Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 302

Serena leaned against the seat of the cab, staring out the window as the city blurred past her.

The morning sun was bright, casting golden rays over the streets of Arizona. But inside, she felt anything but warm.

Her thoughts swirled with everything that had happened last night.

Bianca. Nathan. The ball.

The fact that she had almost been humiliated beyond repair.

She clenched her fists in her lap.

How could she have been so blind?

She had trusted Bianca, considered her a friend, and yet, Bianca had been plotting against her all this time.

And worst of all, it was all because of Nathan.

Serena shook her head. She didn’t even want to think about him.

The cab slowed to a stop in front of her apartment complex. She paid the driver and stepped out, walking quickly inside.

The second she entered her bedroom, she shut the door and leaned against it, exhaling deeply.

Finally alone, the weight of everything settled over her like a thick fog.

Bianca had been pretending all along.

How long had she been planning this? Had every conversation, every smile, been fake?

Her chest tightened at the thought.

Just then, her phone rang, pulling her from her thoughts.

She frowned and picked it up, glancing at the screen.

Mom.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Taking a deep breath, she answered. “Hello?”

“Serena, my love!” Her mother’s cheerful voice rang out.

“How are you, darling? Are you feeling okay now?”

Serena forced a small smile. “I’m fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me.”

“You sure? I called you last night, but you weren’t answering,” Mrs. Winthrop said, concern lacing her tone.

“I got worried.”

Serena bit her lip. She couldn’t tell her mother the truth.

If she did, Mrs. Winthrop would be on the next flight back to Arizona, panicking over her safety.

So she lied.

“Oh, my phone was on silent,” she said smoothly. “I didn’t even realize you called until this morning.”

Her mother sighed. “I just wanted to check in on you. You know I worry, especially with your health.”

“I know, Mom.”

A pause. Then—

“How’s Amy?”

Serena hesitated for half a second before replying, “She’s fine. She spent the night at Emma’s place. You know how much she loves being with her.”

“That girl,” her mother chuckled. “She’s always so attached to Emma. I hope she’s eating properly.”

Serena smiled slightly. “She is. Emma takes good care of her.”

“Good. And you? Are you eating well?”

“Mom,” Serena groaned. “You just left yesterday.”

Mrs. Winthrop laughed “And I already miss you! You know I can’t help but worry about my only daughter.”

Serena’s chest warmed. “I miss you too, Mom.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before Serena finally managed to convince her mother that she was perfectly fine.

After hanging up, she let out a breath and sat on the edge of her bed.

She had avoided the truth for now. But for how long?

Shaking the thought away, she stood up and began getting ready for work.

—

By the time she arrived at Rocky’s Design, Emma was already walking alongside her, a knowing smile on her face.

“So?” Emma nudged her playfully. “How was the ball? Did you have fun?”

Serena let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “It was… eventful.”

Emma gasped. “That doesn’t sound like fun. What happened?”

Serena hesitated. Should she tell her?

Emma noticed her hesitation and pouted. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging!”

Serena sighed. “Let’s just say… I learned that some people aren’t who they pretend to be.”

Emma frowned. “That sounds deep.”

Before Serena could respond, Emma suddenly grinned and pulled out her phone.

“Oh! Have you seen this?”

She turned the screen toward Serena, showing several photos from last night’s ball. Serena’s breath caught.

The images were all over the internet—her in that stunning dress, looking every bit like a queen.

The comments underneath were filled with praise.

“She looks incredible!”

“Serena Winthrop is serving elegance!”

“That dress is everything!”

Emma smirked. “You’re a star, boss.”

Serena smiled faintly. If last night hadn’t ended the way it did, maybe she would have felt excited about this.

But now?

All she could think about was Bianca.

The betrayal still stung.

Emma tilted her head. “You okay?”

Serena forced a nod. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind.”

Emma didn’t press further.

Instead, as they walked into Serena’s office, she quickly went over her schedule for the day.

“Oh, and before I forget,” Serena said, glancing up.

“Did Amy eat properly before going to school?”

Emma gave her an exasperated look. “Of course! I made sure she had a full breakfast.”

Serena smiled. “Thank you, Emma. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Emma grinned. “You’d probably be a mess.”

Serena laughed. For the first time that morning, it felt genuine.

—

Meanwhile…

Ryan sat in his office, fingers moving swiftly over his laptop keyboard.

But no matter how much work he tried to bury himself in, his mind kept drifting back to Serena.

And Kate.

Last night was a disaster.

Serena’s expression when Kate was busy throwing insults at her, trying to humiliate her in front of everyone.

The anger. The pain— Yet he couldn’t do a thing.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He had made such a mess of things.

Just then, there was a knock on his door.

He looked up as Jefferson, his assistant, stepped in.

“Sir, your mother is here to see you.”

Ryan’s jaw clenched.

Just what he needed—another headache.

With a deep breath, he stood and straightened his suit. “Let her in.”

A moment later, Mrs. Winters walked in, dressed as elegantly as ever.

“Ryan, darling,” she said smoothly, taking a seat across from his desk. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mother,” he said, his voice carefully neutral.

She smiled. “Good. Because we’re having a family dinner tonight, and you need to be there.”

Ryan stiffened. “Mother—”

“No excuses.” Her sharp gaze pinned him in place.

“You’ve missed enough family gatherings already. You’ll be there tonight.”

Ryan sighed. “Fine.”

Mrs. Winters beamed. “Wonderful. And bring Kate with you.”

Ryan’s stomach twisted. “What?”

“You heard me,” she said, crossing her legs gracefully.

“She’s pregnant, Ryan. She needs your support. This is not just about you anymore.”

Ryan clenched his jaw. He wanted to argue, to say Kate’s pregnancy wasn’t his problem.

But his mother’s expression left no room for discussion.

“Fine,” he muttered.

Mrs. Winters smiled triumphantly. “Good. I’ll see you both tonight, then.”

With that, she stood up, smoothed her dress, and walked out of the office without another word.

Ryan let out a slow, frustrated breath, shoving his hand through his hair.

Tonight was going to be hell.

And he wasn’t ready for it.