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

in the OB-GYN department—what could they

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

angry yet, but Tessa

of her and smirked. Every time she pulls one of her stunts, I’m

since the real daughter of the Reed family was back, she

been too kind these past two

back right before your wedding. What do

darkened. “I’ll call you

alarmed. “What are

someone’s selling a lie, how could I

that, she

turned to the mirror, looking at herself in the pristine white

fingers trailed

a sharp rip, the fabric tore apart in her hands. She tossed the shredded dress to the

in shock, but

finished changing into her own clothes, her

at

Ethan.

“Once you’re done trying on the dress,

Two years.

had been nothing but gentle and considerate toward

This change in attitude… was it because

lips. She didn’t even bother replying—just

later, Stella stepped into

floor-to-ceiling

in sunlight, his features were sharp yet refined. His side profile alone was enough to make

him a face that was unmatched in all of

hurriedly said into the phone, “Eat

walked over to the couch

call was gone. His expression

his icy

sit next to him like she used to. Instead,

she put between