Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 167: The Same Kind of Person

Chapter 167: The Same Kind of Person

"Alright, alright, enough with the bickering, it’s time to eat," Richard said as he playfully patted Amelia on the backside. "You always try to get the upper hand whenever you see Eric."

"Of course! He used to bully me all the time when we were kids," Amelia retorted with a grin.

Ella was a bit surprised—they had known each other since childhood, which explained why Amelia was so familiar with Eric.

Rachel sat at the far end of the table, maintaining her gentle and graceful demeanor, the perfect picture of a well-mannered lady.

During dinner, Ella noticed that Rachel’s gaze kept drifting toward Eric, a subtle but undeniable intensity in her eyes.

Ella understood perfectly—Rachel had definitely fallen for Eric. But too bad for her, this perfect man was already taken by Ella.

Eric was exceptionally considerate, serving Ella several pieces of fish and even picking out the bones for her. Later, when they had lobster, he peeled the shell and placed the meat in her bowl. This prompted Amelia to complain jokingly about how she was stuck with Richard, who was all about being served and never thought about being thoughtful. "I’ve got such bad luck," she sighed.

Richard, feigning anger, retorted through gritted teeth, "Amelia, you talk too much. Just wait; soon, I’ll make sure your mouth isn’t so idle!"

Amelia glared at him and playfully twisted his ear, making Richard yelp in protest.

Ella burst out laughing. Amelia and Richard were such a lively pair, and watching them bicker lightened the mood.

It seemed that less considerate men also had sharp tongues.

Ella occasionally whispered sweet nothings to Eric, but only Michael and Rachel remained silent, like outsiders in the lively gathering.

Rachel struggled to suppress the overwhelming jealousy and anger churning inside her, keeping her composure as she continued to eat.

She had heard long ago that Eric had a girlfriend, and that girl was Ella.

That was why Rachel had begged her family to let her transfer to S High School, so she could start manipulating things to make Ella unpopular among her peers.

Her plan was simple: as Ella’s reputation declined, the perfectionist Virgo in Eric would find it increasingly intolerable to be associated with someone whose name was tainted.

Everything had to be done step by step, carefully and methodically, just like eating a meal—one bite at a time.

Rachel remained calm, gradually getting closer to Eric while slowly working to ruin Ella’s reputation.

Throughout dinner, Amelia and Richard had their sweet little spats, the kind only couples have. Richard, in his usual fashion, made some suggestive remarks that left Amelia blushing deeply, and even Rachel’s fox-like face turned a light shade of pink.

"Don’t mind him," Eric said to Ella with a chuckle. "He’s always like that, talking loudly without considering there are high school students around."

Richard scoffed, "You hypocrite, pretending to be all innocent after doing the deed."

"I was talking about your little cousin," Eric shot back with a cold snort, glaring at Richard.

Richard paused, then gave Rachel a half-amused, half-knowing look.

"Rachel, I heard you’ve had quite a few boyfriends," Richard said teasingly.

Rachel’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly put down her utensils, waving her hands in denial. "Cousin, don’t listen to those rumors! They’re all lies!"

Ella couldn’t help but smile. Richard was certainly not going easy on Rachel, even though she was his distant cousin.

"Oh really? But I’m pretty sure I saw a guy with his arm around your waist just yesterday, looking very cozy," Richard said with a teasing grin.

Rachel’s embarrassment was palpable, as she had indeed gone out for karaoke with her ex-boyfriend the previous night.

Although Rachel’s ex-boyfriend still had feelings for her and had been a bit clingy, she knew she had to deny everything now. "You must have been mistaken, cousin!" Rachel tried to brush it off.

"Oh, was I mistaken? I guess I’ll have to check the surveillance footage when I get back to see if it was really you!" Richard said with a sly grin.

Ella and Amelia burst into laughter, while Rachel’s face turned pale. She forced a silly smile but couldn’t think of anything to say in her defense.

Rachel silently cursed Richard in her heart. Even though they didn’t interact much, she was still his cousin! How could he embarrass her like this?

The atmosphere became a bit awkward, but Richard, being his usual entertaining self, quickly brought the mood back up.

He and Eric drank a few glasses of wine, and soon both of them had a slight blush on their faces.

This slightly tipsy Eric looked even more devilishly handsome and irresistibly charming.

After dinner, they took a stroll on the deck to enjoy the breeze, but Rachel, lacking any sense of timing, inserted herself into their conversation again, repeatedly interrupting Eric’s enjoyment.

Eric, now annoyed, decided to take Ella to the private suite on the second floor to watch a movie.

In the dimly lit room, Ella picked up the remote and opened the movie menu, but she couldn’t decide which film to choose.

The suite was spacious, with a large sofa big enough for two people to roll around on. Ella glanced at the sofa, and for a moment, some inappropriate thoughts flashed through her mind...

"Still haven’t decided?" Eric asked, noticing Ella’s hesitation with a light chuckle.

Ella shook her head. "I really can’t choose..."

Eric set down the glass of wine he had been swirling, took the remote from her, and selected a movie with a somewhat suggestive title.

"First Night."

Ella’s face flushed as she read the title.

Eric chuckled softly, took a sip of wine, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"So, how does it feel to watch a movie with just the two of us?" Eric whispered, his breath warm against her ear, making her shiver slightly. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to put some distance between them.

After all, this yacht belonged to Richard, and she didn’t want anything to happen here.

"Great!" Ella finally managed to squeeze out the word after holding her breath.

"I’m not so sure... You seem really tense. Hmm, are you afraid I might devour you?" Eric teased with a wicked smile, gently kissing her delicate earlobe.

Ella’s ears quickly heated up, a warm sensation spreading through her.

Suddenly, the chill was gone.

On the screen, a scene of a school appeared, with a girl jogging and humming as she ran toward the campus. A boy followed closely behind, his eyes fixed on her, a hint of infatuation in his gaze.

So, it was a school-themed romance.

Ella tried to focus on the movie, determined to ignore Eric’s teasing.

After a while, Ella thought of Richard and Rachel’s relationship. "By the way, Mr. Martinez doesn’t seem to like his distant cousin very much, does he?"

Eric let out a small snort. "You mean Rachel? She and Richard aren’t really close—they’re distant relatives, separated by several generations. And that branch of the family, well, during a difficult time for Richard’s grandfather, they even hired someone to try and assassinate him. Although many years have passed and things aren’t as hostile as they once were, Richard still doesn’t care for them."

Ella suddenly understood. So that’s why!

It seemed that branch of the family had a dark past, and Rachel’s character wasn’t much better. Clearly, they were cut from the same cloth...