From Betrayal To Brilliance: The Rise Of A Hidden Heiress

Stella Dawson pried her eyes open. A blinding agony stabbed through her skull, leaving her sure her head was about to crack in half.

Only a few steps away, a group of kidnappers leaned close together, listening to a phone on speaker.

"We got her," said one of the men. "What are your orders?"

Owen Miller's voice answered from the other end, unmistakable and cold. "Lower your voice," he snapped. "We can't risk anyone listening in."

Doing so, the man continued, "Mr. Miller, what did this woman do to make you hate her? How far do you want us to go?"

"She stole the fruit of my loved one's research," Owen replied, his voice as sharp as broken glass. "Do whatever you want with her. Don't hold back. Once Jenna cools off, the money's yours."

He hesitated, and his tone grew cold. "Make sure you record it. When I post the video on Crest University's forum, I want everyone to see who she really is."

Nearby, Stella caught every word of their conversation. Her face drained of all colors. Her kidnapper-the one pulling the strings-was Owen. The same boyfriend she had helped through school, spoiled with expensive gifts, and always made sure he looked good in public.

Her lips shook as she bit down, tasting the sharp sting of blood.

Every harsh word he uttered over that call landed like a hammer blow against her chest. Old memories, ones she once found comforting, crashed over her with the sting of betrayal.

Born into the wealth and security of the Dawson family, Stella had always been shown warmth. Owen, on the other hand, was her housekeeper's son.

He had first set foot in the Dawson estate years ago, wearing nothing more than a simple white shirt. A shaft of sunlight lit up his shoulders that afternoon, and in that fleeting moment, he left an impression on her heart that never faded.

For years, she tucked away her feelings for him. The distance between their lives was impossible to cross. Deep down, she also understood that his eyes were never meant for her. He only ever saw someone else.

That someone was Jenna Tucker-his childhood friend. She was the one Owen treated with all his love.

At the age of eighteen, Owen broke his leg in a car accident while protecting Jenna. But Jenna vanished instead of owning up to her part in it.

His parents barely had time for him, so for those seven months he spent recovering in the hospital, it was Stella who sat beside him, day after day, never once leaving his side.

During those long nights, she mopped the sweat from his brow and steadied him whenever pain took hold.

Owen accepted her love the day he finally left the hospital.

But soon after, Jenna began hovering at his side, and Stella found herself sinking into insecurity.

On one occasion, Jenna approached with a gentle smile and whispered, "Owen feels overwhelmed. You shine too brightly for him. He'd rather be with someone like me."

Stella believed Jenna. She hid her status as a Dawson and traded her elegant clothes for simpler ones, masking her true self just to stay close to Owen.

Everything unraveled in a single night. Right before the engagement, Jenna pulled Owen aside, her eyes rimmed with tears, and accused Stella of stealing her research findings.

Owen never questioned Jenna's words. He simply assumed the theft was true and had Stella kidnapped.

Once the call clicked off, the kidnappers fixed Stella with nasty smiles and began to close in.

Masking her fear, Stella staggered back and quickly sized up the exits.

"I'll pay you two million if you let me go," she stammered, her voice quivering for effect.

The nearest man howled with laughter and sneered, "Two million? You expect us to buy that? Someone like you ought to be grateful anybody even remembers your name. Stop pretending you are rich."

As the man closed the distance to seize her, Stella darted out of his reach. Her knee shot up fast, connecting with his groin in a brutal, flawless move.

As he doubled over in pain, she twisted her wrist at an unnatural angle. The silence was broken by two crisp pops, and the ropes slipped loose from her wrists.

In a heartbeat, she yanked herself free, forcing her joints back into place with practiced ease.

A wave of shock rippled through the kidnappers. Every eye was glued to her. "How the hell did you-"

Rolling her wrist, Stella offered a cool smirk. "Underestimating me will be the biggest mistake of your life."

Their anger boiled over, and the group surged forward. One thickset man lunged for her throat. "You're dead, bitch!"

All trace of fear vanished from her eyes. She sidestepped, coiled her body, and sent a powerful kick straight at his chest.

Her worn heel hit home with a sickening force, and the man crashed back into a heap of boxes, gasping for breath.

A second man sprang at her, brandishing a stun baton alive with crackling blue electricity.

Stella spun out of the way, using the attacker's forward rush against him. Her palm shot out, striking his throat with pinpoint force. The sound of a crack echoed, quickly followed by his body crashing to the floor. The stun baton slipped from his grip, still hissing with static as it landed beside him.

With the last threat down, Stella swept her gaze across the room, searching for any sign of danger. Seeing none, she finally let the tears spill over-hot and unstoppable.

She wasn't crying from fear. Hatred burned in every drop.

Fragments of her father's advice surfaced. "Never blunt your strength." Owen's words quickly chased after them. "Men don't like women who are too strong. Makes them uneasy."

That war inside her chest raged, both voices slicing through her resolve. The pain only sharpened her focus, making her vision even clearer.

Slowly, Stella dried her tears. There was no trace of weakness in her glare-only cold fury.

Playing ordinary was now over. She would use her power to make everyone who had pulled her strings pay dearly.

Minutes later, the Dawsons' armored car rolled up to her location. Her father's security team poured out, rounding up the groaning kidnappers and tossing them into the trunk.

Her phone buzzed to life. Owen's name appeared on the screen.

She stared at the call for a moment, her face stony and unreadable. Without a word, she declined and blocked him without hesitation.

Then she dialed another number-the one she hadn't called in a long time.

When the call picked up, her voice was steady and low. "Dad, about that marriage arrangement you brought up before... I'm ready to say yes."