Claimed by My Bully Alpha (by Anna Kendra) novel Chapter 194

Chapter 194

Aurora’s PO.V

I walked into the dining hall, the low hum of conversations filling the room as sunlight streamed in through the tall windows. My eyes scanned the space, searching for Caroline, and I spotted her at the far corner, sitting with Jade. Both were busy talking, their heads leaned slightly toward each other, forks in hand as they worked on their plates of food.

Not wanting to interrupt, I made my way to the buffet. The aroma of fresh eggs, bacon, and waffles wafted up, and I grabbed a plate, quickly surveying my options.

My stomach grumbled loudly, and I felt my mouth water as I filled up my plate with all the goodies. Lots of bacon and eggs, even some strawberries and blueberries for desserts.

I was almost done with my selection, waiting for Caleb to join the table as well. But just as I reached for a slice of toast, someone bumped into me.

“Sorry,” I muttered, looking up–and froze.

The woman in front of me was striking, to say the least. White, almost silver hair framed her pale face, her expression unreadable, but there was something about her that made my chest tighten. I felt a shiver run down my spine, though the room was far from cold.

“W–who are you?” I asked, my tone sharper than I intended. It wasn’t often I saw someone I didn’t recognize around here, and I couldn’t shake the strange feeling gnawing at the back of my mind that she didn’t belong here.

She gave me a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her light gray eyes. “You must be Aurora,” she said smoothly, her voice carrying an air of familiarity that set me further on edge. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“That’s great, but you still didn’t answer my question,” I replied, gripping my plate a little tighter. “I’ve never seen you around before.”

“I’m Harmona,” she said simply, her voice carrying a soothing yet calculated tone. I reached out, shaking her hand, and introduced myself.

“Aurora,” I replied, my words coming out slower than I intended, as though my gut was trying to stop me from saying anything at all. Her grip was firm but fleeting, like she wasn’t fully present in the moment. She held my gaze for a second longer than comfortable before stepping back. Her smile didn’t waver, but something about it felt… off.

“I’ve been overseas,” she said simply, brushing a strand of her white hair behind her ear. “There were… urgent matters that required my attention. The Alpha sent me to deal with them, but now I’m

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Chapter 194

back.

“For good?” I asked, unable to mask the suspicion in my voice.

She tilted her head slightly, her smile widening. “For now. You’ll see me around.” And just like that, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with a strange, lingering unease.

I glanced back toward Caroline and Jade, suddenly feeling the urge to join them. Whatever that woman’s story was, I didn’t like the way she’d made me feel as if she knew something I didn’t, something she had no intention of sharing.

I turned to watch Harmona walk away once again, her strides deliberate and almost too smooth, like someone who had rehearsed how to blend in but missed the human flaws that made it natural. My chest tightened with a feeling I couldn’t shake, something between unease and curiosity.

It wasn’t fear exactly, but more like suspicion, a nagging sense that Harmona wasn’t who she claimed to be. I was so caught up in dissecting the encounter in my head that I barely heard Caroline’s voice calling out to me.

“Aurora! Over here!” she shouted, her tone light, cheerful. I blinked and turned to see her waving me over to their table, Jade seated beside her. The unease dissipated–at least for the moment–and I walked over, forcing myself to focus on familiar faces instead of mysterious strangers. Sliding into the chair across from them, I leaned forward, keeping my voice casual but curious.

“Who’s she? Harmona, I mean. I’ve never seen her around before.”

Caroline and Jade exchanged one of those quick glances, the kind that carried a whole silent conversation I wasn’t a part of. Caroline was the first to speak, her tone almost too breezy, too

rehearsed.

“Oh, she just got back from overseas. She’s been away for a while. Family business, I think.”

I nodded, but the answer didn’t sit right with me. It was too generic, too convenient. “Overseas? For how long?” I pressed, my eyes darting between Caroline and Jade. Jade hesitated, his fingers brushing the rim of his coffee cup, while Caroline filled the awkward silence with another smile.

“Years, I guess. It’s been a long time. She was pretty close with some people around here before she

left.”

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