Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]

Seraphina's POV

It had been over ten minutes since I found out I was locked in.

Ten minutes of pacing.

Ten minutes of calling Gianna nonstop—only for the calls to go straight to voicemail.

Ten minutes of realizing that no matter how many times I called, she wasn't going to answer, and when it finally sank in that she was deliberately ignoring me, my patience snapped.

I stormed back toward the door and slammed my fists against it.

Bang.

"Open this damn door!" I shouted.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I hit the door over and over again, my palms stinging from the impact.

"I know you can hear me!" I yelled. "Somebody open this door!"

I waited, hoping—praying—that one of the servants would come running.

But nothing.

No footsteps. No keys jingling. No one was coming to help me.

My chest heaved, and I gritted my teeth, my frustration reaching its peak. I shouldn't have been surprised.

The servants worked for Gianna. They had always worked for Gianna. Which meant that, no matter how loudly I screamed, they were going to ignore me—just like she wanted them to.

I let out a sharp, furious breath, making a mental note to fire every single one of them the moment I was out of this mess, but first? I needed to get out.

And I wasn't going to stop until I did.

I slammed my shoulder into the door this time, ignoring the dull pain it sent up my arm.

"Let me out!" I shouted. "Gianna, I know you did this! You can't just keep me locked in here like I'm some child! You—"

A familiar voice interrupted me, one I hated more than anything.

"Will you shut up?" Gianna's exasperated tone came from the other side of the door. "You're yelling like a madwoman."

My fists clenched, my entire body going rigid with fury.

"How dare you lock me in here?" I seethed. "Open this door!"

There was a pause, as if she was actually considering it, but then she let out a sigh, her voice turning sickeningly sweet.

"Oh, Seraphina," she drawled. "You act like this is something new."

My jaw tightened, my breathing uneven.

"You always used to throw tantrums when you were locked up," she continued. "And now, months later, here we are again. You never change."

I saw red.

I threw my entire weight against the door, gripping the handle and yanking at it with all my strength. "Let me out now, Gianna!" I shouted, my voice sharp enough to cut. "You don't get to do this to me anymore!"

She laughed. Actually laughed, and something inside me snapped again.

I pressed both palms against the door and slammed into it with all my strength. "Let me out, Gianna!" I shouted. "Or I swear, I will make you pay in the worst way possible!"

On the other side of the door, Gianna laughed.

That infuriating, mocking laugh that I had gotten used to hearing. The one that made my blood boil.

"Oh?" she taunted, her voice dripping with amusement. "And what exactly is little Seraphina going to do if I don't let her out?"

My fists clenched, my entire body shaking with rage.

Gianna let out a dramatic sigh, as if this whole thing was boring her. "It seems to me," she continued, "that you've forgotten your place after spending just a few months at that boarding school. You left as a mouse, and now you think you're bold enough to talk back to me?"

I gritted my teeth.

"Oh, don't worry," she said, her tone turning sickly sweet. "If you spend the next few days locked in without food, I'm sure you'll remember how to respect your elders again, and you'll also be reminded of how to answer questions honestly when asked."

My entire body froze.

I stared at the door, my pulse pounding so loudly in my ears that I almost didn't hear myself scoff in disbelief.

"So, that's what this is about?" I asked, my voice quieter now. "You locked me in because I wouldn't tell you why the king called me to the palace?"

Gianna didn't respond immediately, but I could feel her smugness through the door.

"Well," she finally said, her tone mocking, "if you want to keep secrets, that's fine with me."

There was a pause—just long enough for my stomach to twist with anticipation.

Then, she added, "Not like you can call the king to come save you now, can you?"

And with that, she let out another dry laugh—before I heard the distinct sound of her heels clicking against the floor as she walked away.

Leaving me here.

Trapped.

I screamed in frustration, slamming my fists against the door so hard that my knuckles ached.

"Gianna, you bitch! Let me out!"

Nothing.

I kept hitting the door, yelling, demanding—but the only response was the sound of her footsteps fading down the hall, and then?

Silence.

The moment her footsteps disappeared completely, I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated beyond words.

I paced the room, my mind racing, trying to think of a way out. I had no idea how long she planned to keep me locked up, but if I knew Gianna, she wouldn't let me out until she felt she had broken me, but that wasn't going to happen.

I refused to let it happen.I needed a way out. Fast, and then—her words echoed in my mind.

"Not like you can call the king to come save you now, can you?"

A thought clicked instantly. Maybe I couldn't call the king, but I could call someone almost as powerful as him.

Darius.

I almost couldn't believe I had forgotten about it.

Yesterday, Darius had given me his phone number, and while I wasn't sure if he'd actually help me, I did know that he had enough influence to do something, and if anyone could get me out of here, it was him.

I grabbed my phone, my fingers moving quickly as I scrolled through my contacts. My hands were trembling slightly from the adrenaline, but I forced myself to focus.

I needed him to answer.

I needed to get out of here.

The phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Each passing second felt endless, and my stomach twisted.

What if he didn't pick up?

What if he saw an unknown number and ignored it?

What if—

Click.

My breath caught the moment I heard the call connect, and then—his voice.

"Hello?"

Relief flooded through me so suddenly I almost collapsed. I took a shaky breath, gripping the phone tightly.

"Prince Darius," I said, my voice urgent. "It's me—Seraphina Hook."