Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 284

The moment the plane touched down at Arizona Airport, Ryan let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples.

“This is it,” he muttered under his breath.

“Back to reality.”

Jefferson glanced at him as they unbuckled their seatbelts. “Not happy to be home?”

Ryan scoffed. “Would you be, if you were me?”

Jefferson chuckled but didn’t say anything.

The flight attendants thanked them as they exited the plane, and soon enough, they were making their way through the private exit where a sleek black car was already waiting for them.

Ryan slid into the backseat while Jefferson got in next to the driver.

Just as they pulled out of the airport, Ryan’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and sighed again. His father.

“Already?” Jefferson muttered under his breath with an amused smirk.

Ryan shot him a look before reluctantly answering the call. “Hello, Dad.”

“Ryan,” Mr. Winters’ deep voice came through the speaker. “I assume you’ve landed safely?”

“Yeah, just got off the plane,” Ryan replied, resting his head against the seat.

“Good. And the deal? Did everything go as planned?”

Ryan closed his eyes for a moment before answering.

“Yeah, we signed the multi-billion-dollar deal. Everything is finalized.”

There was a brief silence before his father let out a pleased hum.

“Well done, Ryan. That’s exactly what I expect from you.”

Ryan merely nodded to himself, knowing his father couldn’t see it.

“But now that business is thriving, it’s time for you to focus on something else,” Mr. Winters continued.

Ryan’s brows furrowed. “Something else?”

“Marriage, Ryan. You need to settle down with Kate already. The company needs stability, and you’ve been with her for a while now. She’s carrying your child and It’s time to make things official.”

Ryan immediately stiffened. He should have known this was coming.

His father never called just to check in; there was always an agenda.

“Dad, I—”

“No excuses,” his father interrupted firmly.

“You’re not getting any younger, and neither is Kate. What are you waiting for?”

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, already feeling trapped.

“I—I have to go, Dad. Something urgent just came up,” he lied, sitting up straight as if he were actually occupied with something.

“I’ll call you later.”

Before his father could say another word, Ryan ended the call and let out a long sigh, pressing his fingers against his temple.

Jefferson, who had been quietly listening, let out a small chuckle.

“What?” Ryan snapped.

“Nothing,” Jefferson said, still smirking. “Just… I knew that was coming.”

Ryan rolled his eyes and leaned back against the seat. “Of course, you did.”

After a moment, Ryan sat up again. “Change of plans,” he said to the driver.

“Take me to this address instead.” He quickly typed out Serena’s home address and showed it to the driver.

Jefferson raised a brow. “Serena’s place?”

Ryan nodded. “I wasn’t able to call Amy as promised. I want to see her before heading home. And I brought her some toys and puzzles.”

Jefferson crossed his arms and smirked. “And Serena?”

Ryan shot him a sharp look. “I’m there to see my daughter. That’s all.”

Jefferson raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Whatever you say, boss.”

By the time they reached Serena’s house, it was already past 8 PM. The lights inside were still on, so he knew she was awake. He stepped out of the car, adjusting his suit before ringing the doorbell.

There was a brief pause before the door swung open, revealing Serena in a simple loungewear set, her long hair pulled into a messy bun.

The moment she saw Ryan, her face fell into a frown.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, crossing her arms.

Ryan exhaled. “I just got back from my trip. I wanted to see Amy.”

Serena narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t argue. She stepped aside and opened the door wider.

“She’s still awake,” she muttered.

Ryan stepped in, his eyes scanning the cozy living room.

The TV was on, playing an animated movie, and there, sitting cross-legged on the couch, was Amy.

The moment Amy turned and saw Ryan, her entire face lit up. “DADDY!”

She bolted toward him, launching herself into his arms. Ryan caught her easily, lifting her into the air and spinning her around.

“Hey, princess! Did you miss me?”

Amy giggled and nodded. “A LOT!”

Ryan kissed her forehead and set her down.

“I got you something,” he said, reaching into the bag he brought with him. “Close your eyes.”

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, bouncing on her toes with excitement.

Ryan pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box and placed it in her hands. “Okay, open!”

Amy ripped through the wrapping paper, her tiny hands moving fast.

When she saw the puzzle inside, her eyes widened. “Wow! A Paris puzzle!”

Ryan smiles. “I thought you’d like it.”

Amy grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best!”

Ryan reached into the bag again.

“And that’s not all. I also got you this.” He pulled out a soft pink dress with little bows.

Amy gasped dramatically. “IT’S SO PRETTY!”

Ryan chuckled. “I knew you’d love it.”

As Amy hugged her new things, Ryan glanced toward the dining area where Serena sat behind her laptop.

She was clearly working, pretending not to pay attention to them.

“Serena,” he called, but she didn’t look up.

“I’m busy,” she said flatly.

Ryan sighed. He knew she was avoiding him.

He wanted to say something, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, he turned back to Amy.

“So, princess, how about we go out soon? Just you and me? A special Daddy-Daughter day?”

Amy’s eyes sparkled. “Really?!”

“Really,” Ryan confirmed, tapping her nose.

Amy clapped her hands together.

“Yay! I wanna go to the zoo! And eat ice cream!”

Ryan laughed. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Serena finally looked up at that, but she didn’t say anything.

After a few more minutes of playing with Amy, Ryan checked the time and stood up.

“Alright, princess. I have to go now. But I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

Amy pouted. “You promise?”

Ryan placed a hand over his heart. “I promise.”

Amy wrapped her little arms around his waist. “Okay. Love you, Daddy.”

Ryan felt a familiar warmth in his chest. “Love you too, baby girl.”

He looked at Serena one last time. “Goodnight, Serena.”

She simply nodded. “Goodnight.”

Without another word, Ryan walked to the door, stepping outside where Jefferson and the driver were waiting.

He got into the car, and as they drove off into the night, he leaned back against the seat, exhaling deeply.

“Back to Arizona,” he muttered again.

Jefferson chuckled from the front.

“Yeah, and it looks like reality is about to get a whole lot more complicated.”