All Chapters of REBORN: My Second Life. I Became The Villianess: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Dad paused his lighter-flipping routine, his gaze snapping up to meet mine. "Keep it clean. No flashy messes. Just let her hang herself with her own rope.""Already handled," I said, setting my mug down on the wood with a quiet clink. "Dario is going to start laying out the bait this afternoon. Just a few lingering glances when nobody else is paying attention. Nysa will do the rest of the work in her own head."Elena gave a soft, disapproving click of her tongue from across the table. "Honestly, giving that woman any attention at all sounds exhausting. I would rather deal with a flat tire." she said."It is exhausting," I agreed, a wicked little smirk tugging at my lips. "That is why we let her do all the heavy lifting. She wants to believe she is irresistible and clever. We are just going to validate every single toxic delusion she has until she walks right into the trap."Grandmother nodded slowly, taking a sip of her tea. "A woman who lives by her own lies is the easiest person to

"Nyxara," Carlton answered, sounding slightly surprised to hear from me. "Is everything alright?" he asked.I softened my voice, keeping my tone gentle for him. "Hi, Dad. Everything is fine. I was just calling to see if you, Nysa, and Mom would like to come over for dinner tonight. I know there has been some tension lately, and I would really love for us all to get past it. I want us to be a proper family."There was a brief, telling pause on the other end. He was clearly caught off guard by the olive branch, but he loved the idea of looking like the bigger person who brought everyone back together."Well," he, cleared his throat, his tone warming up a notch as he puffed out his chest over the line. "That is very mature of you, Nyxara. I think a family dinner would be a step in the right direction. We will be there.""Wonderful," I smiled into the phone, letting a real note of warmth color my words. "We will see you at seven."I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the coffee table. T

After the last plates were returned to the kitchen, and the dining room finally emptied out. Vincenzo stood up, clapping a hand on Carlton's shoulder and steering him toward the patio doors to talk about local zoning. Elena smoothly guided Caroline out toward the cool night air of the garden, pretending to admire the late-summer flowers while keeping her away from the action. Grandfather and Grandmother excused themselves to the sitting room to escape the noise.That left Nysa sitting right where she was in the living room, completely cornered. Bianca and Ella had moved in fast, flanking her with matching, razor-sharp grins and dropping endless, casual digs about her fading social status and empty life.I stayed quiet for a minute, watching Nysa start to sweat under the pressure. Then I stood up, offering a polite, innocent little smile."Excuse me for just a second," I murmured. "I need to use the washroom."I slipped down the quiet hallway toward the guest bath, pulling my phone ou

Dario stopped sipping his coffee and looked down at the screen. My dad leaned over, his eyes scanning the text, and let out a dry, humorless sound. Uncle Pascal just shook his head, a small, knowing smirk hitting his face."She's up to something," Dario said, stating the obvious. "Nobody texts out of nowhere trying to play sweet unless they're sweating.""Obviously," I muttered, grabbing a napkin. "She's probably panicking because of the anonymous text from yesterday, or she thinks she can fix whatever mess she's in by twisting my arm.""You aren't going alone," my dad said, his tone leaving zero room for argument."I wasn't planning on it," I told him, rolling my eyes a little bit. "I'll take security. Plus, you guys are probably going to follow us anyway."Uncle Pascal laughed out loud, leaning back in his chair. "We wouldn't miss it, princess." he said.By nine, I was out the door but not before being lectured by the entire Vlateri clam about being careful. My dad came with two of

The ride back to the Valteri estate took less than twenty minutes. The security detail parked right outside the main door, and I hopped out before the guys could even reach for the door handle. I pushed my way inside, kicking off my shoes by the front door, and headed straight toward the main living area.I could hear them arguing before I even turned the corner. Elena's voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet of the house. "I am telling you, the midnight blue is too dark for the reception hall. It makes everything look like a mob summit instead of a wedding.""Midnight blue is classic," Grandmother shot back, sounding unbothered. "It sets the tone. We want people to know the family isn't playing around."I walked into the room, shoving my hands into my pockets. They were sitting at the long table surrounded by a literal mountain of thick, glossy paper, fabric swatches, and heavy ring binders. Elena looked up first, her eyes locking onto me with a look of pure urgency."Nyxara," sh