Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 273

Aurora’s P.O.V

Mia was still cursing at Shane, her body thrashing violently against Caroline and Laura’s grip as we dragged her down the hallway. She wasn’t making it easy for us—her feet barely touched the ground as she fought like hell to break free. Her face was twisted in fury, her chest heaving with rapid breaths, and every now and then, she let out a growl of frustration that echoed off the walls.

"Let me go!" she snapped, twisting her arms. "I swear, if you don’t, I’ll—"

"You’ll what, Mia?" Caroline shot back, her fingers digging into Mia’s arm to keep her steady. "Bite us? You need to calm the hell down!"

"I am calm!" Mia snapped, even as her body jerked forward again, trying to lunge back toward the door we had just dragged her from. But Laura was stronger than she looked, and together, she and Caroline managed to shove her into the room, forcing the door shut behind us.

Mia whirled around instantly, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "What the hell was that?" she seethed, pacing like a caged animal. Her breaths were uneven, ragged, and I could see the way her shoulders rose and fell, her body vibrating with suppressed rage.

Caroline exhaled, rubbing her arms as if Mia had left bruises there. "Jesus, I’ve never seen you like this before." She shook her head. "Mia, this isn’t you."

Mia let out a bitter laugh, but it wasn’t amused—it was sharp, edged in exhaustion and anger. "Oh, is that so? And what exactly do you think is ‘me,’ Caroline? Huh?" She jabbed a finger toward the door. "Because if you think I’m just gonna sit back and let him get away with all the shit he’s done, then you clearly don’t know me as well as you thought!"

I took a deep breath, stepping forward. "Mia," I started carefully, my voice softer than the others'. "There’s something I need to tell you."

She rolled her eyes, still pacing, her hands flexing at her sides. "Unless it involves me kicking Shane’s ass, I don’t want to hear it."

"Mia," I tried again, more firmly this time. "You need to have an open mind. Just—just listen to us first before you get even angrier at Shane."

Her head snapped toward me, her dark eyes narrowing like a predator sizing up its prey. "Why the hell are you defending him?" she demanded, her voice laced with disbelief. "After everything he did to you?"

I felt the weight of her words settle in my chest, but I held her gaze. "I’m not defending him," I said slowly. "I’m asking you to listen. There’s more to the story than you know."

She let out a scoff, her expression a mixture of anger and betrayal. "More to the story?" she repeated, shaking her head. "Aurora, are you serious right now? That bastard doesn’t deserve any excuses—he doesn’t deserve anything! And yet, here you are, of all people, telling me to keep an open mind?!"

I swallowed hard, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy. "Yes," I admitted, keeping my voice steady. "Because if you don’t, you’re going to regret it."

Her eyes flashed. "The only thing I’ll regret is not making him suffer sooner."

I sighed, glancing at Caroline and Laura, who both looked just as tense as I felt. This was going to be a long conversation.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself as I look at Mia. I know how this is going to sound, and I brace for the inevitable explosion. Her arms are crossed tightly over her chest, her fingers digging into her sides, her foot tapping against the floor with barely restrained frustration. She’s waiting, watching, daring me to say something she won’t like—because she already knows she won’t like anything I have to say. But I can’t keep it in any longer. 

“I’m not defending him, Mia,” I repeated, my voice firm, unwavering. “I am nowhere near forgetting what he did to me, and trust me when I say I have not completely forgiven him either.” Her eyes narrow, and I can see the retort forming on her lips, but I push forward before she can interrupt. “But last night, when he came back… he was different. I don’t mean a little different. I mean, something about him had changed drastically—it wasn’t the same Shane we knew before. He actually apologized to me.”

Mia lets out a sharp, humorless laugh, shaking her head as she runs a hand through her hair. “Oh, wow. He apologized,” she spits, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That makes everything okay, right?” 

I swallow hard, knowing this won’t be easy. “No, it doesn’t. And I don’t expect it to. But he also told us the truth, Mia. He told us why he came back.” 

The moment the words leave my mouth, her expression shifts, darkening into something colder, something angrier. She takes a step closer, and I can feel the heat of her frustration radiating off her. “Oh, he told you guys the truth?” she hisses, her voice rising. “Not me? The girl he had a relationship with? The girl who wasted so much time thinking she actually meant something to him?”

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can even get a word out, another voice cuts through the air like a blade. 

“Because you never did.”

Mia and I both whip our heads toward Caroline, who leans against the doorway with her arms crossed, watching Mia with an expression that isn’t unkind but is brutally honest. “He never thought of you as his friend, let alone his girlfriend,” she continues, her voice eerily calm. “He’s said it again and again—he never saw you as anything more than a fuck buddy.” 

Silence crashes down on the room, thick and suffocating. 

Mia’s eyes widen, and I watch as her breathing turns shallow, her shoulders trembling slightly. For a second, she just stands there, completely frozen, as if her brain refuses to process what Caroline just said. And then, before I can reach for her, her knees buckle, and she collapses onto the floor. A broken sob rips from her throat, and she covers her face with her hands as her entire body shakes. 

My chest tightens painfully at the sight. “Mia—” 

“Don’t,” she chokes out, her voice muffled by her hands. “Just… don’t.” 

I exchange a glance with Caroline, but she merely sighs, shifting her weight against the doorway. She isn’t cruel—she didn’t say it to hurt Mia. But she is blunt, and sometimes the truth is the cruelest thing of all. 

I crouch down beside Mia, hesitating before placing a hand on her back. “I know it hurts,” I say softly. “And I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve this.” 

She doesn’t answer. She just cries, her whole body shaking from the force of it. And for once, I don’t know what to say. Because what can you say to someone whose heart has just been shattered into pieces?