Page 34 of Royal Omega

Chapter Fifteen - Carissa

Islam the door ofmy suite behind me and put my hands on my hips, staring at my long-lost love. My body is still shaking from the horrible accusations he just laid at my feet in front of those cameras. He’s looking at me like he doesn’t know me — no, he’s looking at me like he knows me, but hates me. The coldness of his expression is far worse than what he just did to me, if I’m being honest with myself.

We stare at each other for long moments. Despite the way he looks at me, the calming smell of sandalwood pounds in my blood, urging me to run into his arms. It’s so counterintuitive that it makes me angry. Like I would run to him for comfort when he’s the reason I need soothing.Get it together, omega.

“Why would you make up a lie like that about me?” I ask finally. “I don’t understand.”

“I think you understand plenty, Carissa,” Conrad snarls. “And I didn’t lie. You’re the reason for everything that has gone wrong in my life.”

“How can you possibly think that? I haven’t seen you in twelve years.”

“You lied to your family. Told them I attacked you. And you’re standing there looking innocent, as if you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Because Idon’tknow what you’re talking about!” I yell, throwing up my hands. “I never accused you of a damn thing. And you’re the one who leftme, remember? You’re the one who ran off to Iceland without a word, never responding to my emails, my phone calls.Youbrokemyheart, not the other way around. I didn’t even know your parents were dead, Conrad.”

I inhale deeply through my nose, trying to calm down. My mind is whirling. I should have known they were dead. Two people from our social circle dying was no small thing. How did my family keep this from me?Whydid they keep this from me? My gut says that I won’t like the answer.

Conrad is looking at me like I’m the devil, and I can’t blame him.

“I’m sorry to hear that they died, I really am,” I add in a calmer voice. “But I had nothing to do with it. I would think you would know me well enough to know that. How — how did they die?”

Conrad’s lip curls in disgust, his eyes black with anger. “As if you don’t fucking know.” He strides toward me, his hands clenched into fists. If I didn’t know better, I would think he planned to hit me.

Nervous, I back toward the door, putting my hand on the knob to remind myself that I can escape if I need to. “I don’t know, I really don’t. Were they... murdered?”

Conrad looms closer, putting a hand against the door to hold it closed as he leans down over me, whispering, “Carissa, I know what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing, other than telling you the truth?”

“You’re trying to make yourself the victim, but you can’t. You can’t make yourself a hero. The world is going to see you for what you are: nothing more than a conniving bitch.”

I stare up at him in shock.

He continues, “We both know that I went to Iceland because you told my family I attacked you. You told them that you wanted me gone or I was going to be arrested. Your family threatened to expose me as a stalker and abuser. The only way for me to build a future was to leave San Francisco. Youruinedme. More than that, you ruined my fucking family. Your parents came after mine. They didn’t stop until my family was forced out of their business. Until they were in such failure that my father felt too trapped to go on. He killed my mother and then himself.”

“Oh Conrad,” I whisper, holding a hand to my mouth in horror. “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”

I reach for him, but he pulls away with a snarl.

“You’re everything that’s evil in the world, Carissa Castle, and I have waited for years to tell you that.”

My throat is so tight I can’t breathe. A million responses run through my head, but I can’t think clearly enough to form the words. None of this tracks with what I remember. None of it makes any sense. I open my mouth to defend myself, but close it again without saying anything. Learning about Conrad’s parents’ deaths, it feels wrong to keep talking about myself, like I’m the only one that matters. Finally, I whisper, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Conrad. I really am.”

Conrad presses against me, his anger radiating through him and into me. It should make me angry too. It should make me furious. But alongside the swirling confusion... I’m ashamed to admit that I feel a rush of arousal. His nose touches my ear, and my heart stutters at the familiar gesture.

“Remember when I used to kiss you here, Carissa?” he breathes. “Remember the way it used to make you slick for me?” He leans closer, his body pressed tight against me. I can feel the hardness of his cock grinding into me. My knees are weak, my breath coming in little pants.

“Yes,” I rasp.

“The way you used to moan. The way you used to kiss me. I used to lie in bed and dream about what it would be like when we finally made love. I was convinced I meant something to you.”

“You did mean something to me,” I choke out. “You meant everything to me. I was going to be yours, and you were going to be mine.”

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