The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In

Chapter 1 She Plays Dirty, I Pay the Price!

The day Stella Dawson was born, the family maid threw her away—just so her own daughter, born on the same day, could have a better life.

Eighteen years later, her family finally found her. But instead of guilt and compensation, what awaited her was something else entirely.

“You’re gorgeous!”

Stella stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a wedding gown. The fitted bodice hugged her slender waist, and the voluminous skirt made her look like a fairytale princess.

Even without makeup, her delicate features were striking.

The boutique manager helping her adjust the gown couldn’t help but praise her.

“Mr. Keene didn’t come with you? Men and women have different tastes when it comes to these things.”

Stella smiled politely. “He’s busy with work. Couldn’t get away.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the caller ID before picking up. “Tess?”

“Stella, I just saw Lillian with Ethan!”

Stella’s expression froze.

The satisfaction on her face disappeared bit by bit, buried under the weight of Tessa Miller’s words. Her gaze turned cold.

Ethan Keene was her fiancé. Their wedding was in a week.

And just hearing Lillian Reed’s name made a flicker of disgust cross her eyes. Lillian—the maid’s daughter. The girl who stole her parents at birth and now had the nerve to come after her fiancé.

Stella shot a look at the boutique manager, who instantly understood and nodded.

With a simple hand gesture from the manager, the other employees quickly left the room.

Once they were gone, Stella glanced at her manicured nails and asked casually, “Where’d you see them?”

Tessa hesitated. “The hospital. OB-GYN department.”

chuckled. “Well, that’s an

together in the OB-GYN department—what could

scoffed. “Lillian’s nothing but a two-faced manipulator,

yet, but Tessa was already

a slow sip of water from the glass in front of her and smirked. Every time she pulls one of her stunts, I’m the one who pays for it. What

ago, Lillian had left the country of her own accord, claiming that since the real daughter of the Reed family was back, she had no right to

kind these past two years?

before your wedding. What

darkened. “I’ll

alarmed. “What are you gonna

“If someone’s selling a lie,

she ended

mirror, looking at herself in the pristine

fingers trailed over the

apart in her hands. She tossed

employees watching from a distance gasped in shock, but seeing Stella’s expression, none

into her own

glanced at

Ethan.

“Once you’re done trying

Two years.

had been nothing but gentle

change in attitude… was it

Stella’s lips. She didn’t even bother

hour later, Stella stepped into

floor-to-ceiling windows, talking

his features were sharp yet refined. His side profile alone was enough to

him, gifting him a face that was unmatched

he hurriedly said into the phone,

to the couch and sat

was gone. His expression

his

like she used to. Instead, she took a seat across

put between them,