellie hesitated. “But I don’t really spend that much money normally. I wouldn’t even use a black card.”
Andrew pressed his lips together and said, “Alright, let’s set a rule. You have to spend 100 thousand dollars every month from now on. Don’t girls love those designer bags? Buy entire collections. Keep what you like. Give the rest to the staff.”
“What?” Eleanor was utterly stunned. The extravagance of the upper crust never ceased to amaze her.
Andrew caught her stunned expression, and a wave of guilt washed over him. Eleanor should have been living the high life since day one. Instead, she’d been scraping by on her own. Now, she was even hesitant to spend money on herself. As her brother, he felt he had failed her.
“Take it,” Andrew said, handing over a card. “I’ll have Vincent keep an eye on the spending. You’ve got to use every cent–no skimping. Fall short by even a dime, and next month’s allowance doubles.”
Eleanor replied, resigning, “Fine…” She figured Andrew probably didn’t know yet that Vanderbilt Group was on the brink of bankruptcy. If he did, he certainly wouldn’t be this generous. She decided to keep the card. It might come in handy if the company went under.
Seeing Eleanor accept the card, Andrew smiled approvingly, “That’s my girl.”
Andrew had been busy attending to Eleanor’s needs during her exams, leaving a pile of work at the company untouched. Now that her exams were over, he headed straight to the office.
The driver took Felix and Eleanor back to Vanderbilt Manor. As Eleanor approached the villa’s entrance, she was greeted by a chorus of lively chatter and laughter from inside. Gloria’s flirtatious giggling stood out among the din. It seemed they had
company.
Felix, noticing Eleanor’s sudden pause, stepped around her with a puzzled look. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you ig in?” he
Chapter 74
asked, reaching for the door handle.
The moment the door swung open, the cheerful noise inside abruptly ceased. Felix stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes widening in surprise. “Dylan? Samuel? What are you two doing here? I thought you were swamped with work!”
田
