Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 299: Playing the Game

Chapter 299: Playing the Game

The serene environment and unfamiliar surroundings greeted Ella as she woke up, the soft morning light filtering through the window, casting a hazy glow over her face. The misty sunlight stirred her still-drowsy thoughts.

Ella rubbed her eyes, feeling momentarily disoriented before remembering she was on vacation. Glancing down at the floor, she saw Eric sleeping there, a sweet smile tugging at her lips.

Eric was lying on his side, facing her, with a beam of morning light illuminating his features. His long lashes and defined jawline gave him an almost boyish charm in his peaceful sleep.

His handsome face, coupled with the slight curve of his lips, made Ella smile as she quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to him, barefoot.

The wooden floors of the inn had been cleaned, so sleeping on them wasn’t uncomfortable. Ella sat down beside Eric, her mischievous grin growing as she spotted a withered blade of grass she had brought in from their hike yesterday.

Suppressing her laughter, Ella lightly brushed the dried grass against Eric’s cheek.

Eric twitched at the tickling sensation, frowning slightly but not waking up.

Ella stifled a giggle. Eric’s frown made him look so amusingly grumpy.

Though she hesitated to wake him, her playful spirit couldn’t resist. She ran the grass across his ear again, the light touch tickling him.

Eric swatted the air. "Marshmallow, stop... stop licking me!"

"Hahaha!" Ella burst out laughing. "Who’s Marshmallow? Eric!"

Her laughter woke Eric, who opened his eyes, groggy but alert enough to see her doubled over in laughter. In an instant, he grabbed her by the collar, pulling her into his arms with surprising force.

"So, it was you..." Eric murmured, wrapping her tightly in a hug, inhaling deeply. "I... I dreamed of when I was six. We had this little pug at home, and it used to lick my ears..."

Back then, when Victoria was still alive, his childhood was filled with happiness. He’d often fall asleep near her, only to be woken up by the dog’s licks. Victoria would chase the dog away, giving him more time to rest.

The memory made Eric smile, and he kissed Ella gently on the cheek, unable to resist the familiar comfort of her presence. Ella quickly pushed him away, cheeks flushed. "It’s morning, come on, time to get up!"

Eric snapped back to the present—they were at the inn in Treading Immortal Mountain, and the plan was still unfolding.

Mason, that fool, was practically walking into his own doom. There was going to be quite a show soon!

After getting dressed and brushing their teeth, Ella and Eric heard a loud scream from outside.

They exchanged a knowing glance, smiling in sync, before hurrying out to see what was happening.

A small crowd had gathered outside Eric’s original room. Inside, a woman was furiously pulling at another woman’s hair, yelling and slapping her.

"So it’s you who seduced my husband! You shameless pair—how dare you have an affair right under my nose! I’m going to kill you!"

The woman, still in her nightgown, slapped the other woman’s delicate face with a resounding smack.

The other woman burst into tears, trembling as she turned toward the doorway, where her eyes met Ella’s cold, unflinching gaze.

The woman was Rachel!

Mason had meticulously planned everything before coming here. He orchestrated a scheme where Rachel would sneak into Eric’s room, believing that the scent she used would cloud Eric’s judgment and cause him to lose control. The goal was for Ella to walk in on them, shattering her trust and leaving her devastated.

Rachel, eager to win Eric over, agreed to the plan. Last night, she crept into Eric’s room, convinced that her plan had worked. However, she was rudely awakened by a banging on the door. When she opened her eyes, she was horrified to find that the man beside her wasn’t Eric at all—it was a stranger, a young man about 25 years old, with a similar build to Eric.

Before she could process what had happened, the door burst open, and a furious woman stormed into the room. The man quickly grabbed the blanket to cover his exposed body and accused Rachel of seducing him.

The enraged woman, who appeared to be the man’s wife, grabbed Rachel by the hair and began hitting her.

"Stop it... please, I was set up... don’t do this, I was framed...!" Rachel sobbed desperately, but the woman was far from listening to her.

Some of the onlookers gleefully recorded the scene on their phones, eager to post the drama online.

Ella stood by, her lips curling into a smirk as she watched Rachel’s pitiful situation unfold. A flicker of disdain passed through her eyes.

Trying to seduce her man?

In her dreams.

Mason may have had a plan, but did he really think that she and Eric were fools who would willingly walk into such an obvious trap?

Eric and Ella had noticed how quiet Mason and his group had been during the trip and suspected they were up to something. With this in mind, Eric had arranged for the hotel staff to help set the stage. Before going to sleep, Eric orchestrated a scene where a commotion about a thief distracted Rachel and her group. In the meantime, Eric switched rooms with a male guest.

Eric and Ella had been sleeping soundly in the guest’s room while Rachel unknowingly ended up with the stranger.

The rest, as expected, was history. Someone informed the wife of the man Rachel was with, leading to the dramatic confrontation.

Though Ella felt a tinge of guilt toward the male guest, she remembered how he had been lewd and flirtatious during dinner. If it weren’t for his wife’s presence, his wandering hands might have found their way onto Ella. A scumbag like that? He deserved a taste of his own medicine.

The furious woman yanked Rachel’s head back and snarled, "Get the cameras ready! Let’s post this little homewrecker’s face online for everyone to see! How dare you do this under my nose..."

Rachel, completely helpless against the woman’s wrath, had no way to defend herself.

With a sharp smack, another slap landed on Rachel’s already swollen cheek.

Rachel whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "It wasn’t me... it’s not what it looks like!"

"Still trying to deny it, you shameless white lotus?" the woman sneered, hitting her again. Meanwhile, the man, looking guilty, hurriedly got dressed and tried to pull the woman off Rachel.

Big mistake. The woman let out a furious scream and turned on him, hitting him too.

The women in the crowd shook their heads in disapproval. Although Rachel was being severely beaten, none of them showed any sympathy.

"She deserves it. Climbing into bed with someone else’s husband while the wife is right there? Shameless!"

"What’s wrong with women these days? So young, yet already acting so low."

"Society now is filled with gold-diggers and homewreckers. You haven’t heard?"

"She’s such a pretty girl—why not just get a proper job? Once this scandal spreads, no one will ever look at her the same way again."

Rachel’s sobs echoed in the room, filled with sorrow and desperation. Her fate was sealed—her downfall had arrived, and it was just as catastrophic as anyone could imagine.

This wasn’t Rachel’s first scandal. She had previously tried to frame Ella, but Ella had caught her red-handed and exposed her in front of everyone.

Later, Rachel had been accused of "stealing" Grace’s sapphire necklace, which resulted in her being shunned by many wealthy women.

Despite it all, Rachel had always bounced back, like an unkillable cockroach. But this time, she had been caught in the act, and the humiliation was far greater.

Once the video of this incident hit the internet, it would spread like wildfire, likely making its way to their school’s forums. Rachel’s reputation—what little was left of it—would be utterly destroyed. Her life, as she knew it, was over.