The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress

Dawn POV

I needed her to understand the mistake she was making. This woman was harboring a grudge against a person who had done nothing wrong and who had already gone through so much. Her desire for revenge was killing her inside and she couldn't even see it. She was oblivious to the effects it was having on her. Even as I stood there, in the shadows, aware of the men and their guns behind me, looking directly at her, I was taken aback by her beauty. She was pretty, but she was cold, her eyes like glaciers as she gave me a dismissive glance, her lithe figure curled up on a chair as she rested her perfectly manicured nails on the settee. "You are awake" it wasn't a question.

Her tone was ice cold.

I shifted on my feet, uncomfortable and tired. My head was throbbing with a painful headache courtesy of the slam against the car that I'd been given earlier. "I am" I answered quietly, moving forward to get a closer look at her as she stretched, the men so close I could feel their breaths on the back of my neck.

"Sit" she motioned towards the seat opposite her.

I sat, looking directly at her as she gave me a chilling smile. Perhaps I could try and plead my case, make her see that this was wrong? What harm could it do to try? She was planning on killing me anyway, I could feel it.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, keeping my voice even and steady, the men still putting their hands on their guns as they stood at the ready, prepared to shoot me for making any wrong move. She raised a brow "You know why" Her voice was calm but filled with undercurrents of anger and rage.

I could see her fingers twitching as she spoke, her composure faltering every so slightly. She was pretending to be calmer than she was. "I don't" I answered, leaning forward, my voice hitching "What happened to your daughter was a tragedy, there's no denying that..."

"A tragedy" she interrupted, her voice filled with scorn "A tragedy?" it rose as I flinched "My daughter meant everything to me. She was my reason for living, my reason for being. I loved her with all my heart and then just like that, she was gone. Accused of doing so many things, and forced to give birth to a stillborn baby" she said, glaring at me, her chest heaving up and down "She killed herself. I would have forgiven her for all of it, I would have found a way to get her out of that psychiatric hospital eventually, but I never got the chance" her voice was bitter "and I never got the grandchild I always wanted. My life is ruined. There's nothing left for me now" she said, looking off into the distance, her facial expression haunted "There is nothing left for me except the satisfaction of revenge and knowing that I have avenged my daughter."

"You still have everything to live for" I burst out, trying to reason with her "Revenge isn't going to make you feel any better. It won't fix things."

"Maybe not," she said, raising her head and looking me directly in the face "but I won't know until I take it. You should stop trying to defend lan Grant as though he's anything less than a monster. He uses his wealth to get what he wants and he doesn't care who he drags down with it. Do you think he cares about you? Are you so sure he loves you?" she demanded as I sucked in a breath, mesmerized by the glint in her eyes and the slight look of madness coming over her face "How sure are you?" she smirked "Because what if he doesn't come tomorrow like I've told him to? What if he's left you here to die alone, Dawn? What would that tell you? Maybe lan Grant isn't as honorable as you think he is" she chuckled, flipping her hair over her shoulder "Maybe you think he's something that he's not."

I refused to believe her. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. She was lost in her madness. Lost in her own little world. "lan loves me" I whispered.

Even in the short amount of time I had known him, I had never been more certain of that, or of anything.

She sneered "Men speak words of love when it's convenient but very rarely follow through. They speak pretty words and then turn their backs when you need them the most. No woman should ever have to rely on any man, but the world is rigged to make women think they have to."

"lan and Knox did not do anything to you. You're so determined to see your daughter as a victim, but didn't she try to kill Flair? Didn't she orchestrate everything that happened? She's not innocent in all of this" I screamed out in frustration as Karen looked at me coldly "You can't just act as though she's an innocent party that was in the middle of it. Charlotte has to take responsibility for her own actions just like you do."

She laughs. It sends shivers down my spine. It's cold and devoid of any warmth. Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "Do I strike you as a victim Dawn?" she purrs "I know full well what my actions are. I know what I've done and what I intend to do. God won't forgive me for what I've done and no doubt I'll be making my own way downstairs after all's said and done, but if I go down, I'm taking some of those who've caused me this pain and anguish with me."

"You don't think you're going to survive" I breathed, looking at the resolute expression on her face "You're not intending to live after this are you?"

She was suicidal. I felt sick.

She raised a brow "Clever deduction" She praised me as my stomach began to churn and the urge to vomit almost overwhelmed me "I guess you are smarter than I gave you credit for."

"This isn't worth your life Karen" I beseeched her, as she stood up and stretched slowly, her arms raised above her head, grinning sadistically.

"No?" she asked, widening her eyes. "Why not Dawn Evans? You know" she said thoughtfully "I did you a favor getting rid of that asshole Dexter for you. He didn't care enough to remain a father to your little girl. It's a shame though, that Faith is going to be left without a parent" she sighed "but that little girl has a grandmother who will love her, as small a compensation as that is." My mouth went dry. So she was planning on killing me as well. "What do you intend to do to me?"

I forced myself to ask the question even as I dreaded the answer.

I glanced at the men, feeling the urge to get to my feet and flee. I wouldn't make it past the doorway before they either shot me or tackled me to the ground. "Well I need my leverage," Karen said calmly as I sat there, trembling "That is the only reason you are alive at the moment" she divulged "Imagine how panicked lan is going to be when he sees you alive in front of him. He's bound to make a mistake because of it, not to mention he'll do anything I ask." "He's in a wheelchair, he's been shot, isn't that enough punishment?" I asked in desperation.

She laughs "I know, who do you think orchestrated that? All I had to do was keep whispering into that little crazed b***h Abigail Steven's ears and she was more than happy to listen to my ideas. I didn't think she would go so far as to try and shoot Knox but I can't say I'm unhappy about lan being shot in Knox's place" She shrugged with a nonchalant air. "lan being in a wheelchair is a bonus, it means he's not going to be much trouble to get rid of," she said pleased.

b***h. Coldhearted b***h, I fumed. I wanted to wipe that smirk off her face. I wanted to reach over and tear her hair off her head. She smirked at me as though she was reading my mind. She was enjoying this. The knowledge that I was going to die soon, in this plan of hers, only fuelled my desperation further. All I could think about was Faith. My little girl who was depending on me. She must be terrified by now unless lan had told her something to prevent her from worrying. I couldn't leave her motherless. I had to do something, anything, to get free. I couldn't let this go ahead, I couldn't let lan be killed either. I surged to my feet and then lunged toward one of the guards whose eyes widened in surprise. I grabbed at the gun, my hand gripping it as he struggled against me, Karen shrieking at the top of her lungs behind me in surprise.

"Shoot her, we can't let her get away. Don't kill her" she screamed in desperation "I need her alive."

The struggle continued. My heart was racing. I heard the sound of a gunshot and then felt the most excruciating pain in my lower thigh as I screamed and dropped the gun. It felt like my body was on fire. I fell to the ground, clutching the wound, while blood trickled down my leg. It had missed an artery, but it hurt like crazy. The bullet had gone through, I noted, miserably, even as the guard kicked me hard in the ribs and Karen knelt over me, shaking her head.

"That was stupid," she said very lowly and quietly "Next time, I'll tell them to kill you, regardless of whether I want lan to see you suffer in front of him or not" she informed me as I writhed in agony on the floor.

I coughed. She sneered and then gestured at the guards. "Bandage up the little b***h's leg" she snarled pointing at me "and then lock her up in her room. Stand guard inside the room" she snapped "and don't give her any food or water. I want her to be weakened for her final confrontation" she gave a long smile as I stared up at her blindly "in case she tries to do something as dumb as this again."

She stood up and silently strode from the room, while one of the guards hoisted me angrily to my feet, a sharp cry of pain issuing from my lips. The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. He dragged me out the door as I limped, white blinding agony shooting through my leg with every step. I fought back tears as I was shoved unceremoniously back into a bedroom, one guard standing over me, while another one fetched a first aid kit which was thrown at me. It looked like I was bandaging myself up. I gritted my teeth and got to work. All I could think about was what to do next, and how to survive until I could see lan again. I hoped he had a plan, because right now, it looked as though we were both screwed.