Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 34: Someone has to pay

Electra's Pov

My entire body shook with a violent and barely contained rage, and I felt the strong urge to squeeze the life out of someone and to feel their breath falter under the force of my bare hands.

It had been a long time since anyone enraged me this much. The audacity of Yuna—the nerve of that lowlife snake—speaking to me with such disrespect. I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms hard enough to leave marks, as I relived the scene over and over in my mind.

The other students had been sent out, and the room was silent now, except from my labored breathing. Irina, Deena, Roxana, and Penelope stood around me, eyes darting between each other, not daring to speak.

They'd seen me angry before, but this was different. This was a kind of rage that usually led me to become destructive, and they all knew it.

Irina stepped forward, hesitating just a moment before speaking. "Electra, would you like a cigarette? It might help calm your nerves."

I shot her a look, eyes narrowed, but after a beat, I exhaled sharply. "Yes. Give me one."

She moved quickly, lighting a cigarette and handing it to me, and I took it and drew in a long breath, the acrid smoke filling my lungs, grounding me. I let it out slowly, watching the smoke twist and curl before dissipating, but it did very little to dampen the anger churning inside me.

"How are you feeling?" Roxana asked cautiously, almost like she was too afraid to find out.

I scoffed, disbelief evident in my tone. "How am I feeling?" I repeated. "Roxana, are you serious? Can you not already tell how I'm feeling?" I turned to look at her, and she immediately raised her hands in surrender.

"I get it. You're angry. Just... don't take it out on us," she said.

I took another drag of the cigarette and let out the smoke in a sharp, hissing breath. The rage kept bubbling, refusing to settle, and every time I pictured Yuna's eyes and the way she had looked straight at me like she and I were equals, my blood boiled even more.

Then, without thinking, I turned and kicked the nearest table. The noise of it scraping and crashing to the floor reverberated through the room, but it still wasn't enough. I kicked it again, and again, my voice came out in a low growl. "I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill that little skunk."

The room stayed silent as my breathing quickened, my chest heaving with the force of my rage. "How dare she?" I spat. "How dare that lowlife speak to me like that, and in public no less?"

Penelope leaned against the wall, staring at me with an expression that told me she was about to say something I might find upsetting. "Why didn't you do anything then, Electra? The Electra I know wouldn't have let her walk out without a few broken ribs. That little bitch went far, and you did nothing, which is very unlike you."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it, and I looked at her. "The only reason that little snake still has her face intact is because Seraphina was there."

I took another drag from my cigarette. "I didn't want to scare her off completely because I've not gotten what I want with her, and if I'd broken Yuna's face then and there, Seraphina would've run, and I can't have that."

Deena's voice cut in. "Seraphina really has that much of an effect on you, huh?"

I shot Deena a glare. "Point of correction, Deena," I hissed. "Seraphina doesn't have any power over me. I'm the one in control here, not her. Let's not get that twisted."

The very idea that anyone could assume I was losing control to some timid new girl made my blood boil. The notion was almost laughable, if it weren't so infuriating.

I couldn't deny Seraphina's draw—her innocence had a pull that was too intriguing to ignore, but that didn't mean she had power over me. I was the one pulling the strings.

My fingers itched with the urge to take matters into my own hands and teach Yuna an unforgettable lesson, but I restrained myself. I couldn't allow Seraphina to witness that side of me, not yet. She wasn't ready, and revealing too much too soon would ruin the fun.

I turned to Irina, who was watching me with her usual composed and unreadable expression. "What's the status on the venom?" I asked.

Irina folded her arms and gave a slight shake of her head. "I haven't managed to track down the Chimeric Venom yet. It's... complicated. The sources I reached out to said it might require acquisition from another kingdom, and that could take time."

I exhaled sharply, my patience rapidly thinning. "Time," I muttered, tasting the word with disdain. "I don't have time, Irina. Yuna has pushed me too far, and I don't think I can wait long enough to get my hands on that venom before she learns what happens when someone crosses me."

A satisfied glint appeared in Roxana's eyes as she listened, and then she leaned forward, a ghost of a smile curling her lips. "Well, if you're feeling that impatient, why not direct that frustration toward someone else close to Yuna? Someone whose suffering might get under her skin in just the right way."

I gave Roxana a skeptical look. "We're not touching Seraphina, Roxana. She's off-limits."

The thought of causing Seraphina pain was not something I entertained at all. She was my fascination, not a pawn.

Roxana rolled her eyes, barely disguising her amusement. "Relax, Electra. I wasn't talking about Seraphina."

Her gaze sharpened, her smile widening. "I was talking about her twin. Yura."

The reminder made me pause. I'd nearly forgotten Yuna's twin sister, Yura—the silent, nearly invisible counterpart to the brash lowlife. Roxana was right: nothing would hurt Yuna more than her own flesh and blood paying for her sin.

A dark smile spread across my face, curling slowly as the thought took root. If I couldn't hurt Yuna directly without making a spectacle, hurting Yura was the next best thing. I would make Yura pay, and by doing so, ensure that Yuna felt every ounce of pain.

Turning to the girls, I let my voice drop into a purr. "Roxie, I believe you've hit on something brilliant."

Roxana's eyes gleamed with that knowing look she always got when indulging her mischievous side. "Would you like me to bring her to you?"

I didn't even have to think about it. My gaze hardened, satisfaction swelling in me as I pictured exactly what I would do. "Yes," I replied, the words slipping out. "Let's take dear Yura for a little swim."