The Tycoon's Seductive Revenge(54)

“That’s not true.” Her voice trembled with sincerity. “I wanted to be with you, I trusted you. But Daddy threatened to ruin you, swearing he’d destroy any career you pursued if I left with you that night. I told you what you needed to hear to protect you, Carter.”

His cheeks hollowed against his tight jaw. “So you’re the hero in all this. Is that what you’re trying to sell me?” He crossed his arms. “Not buying it, sweetheart. You’ve stayed on your small island, in your small life, devoted to small dreams because you’ve never taken a chance on anything bigger.”

Her eyes flashed. “How dare you judge the worth of my dreams?”

He spread his arms to encompass the room. “Is this really your dream? To own this crumbling heap that’s become your obsession? Can you separate yourself from it, Ellie? Do you even recognize that this hotel is not you ?”

“It’s a part of me,” she defended.

“Sorry, but I can’t love a hotel. I can’t build a relationship or create a future with a building as haunted as this one.” He stood looking ready to bolt.

“Leaving so soon?” she huffed. “I’m not surprised. When the going gets tough, you take off.”

“Then come with me, Ellie. This is my final invitation.”

“You’re so damn good at ultimatums, aren’t you? No compromise. No discussion. You call the shots and expect me to follow.” She shook her head, hurt and frustrated. “It seems some things never change.”

“And once again, you reject my offer.” He turned his back, shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away. “You’re right, Ellie. Some things never change.”

Body humming with adrenaline from their fight, and with plenty more to say, she demanded, “Where are you going?”

“To finish packing,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Before your hotel and your curse drag me down with you.”

The double-doors slammed behind him. Ellie winced, feeling the impact in her bones. That only made her more determined to shut him out of her life, her memories, and her soul.

“I hope I never see you again!” Her voice bounced off the exposed beams high above.

Then the reality of that statement set in. I’ll never see Carter again .

Every second they’d shared swamped her mind like a muddy deluge sucking her in and holding her captive. Moments of time trickled through the hourglass of her mind. The day he rescued her from the ocean, their first kiss, the night they weathered the storm in the attic and made love until dawn. The day her father warned her about Carter, Daddy’s vicious threats, and how he cruelly used her mother’s memory to bring her to her knees. Then later that night on the dock, the boat ready in the water, Carter on the weathered planks waiting for her. The way the rain soaked them through. The way her heart broke as she strung together fabrications, convincing Carter that he meant nothing to her, while she died a little more inside with each lie. Watching the love of her life jet away in the speedboat, while she shook and sobbed alone, believing she’d never see him again.

Then, suddenly, the unexpected. Carter had returned—was it only six days ago?—revenge blazing in his eyes. That fire had turned to passion with her in the lighthouse, and Carter had followed her into a burning building to save her life. He’d stood up to Marquell to ensure her freedom. He’d made an anonymous bid to save her dream. And he’d admitted to the trail of manipulation that had guided his actions at the beginning.

Irreconcilable thoughts and feelings smashed together, crumbling into a giant heap inside her. The full weight of the present crashed down. Every cell in her body registered Carter’s absence, her aloneness. She sucked in a wispy breath. Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

But her anger over his lies, his complete betrayal, quickly filled the raw emptiness that threatened to consume her. She swiped at the dampness on her face, unwilling to acknowledge the repercussions of her actions.

He was the one who should apologize, not her. He should be begging for her forgiveness, instead of throwing out ultimatums the way he always had.

Partnership meant compromise—for both people. Clearly, Carter wasn’t willing to accept his share of concessions necessary to make their relationship work. They didn’t stand a chance together.

Apparently, they never had.

“Why didn’t you just stay out of my life?” Her voice shook with resentment and desperation. “Do I have to wait another twelve years for you to fade away again?”

Excruciating pain lanced through her. Her heart felt like a chopping block that Carter had scraped one too many times with the serrated edge of his carelessness.