"Mummy, I'm cold," Seren whispered, shivering in her thin jacket.
"Hush, baby," Elara said, her eyes fixed on the sliding metal doors. "We're almost there. We're going to see the princess in her castle."
The elevator dinged. The doors opened to a carpeted hallway that smelled of expensive lilies and vanilla. Elara stepped out, her grip on Seren's hand tightening. She didn't have a plan yet, but she had the rage. And in a place this quiet, a scream could travel for miles, but she hadn't taken two steps before a figure blocked the light.
A member of the security staff stood there, his posture rigid, shoulders broad enough to fill the hall. He didn't move. He didn't blink.
"Hello, Ma'am," he said, his voice dropping into the quiet space like a stone. "You can't be here. This floor is private."
Elara's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm she forced herself to hide. She tilted her head, softening her gaze, letting a mask of confused innocence settle over her features.
