บท 17: next-level villain plotting

I couldn't believe it. They were actually listening to me. Me the walking disaster they thought would tank the company the second I stepped foot in here. The room was full of people who were clearly questioning reality, looking at me like I'd just pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Some looked confused, others stunned, and a few outright suspicious. As if at any second, I'd reveal I was playing an elaborate prank. Honestly, I kind of expected it too.

"Well," Gerald said, clearing his throat, "it sounds like we have a plan. Let's give it a try."

The murmurs of approval that followed were slow, hesitant. Almost like they couldn't believe they were agreeing with me. I could practically feel their brains short-circuiting.

The system, of course, had a field day. [Oh, this is priceless! Look at their faces! They're waiting for you to light the whole company on fire, but nope you actually didn't screw up. Amazing!]

I rolled my eyes, trying not to smirk. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered under my breath.

[Seriously, you handled that like a pro! Okay, maybe a confused pro who's still trying to figure out what's going on, but hey, progress is progress.]

My parents exchanged a look one of those "Are we actually impressed right now?" looks. I could hardly believe it myself.

"Good work, Amara," Helena said, a bit more warmth in her tone. "Let's see how it unfolds."

I nodded, trying not to look too smug. "Thanks." Inside, though? I was doing mental gymnastics.

[So, what's the next move, Captain Genius? They're actually listening now, so no pressure or anything.]

Before I could answer, Gerald clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's break for lunch. We'll regroup afterward."

Thank. God. I needed food and a moment to process the fact that I hadn't spontaneously combusted in front of the entire board.

Sitting in the cafeteria, I was mostly pushing food around on my plate while my brain spun in circles. Sure, I had handled that meeting without falling flat on my face, but Elara was the bigger issue. If I didn't figure out how to get her on board, all my "corporate success" meant nothing.

[Oh no, I know that look,] the system chimed in, interrupting my thoughts. [You're scheming again. That's the face of someone about to try something clever.]

"More like the face of someone who's making it up as she goes along," I thought back.

[Same difference. What's the plan for our dear Elara, anyway? You gonna win her over with your charming personality?]

I snorted. "Yeah, because that's worked out so well so far. She hates me. But I need her, so... I'll have to be sneaky about it."

[Sneaky? Oho, I love sneaky. What are we talking? Bribery? Threatening her with spoilers from her favorite show?]

"No," I thought, stabbing a piece of lettuce. "I'm going to recommend her for a position here at Lyselle Media. And she won't even know it was me."

[Whoa, that's some next-level villain plotting. I'm impressed. But you realize you actually have to prove yourself first, right? You can't just be like, 'Hey, I saved the company from one mess, now let me recommend people,' without everyone thinking you've lost your mind.]

"I know that!" I snapped in my head. "That's why I've got to keep up this 'competence' thing. Make myself seem like a valuable asset. Once I've done that, I can drop Elara's name without anyone raising an eyebrow."

[Smart. You're actually starting to sound like you know what you're doing, which, for the record, is a little terrifying. What happened to the girl who was about to alphabetize her way into obscurity?]

I groaned internally. "She's still here, just trying not to screw everything up."

[And doing a fine job of it so far, might I add.]

"Thanks," I thought sarcastically. "But this isn't a cakewalk. I've got to make sure this plan works without anyone finding out I'm orchestrating it. If they catch wind that I'm pushing for Elara, they'll assume it's just more drama."

[Ooooh, I see. So, you're playing the long game. Build up your rep, sneak her into the company, and sit back as everyone marvels at how brilliant you are.]

"Exactly," I thought with a mental smirk. "And no one will even suspect I had anything to do with it."

[Well, damn, look at you. A full-on corporate puppet master. I'm so proud.]

Back in the office, I sat at my desk, staring at the files I'd already alphabetized. Okay, organizing things was one thing, but how was I supposed to jump from that to fixing major projects? It wasn't exactly a smooth transition. And, oh yeah, there was still the whole "Elara hates my guts" thing.

You got this, Amara. Fake it till you make it.

I drummed my fingers on the desk, thinking. If I could keep the momentum from that meeting and throw out a few more decent ideas, I'd have some leverage. Then, I could subtly slide Elara into the conversation without raising any suspicions. Like a corporate ninja.

[So, you're really going for it, huh? Playing the corporate chess game, building trust, and then bam! Elara's in. I'm kinda proud.]

"You should be," I thought. "It's not easy being this devious."

[It's also not easy when half the company still thinks you're gonna crash and burn.]

"Thanks for the reminder," I replied dryly. "But hey, if they're already expecting me to fail, I can only go up from here, right?"

[That's... one way to look at it. Or, you know, you could still fail spectacularly, and they'll be like, 'Well, we saw that coming.']

"Gee, you're such a motivator."

[Hey, just keeping it real.]

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Elara would never see it coming. She'd be walking into the company with no idea that I was the one behind it all. And I'd be one step closer to not completely tanking this weird reincarnation game.

[You're definitely scheming now. I can practically feel the evil laugh brewing.]

"Oh, it's there," I thought with a smirk. "It's just waiting for the right moment."

[Well, don't let me stop you, Dr. Doom.]

With a deep breath, I straightened up and mentally prepared myself. This was going to be one hell of a ride, but if I could pull it off... well, maybe I'd stop being the disaster everyone expected me to be.

"Let's do this," I thought, half to myself, half to the system.

[You got it, evil mastermind.]

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