Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 73: A shocking discovery

Seraphina's Pov

I felt sick to my stomach—the kind of nauseous churn that came when you knew you were utterly, completely trapped.

My head ached from Ashleigh's constant ranting, and my ears burned from the mean words that Jolene and Liana kept throwing at me.

"Electra's little bitch."

The phrase echoed in my mind, and I couldn't unhear it no matter how hard I tried to. They hadn't stopped for even a second since I stepped back into the room after coming back from Principal Astor's residence.

At first, I tried to tune them out, burying my head under the pillow, hoping they'd get bored, but they didn't. Ashleigh, of course, was the loudest of them all, going on and on about how I'd broken her nose and calling me a crazy pretender who acted innocent whereas I was just another psychopath like my lover, who in this case was Electra.

Every time she mentioned it, her voice grew louder, like she was demanding I acknowledge her pain, as though I owed her something. I wanted to scream at her to shut up, to remind her that she was the one who attacked me first, but I knew better.

The last thing I wanted was to give them any more ammunition to torment me with.

When it became clear that they wouldn't stop, I gave up. My chest felt heavy as I reached for my phone and slid it into my pocket. Grabbing my jacket, I threw it over my shoulders and left the room without a word.

I slammed the door behind me, letting my exit do the talking, but my anger still lingered as I walked down the hallway. And to top it off, I had nowhere to go.

Where was I supposed to go? I wanted so badly to knock on Yuna's door, crawl into her room, and tell her everything, but I couldn't because she wasn't there.

The realization of just how alone I truly was hit me like a punch to the gut. I had no one. My father didn't care. My so-called roommates were bullies, and even Yuna—my only friend in this godforsaken place—was out of reach.

I walked aimlessly, my footsteps echoing against the floors of the dormitory hallway. The further I walked, the heavier my chest felt.

I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets, trying to steady myself. Eleven hours. I had to stay away from my room for eleven hours since, by then, it'd be late in the night, and the possibility of my roommates being awake by that time was much slimmer.

The thought made my stomach churn. Where could I possibly go for that long? I briefly considered finding an empty classroom or hiding out in the library, but the idea of being alone in silence for that many hours felt unbearable.

My legs kept moving even as my mind raced for solutions.

Eventually, I found myself at the staircase leading to the rooftop. It was a place I'd avoided since arriving at Elysium since heights weren't really my thing, and the thought of being so high up with no one around scared me, but now it felt like the only place where I might find a shred of peace.

The moment my hand brushed the door to the rooftop, I paused, hearing a voice speak through the slight crack in the door. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively pulled back, not just because someone was there but because of the words I'd heard.

My heart was racing so hard I was certain whoever was up there would hear it if I didn't calm myself quickly.

The voice had just said the words, "You're asking me to kill the princess of Elmeria?" and I couldn't stop the cold chill that ran down my spine.

Electra. They had to be talking about Electra.

I pressed myself against the wall, gripping the doorknob to keep my balance as my knees threatened to give out. I strained to hear more, hoping against hope that this was some kind of misunderstanding. Maybe it was just an exaggerated figure of speech. Maybe it wasn't literal.

But deep down, I knew better. The tone of the voice was too serious—way too serious to be a joke.

The voice—a girl's, possibly around my age, though I couldn't place it—spoke again, louder this time. "Do you even understand what you're asking me? This isn't some petty task, sir. We're talking about the princess here. I'd be signing my death warrant the moment I even tried."

I gulped hard, trying to process what I was hearing. Someone wanted Electra dead, and whoever this girl was, she was either trying to talk herself out of it or needed more convincing.

My instincts screamed at me to leave, to get out of there before whoever it was caught me eavesdropping, but something else rooted me in place—the desperate need to know more.

If this was about Electra's life, if she was truly in danger, I couldn't just walk away. As much as she irritated and frustrated me, the thought of her being in real danger made my stomach churn.

I edged closer to the door, careful not to make a sound, and tilted my head to listen. There was a pause, and then I heard the voice again, quieter this time, as if the speaker had moved farther away.

"...You'd better have something worth my time if you want me to even consider this," she said, her tone clipped. "No amount of money is worth getting caught or having my entire family dragged into a royal scandal. You're insane if you think I'd be putting the reputation of my family in such danger."

My breathing hitched. Money? Someone was offering money to have Electra killed? My chest tightened as the reality of the situation sank in.

Suddenly, the girl's voice rose again, frustration lacing every word. "Fine. I'll think about it, but don't call me again unless you have a plan that guarantees I won't get caught. I won't put my life in danger for any reason."

I pressed my back hard against the wall as I heard the distinct sound of footsteps. The conversation was over, and she was leaving.

As soon as I realized I was about to get caught, my legs moved faster than my brain could process. The adrenaline surging through me made every step feel lighter, my feet barely touching the ground as I sprinted down the stairs and into the hallways.

My heart pounded so loudly, but I didn't stop to look back. I couldn't. If the person behind that door had heard me running, it didn't matter; I just needed to put as much distance between us as possible.

The thought of being caught after overhearing that conversation made my skin crawl. Whoever it was, they had been talking about killing Electra, and now I was the one person who knew.

When I finally felt like I was far enough away, I ducked into an empty classroom. My chest heaved as I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath. My hands trembled as I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen, and my mind raced.

Who could I call? Who could I even trust with this?

The first name that popped into my mind was Yuna. But as I stared at her contact, I hesitated. She hadn't picked up my calls since she left for her suspension, but still, I needed to try. She was the only person I could think of who might listen to me without thinking I was crazy.

I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear, each ring making my anxiety rise.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" I muttered under my breath, my voice shaking. But it went to voicemail, just like the last dozen times I'd tried calling her.

"Yuna, it's me," I whispered into the phone. My voice cracked as I tried to keep myself calm. "I know you're recovering, but something's happened. I—I overheard something, and I don't know what to do. Please call me back as soon as you can."

I ended the call and stared at the phone, hoping against hope that she might see my message and call back, but deep down, I knew she wouldn't.

My thoughts spiraled. What was I supposed to do now? Should I go to Electra? The very idea made my stomach churn. Electra was the last person on this earth who would ever take me seriously.

But could I really stay silent? I'd heard someone talking about killing her. Killing. Not just harming her, but ending her life.

For all her flaws—and God knows there were many—Electra didn't deserve that. No one deserved to die, no matter how horrible Electra was as a person.

My breathing started to slow as I forced myself to think logically. What were my options? If I didn't tell someone and something happened to Electra, it would be my fault. I'd never be able to live with myself knowing I could have stopped it and chose not to.

After what felt like an eternity of wrestling with my thoughts, I finally made up my mind. I needed to tell Electra what I'd overheard on the rooftop. Whether she believed me or not was out of my control, but at least I could free my conscience.

Keeping silent while someone plotted against her—even if she had made my life difficult—just didn't sit right with me.

Gathering myself, I took a deep breath and stepped out of the empty classroom. As I walked towards the dormitories, planning to find Electra and tell her everything, I nearly collided with someone turning the corner.

"Watch it," the person snapped.

I looked up, my heart skipping a beat. Standing in front of me was one of Electra's close friends. I searched my memory for her name—was it Deena? Yes, Deena.

"Sorry," I mumbled, stepping aside to let her pass.

But as I moved, Deena's eyes locked on mine, and she spoke my name with a sternness that made me freeze. "Hold on a second, Seraphina."

Something about the way she said my name sent a chill down my spine. The tone, the inflection—it was awfully familiar. And that was when it hit me: the voice I'd heard on the rooftop earlier, the one plotting to harm Electra—it was hers.

Deena was the one planning to kill Electra.