Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 345

Steve Jacob sat in his hotel room, his eyes fixed on the screen of his laptop.

The video playing before him had already racked up millions of views, spreading like wildfire across the internet.

It was an interview—a scandalous one—featuring a woman who looked painfully familiar.

Her eyes were downcast, her face pale with exhaustion, and her entire demeanor screamed misery.

Steve leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he struggled to place where he had seen her before.

The feeling gnawed at him, a frustrating itch at the back of his mind. He rewound the video, watching her face again, analyzing every detail. And then, suddenly, it clicked.

Venessa.

No—Kate.

His breath hitched as realization struck. This was the same woman who had come to him pretending to be Venessa.

The same woman he had foolishly trusted, only for his own voice recording to be leaked to the world.

She had tricked him. Lied to him. Changed her identity just to get close to him.

And now, he knew exactly why.

Kate wasn’t just some random woman looking for information—she was the same woman who had ruined Serena’s marriage all those years ago.

The same woman responsible for the scandal that had destroyed Serena’s reputation.

Steve clenched his fists, cursing himself under his breath. How could he have been so blind? How could he have fallen for her deception so easily?

He had spilled secrets to a complete stranger, not realizing he was being played from the very beginning.

Slamming his laptop shut, he stood abruptly. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

What mattered now was Serena. She was in the middle of yet another storm, and if the internet was anything to go by, the backlash was brutal.

He had to see her.

Without wasting another second, he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door.

Steve Jacob made his way down to the hotel parking lot, his mind still reeling from the revelation.

He couldn’t shake the anger bubbling inside him. Kate had played him for a fool, and now, Serena was once again at the center of a public scandal.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, heading straight for Rocky’s Design.

The roads were busy, but he barely noticed. His mind was racing, going over everything that had happened.

When he finally arrived at the company, he parked his car and stepped out, immediately noticing the way people turned their heads to stare at him.

Employees whispered amongst themselves, some casting wary glances in his direction.

“That’s him…”

“The guy from the recording.”

“The one who claimed Serena was his mistress.”

Steve ignored them and walked inside, heading straight for the elevator. He had expected some gossip, but the weight of their judgmental stares still irked him.

He knew the media had twisted everything, but in the court of public opinion, he was already guilty.

As the elevator doors opened, he stepped out and made his way to Serena’s office. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

“Come in,” came Serena’s voice from inside.

He pushed the door open and walked in, immediately spotting Serena behind her desk, flipping through some documents.

Her posture was stiff, her eyes tired. Sitting on the couch a few feet away was Amy, completely absorbed in her iPad, watching cartoons.

The moment Amy saw him, her eyes lit up, and she jumped to her feet. “Uncle Steve!” she squealed, racing toward him.

Steve crouched down, catching her in a warm hug. “Hey, princess! I thought you’d be too busy for me.”

Amy giggled and pulled back. “Mommy said you were traveling. I thought you left already.”

Steve ruffled her hair. “Not yet. But I had to come see you before I go.”

Amy beamed at him, then went back to her spot on the couch, completely immersed in her show again.

Steve straightened and turned his attention to Serena. “I saw the interview,” he said without preamble.

Serena sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I figured you would.”

“I had to come check on you. How are you holding up?”

Serena let out a small, humorless chuckle. “It’s hard, Steve. But I’ll pull through. I always do.”

Steve nodded, his respect for her growing even more. Despite everything she had been through, she was still standing, still fighting.

“You’re stronger than most people give you credit for.”

Serena offered a small smile. “I don’t have a choice.”

Steve pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. “You do, actually. You could walk away from all of this, but you don’t. That’s strength.”

Serena exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples. “I just wish this would all go away. I’m so tired, Steve.”

Steve reached out, covering her hand with his. “You’re not alone, Serena. No matter what happens, you’ve got people who care about you.”

Serena gave him a grateful look, squeezing his hand slightly before pulling away. “Thank you.”

Just then, the door opened, and Emma stepped in, looking hesitant.

Serena immediately knew it wasn’t good news. “What is it?”

“The shareholders,” Emma said. “They’re demanding an emergency meeting.”

Serena closed her eyes for a brief moment, exhaustion washing over her. “Of course, they are.”

“They’re already in the conference room,” Emma added.

Steve watched as Serena straightened her shoulders, pushing away whatever exhaustion she felt.

She was a fighter, through and through.

“I’m not meeting them today,” Serena said finally. “Tell them I’m in another meeting.”

Emma hesitated before nodding. “Understood.”

As Emma left, Steve leaned back. “That’s not going to sit well with them.”

Serena sighed. “I know. But I’m not in the mood to deal with a bunch of old men who only care about money. Let them wait.”

Steve smirked. “Now that’s the Serena I know.”

Meanwhile, Emma walked into the conference room, where the shareholders sat impatiently.

Their faces were set in grim expressions, their frustration evident. The moment Emma stepped inside, one of the older men, Mr. Hawthorne, spoke up.

“Where is Serena?” he demanded, his voice edged with irritation.

Emma maintained a professional stance. “Ms. Winthrop is currently in another meeting and won’t be able to attend this one.”

A murmur of dissatisfaction spread through the room.

“Another meeting?” one of the women, Mrs. Calloway, scoffed. “She’s probably too busy cleaning up her mess!”

Mr. Hawthorne slammed his hand on the table. “Does she have any idea what kind of damage this scandal is doing to the company? The stocks are dropping, our clients are pulling away, and the board is losing faith in her leadership!”

Emma clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to defend Serena. She knew anything she said would only fuel their anger.

“Ms. Winthrop will address all concerns at a later time,” Emma said diplomatically. “For now, she asks for your patience.”

“Patience?” another shareholder spat.

“Do you think we have the luxury of patience while the media is tearing this company apart? Every news outlet is covering that ridiculous interview! And she has the audacity to ignore us?”

Mr. Hawthorne shook his head. “If Serena doesn’t fix this soon, we will have no choice but to take action.”

Emma didn’t respond. She simply nodded and excused herself, leaving the shareholders stewing in their anger.

She had no doubt that they would push for drastic measures if things didn’t improve soon.

As she walked back to Serena’s office, her thoughts were clouded with worry. She knew Serena was strong, but how much more could she take?

Inside the office, Serena sat in silence, staring at the documents in front of her, though she wasn’t really reading them. She could feel Steve’s gaze on her, but she didn’t look up.

“They’re getting restless, aren’t they?” she finally said.

Steve leaned back in his chair. “Restless is putting it mildly. They want your head on a silver platter.”

Serena let out a bitter laugh. “Of course, they do. It’s always the woman who takes the fall, isn’t it?”

Steve didn’t argue. He knew she was right.

“You need to get ahead of this, Serena,” he said after a moment. “Silence isn’t going to help. The media is ruthless. They’ll twist everything until you’re the villain in everyone’s eyes.”

Serena exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. “I know. But what do you suggest? Giving another interview? Denying everything? That won’t change people’s minds.”

Steve hesitated before saying, “You need to fight back.”

Serena’s expression hardened. “Kate. She’s the one who set this whole thing in motion. And she’s not going to stop until I’m destroyed.”

Steve let out a curse under his breath. “That woman is dangerous.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Serena muttered.

Steve studied her for a long moment. “Then fight back, Serena. Don’t let her win.”

Serena’s fingers tightened around the pen she was holding.

“I don’t intend to,” she said, her voice firm.