Page 144 of Stolen Omega

“That honestly doesn’t surprise me,” I tell him.

Dale was always the foodie out of the three of us. Zane and I could forget to eat when we were busy playing games or riding our bikes around the neighborhood, but Dale would always ask what we were having for lunch. He had an inner clock that was set to follow every mealtime.

I never learned to cook. Music was always my thing, and my … the Ortegas didn’t want me to waste my time learning anything that wouldn’t help me improve on my passion. They never cared if I did my homework for school, and my mom was pissed off the one time she caught me trying to bake cookies with Brooke. It was supposed to be fun. Mom told me I was wasting my talent.

God, I wish I’d known she wasn’t my real mom.

She’s such a raging fucking bitch, and I always thought that shit was my fault.

Maybe it was, just not in the way I thought it was. I beat myself up for not trying hard enough.

Whatever effort I put in was never quite going to be good enough for her, but not because it wasn’t incredible, or admirable or whatever else. It was never going to be good enough, because I wasn’t her real daughter.

That’s why it always felt like she was punishing me for no damn reason.

“Wow,” I murmur as we reach the end of the staircase and I follow Zane across the polished oak floor of the lobby and reception area. “This place really is going to be a hotel.”

“Are you telling me you didn’t think I ever wanted to own one or two luxury hotels?” he asks.

I’m not sure if he’s teasing. It feels like he’s being playful, but I can’t sense his mood anymore.

“I mean, you used to say one day you would own something fancier than Mayfair whenever we were playing Monopoly, but that was way back when we were kids.” It’s kind of funny to remember him like that. He feels so different now.

He glances back at me with a smile. “I didn’t really mean it back then, but I remember saying it every time we played. I guess it stuck with me.”

“I guess it did.” This place definitely feels fancy. The parts that are finished, at least.

It doesn’t surprise me that he has a private island, and he’s building a hotel.

Alphas have the ambition to accomplish anything they set their sights on.

That’s why so many of them own the biggest businesses in the world. It’s why they’re in charge of so many sectors of industry. They’re always the most likely to succeed.

It’s not that Betas and Omegas can’t do the same. They can, and some have.

It’s just that Alphas tend to be a lot more highly driven, and they usually know exactly what they want. So, they conquer whatever they choose, and they run most of the world.

“You said one or two hotels. Do you have another, or are you planning one?” I ask.

I can’t help but wonder what it is that drives him.

What does he want most? What did he chase until he earned it?

“This is the first one,” he admits as he leads me down a corridor that leads to a double set of swing-doors. “I own a couple of businesses in Silver City. I was tempted by a hotel in Cressidan City that went on the market a few years back, but when this private island came up for sale, I knew I had to have it.”

It’s impressive that he had the money to buy an island, but it doesn’t reveal much about him.

“What are the businesses you own?” I ask, hoping that’s more illuminating.

“Oh. Uh, I have a storage solutions company that’s pretty big,” he starts.

“O-kay,” I murmur.

“It was a good opportunity, and I could see how to expand it and more than triple the profit than it was making before I bought it. We do custom solutions, too. I designed that box you were using to get back to your hotel without being harassed by fans.”

I blink at him as he opens one of the kitchen doors for me. “Um, what?”

“Fate’s kind of funny, isn’t it?” he asks, giving me a wry smile.

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