Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 309

Serena dragged herself through the front door, her body heavy with exhaustion and her mind clouded with thoughts she couldn’t shake off.

She looked like a shadow of herself—her once confident stride replaced by slow, unsteady steps.

She tossed her purse carelessly onto the small table near the entrance and leaned against the door for a moment, closing her eyes.

The house was eerily quiet, but Amy’s soft giggles from the other room reminded her of her responsibilities.

She straightened up, forcing herself to move.

In the kitchen, she robotically prepared a simple meal—mac and cheese, Amy’s favorite.

She could barely taste the food as she fed Amy, her mind distant, replaying the cruel words from online comments:

“She’s a fraud.”

“A gold digger.”

“How could she lie about a child’s paternity?”

Her heart clenched with every thought, but she kept a smile plastered on her face for Amy’s sake.

After dinner, she tucked Amy into bed, kissing her forehead gently.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Serena whispered.

“Goodnight, Mommy,” Amy replied, her eyes fluttering shut.

Serena closed the door softly and leaned her forehead against it, finally letting out the deep breath she’d been holding in all evening.

Her legs felt weak as she made her way back to the living room.

She headed straight to the kitchen, opened the cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of red wine—the strong kind, the one she kept for emergencies.

She poured herself a glass, took a sip, then another, but it wasn’t enough.

Frustrated, she set the glass aside and drank straight from the bottle, the bitter liquid burning her throat.

What did I do to deserve this? she thought bitterly. Why does the world hate me so much?

She sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone, reading the hateful comments, unable to stop herself.

Each word felt like a knife to her heart.

Clients had already started withdrawing their contracts.

Some emails came through, politely cutting ties, citing the “unfortunate scandal.”

Tears blurred her vision, but she kept drinking, hoping the alcohol would numb the pain.

Eventually, it did. She drifted into unconsciousness, the empty bottle slipping from her fingers onto the floor.

The Next Morning,

Serena wasn’t woken by the morning sun but by the loud, persistent ringing of the doorbell.

Ding dong! Ding dong!

Her head throbbed painfully as she groaned, slowly opening her eyes.

The living room was a mess—an empty wine bottle on the floor, her phone with dozens of missed calls and unread messages scattered beside her.

Ding dong!

She groaned again, rubbing her temples. The headache was brutal. But the doorbell wouldn’t stop.

“Alright, alright!” she mumbled, stumbling to her feet. Her legs felt like jelly, and her mouth was dry.

She shuffled toward the door, squinting through the peephole.

When she opened the door, her bleary eyes widened in shock.

“Mr. Steve Jacob?” she whispered, her voice raspy.

Standing there was Steve Jacob, the man who had helped her build her company from scratch.

The man who had been there for her when she divorced Ryan and left the country.

Steve grinned warmly, his arms spreading wide. “It’s me, Serena.”

Without thinking, Serena let out a small scream of surprise and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe this!” she exclaimed.

Steve chuckled, patting her back. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

She pulled back, still staring at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here? In Arizona?”

“Can I come in first?” he asked with a playful smirk.

“Oh! Yes, yes, of course.” She stepped aside, letting him in.

As soon as he entered, his eyes darted around the messy living room.

He noticed the empty wine bottle on the floor and frowned slightly but didn’t comment right away.

They both sat on the couch, and he finally broke the silence.

“Have you been drinking?” he asked, his tone gentle but firm.

Serena’s face flushed with embarrassment.

She glanced at the bottle and sighed. “Yeah… I guess I overdid it last night.”

Steve didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at her, concern written all over his face.

“I saw the news,” he finally said.

“The moment I read about it, I took the next available flight to Arizona.”

Serena’s heart warmed a little at his words, but confusion lingered.

“You flew all the way here… because of the news?” she asked softly.

“Yes,” Steve replied without hesitation.

“I couldn’t just sit back and watch you go through this alone.”

Serena felt tears sting her eyes.

She quickly wiped them away, trying to maintain her composure.

“Thank you, Steve. I just… I didn’t expect this. I thought everyone would turn their backs on me.”

“Not me,” Steve said firmly. “I know you. I know the kind of person you are. These rumors—they’re just noise. But you can’t let them drown you.”

Serena sighed deeply. “It’s hard. I lost so many clients yesterday. I don’t even know what tomorrow will bring. What more will I lose?”

Steve reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“You’re not going to lose everything. I’m here to help you. We’ll clear the air together.”

Serena looked at him, her eyes filled with gratitude.

“But how? The internet doesn’t forget. People believe what they want to believe.”

“That’s true,” Steve admitted.

“But the truth has a way of finding its voice. We’ll get through this. But first…” He glanced at the empty bottle again. “No more drinking. That’s not the solution.”

Serena chuckled softly, wiping her tears. “You always did know how to lecture me.”

“And you always needed it,” Steve replied with a wink.

Just then, soft footsteps echoed down the hallway. Amy appeared, rubbing her eyes sleepily, her little pajamas slightly wrinkled.

When she saw Steve, her face lit up with recognition.

“Uncle Steve!” she squealed, running toward him.

Steve’s face broke into a wide grin as he opened his arms, catching Amy and lifting her into the air.

“Look at you! You’ve grown so much!” he exclaimed.

Amy giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I missed you! What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you and your mommy,” Steve replied, booping her nose playfully.

“How have you been? How have you been coping with mommy here in Arizona? Do you like it here? Does mommy have enough time to take care of you?”

“I’m good! Mommy takes good care of me and guess what? I met my daddy here in Arizona!” Amy said excitedly.

“He visits me a lot. He even brought me toys from Paris!”

Serena’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly masked it. Steve raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

He set Amy down gently.

“That’s great, sweetheart,” he said. Then he turned to Serena. “Isn’t she supposed to be in school?”

Serena sighed, running her fingers through her messy hair.

“I’m keeping her home for now. Until this fake DNA news blows over, I can’t risk her being out there. Kids can be cruel.”

Steve nodded in understanding.

“That makes sense. But don’t worry, Serena. We’ll fix this. I promise.”

Serena looked at him, her heart lighter than it had been in days.

“Thank you, Steve,” she whispered.

“For everything.”