Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 244 244: Back to the hellhole

Seraphina's POV

I hesitated in front of the door to my dormitory, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag. My heart was beating faster than it should have been, but I couldn't help it. I wasn't ready for this. Not really.

To everyone else, I had only been gone for a little under two weeks, but in my head, it had been much longer. The time I spent in that alternate reality as Seraphina Vale made it feel like I had been away for over a month.

A month where my dorm mates, Ashleigh, Liana, and Jolene, had more than enough reason to despise me even more, and I had Electra to thank for that.

If Electra hadn't beaten Liana so badly after those rumors spread about me being one of "Electra Vale's bitches," then maybe—just maybe—I wouldn't feel so damn anxious about stepping back into this room.

Before that incident, my roommates had ignored me. I had been invisible, the quiet girl they tolerated because we shared a space, but now? Now, I wasn't sure what to expect.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to turn the knob and push the door open, and immediately, I regretted it.

The first thing I saw was Liana—on all fours on her bed.

Behind her was another girl, someone I didn't recognize, gripping Liana's waist while pushing a dildo inside of her.

Holy shit!

I cursed under my breath, my body freezing in place, my mind screaming at me to shut the damn door.

Liana let out a sharp hiss, whipping her head to the side with narrowed eyes. "Ever heard of knocking, bitch?"

I quickly averted my eyes, stepping back and gripping the doorknob. "I—uh—wasn't expecting—"

"No shit, genius," Liana snapped, barely even phased. "Whatever. Just close the damn door, unless you plan on watching."

Absolutely not. I muttered another curse and slammed the door shut, my heart racing in my chest.

I turned around, pressing my back against the door as I let out a deep breath.

Great. Just great.

I had barely been back for five minutes, and this was already a mess.

After waiting for what I hoped was enough time, I tried again.

This time, I knocked first.

No one answered, but I wasn't about to stand in the hallway all evening like an idiot.

I turned the knob and pushed the door open cautiously, peeking inside.

Liana was lying on her bed now, casually scrolling through her phone like nothing had happened. The other girl was gone, and the air smelled faintly of sweat and perfume.

Ashleigh and Jolene were in their usual spots, Ashleigh reading a magazine while Jolene filed her nails. None of them even looked up when I walked in.

It was almost like I didn't exist, and honestly? I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me before dragging my bag toward my bed. The tension in the room was heavy, but none of them acknowledged me.

I let out a silent breath of relief. If ignoring me was the worst they were going to do, then I could handle that.

At least, that's what I thought, until Liana spoke up.

"So, I hear you're getting married, Seraphina? And I hear that it's with a prince."

I froze mid-step, and then slowly, I turned to look at her.

She was still lying on her bed, her eyes locked on her phone, but the smirk on her lips told me she knew exactly what she was doing.

"What?" I asked, my voice coming out more cautious than I intended.

"Did you suddenly go deaf, Seraphina?" she scoffed, her eyes still glued to her phone. "Or are you just playing dumb? The whole school already knows about your engagement to the Aldorian prince. So don't bother pretending you don't know what I'm talking about."

I inhaled deeply, exhaling just as slowly.

Of course, the news had spread.

The engagement had already been announced just before I returned to Elysium, so it was only a matter of time before people started talking. What I hadn't expected was for Liana, of all people, to mention it.

I glanced at her from across the room, debating if it was even worth responding, but I knew ignoring her would only make things worse.

"It's not a secret," I finally muttered, hoping she'd just leave it at that.

But of course, I wasn't that lucky.

Ashleigh chimed in next, her voice dripping with fake amusement. "So let me get this straight," she mused. "You've got a man waiting for you back home, but you're still running around being Electra's bitch? Letting her fuck you?"

A dry laugh escaped her lips before she added, "It's always the innocent-looking ones who turn out to be the biggest sluts."

I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palms. I wanted to say something. I should have said something, but I didn't.

Not because I agreed with them—because I didn't—but because I knew better than to start an argument with them. There was no winning against girls like Liana and Ashleigh. They obviously only cared about how much they could get under my skin, and I refused to give them that satisfaction.

So, instead, I turned away from them, dropping my bag on my bed before falling on it without another word.

I hoped—prayed—that they'd get bored and move on, but then, Liana spoke again.

"I wonder what would happen if your kingdom found out that you're two-timing their beloved prince?"

My entire body stiffened. A slow, creeping anger spread through me, but I forced myself to remain still.

She was baiting me.

That was all this was.

I had spent enough time around Electra to know when someone was intentionally pushing buttons just to see what would happen.

I turned my head slightly, my voice controlled. "Are you threatening me?"

Liana smirked, looking up from her phone for the first time. "Me? Threatening? Oh, Sera, don't be so dramatic." She tilted her head, mock innocence in her eyes. "I'm just wondering, that's all."

Ashleigh laughed beside her. "Yeah, I mean, can you imagine the headlines? Aldorian Prince's Fiancée Sleeping with Another Woman in a Foreign Kingdom."

Jolene, who had been quiet up until now, let out a low whistle. "Oof. That wouldn't look too good, would it?"

I forced myself to breathe evenly, my fingers curling around the sheets beneath me.

I didn't care what they thought about me.

I didn't care about their petty gossip, but I did care about the fact that if they really wanted to, they could spread something like that, and it wouldn't matter whether it was true or not, even if it technically was.

The rumors would be enough to cause a scandal. Enough to put me in an even more difficult position than I was already in, and worse, it could hurt Electra, too.

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