Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 363

The morning was cool, the sky still painted with soft hues of pink and blue as Ryan drove Serena to the airport.

The roads were mostly empty, the city slowly waking up, but inside the car, the silence was deafening.

Serena sat with her hands folded in her lap, occasionally glancing out the window, her mind elsewhere. She had barely slept the night before.

Between her meeting with the board, her upcoming trip to Paris, and the unexpected night with Ryan, there was too much running through her head.

Ryan, on the other hand, kept his focus on the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. He didn’t want her to leave. He didn’t know why, but the idea of Serena being in another country, away from him, unsettled him.

He stole a glance at her. She looked calm, composed as always, but he knew better.

He knew her well enough to see the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers twitched slightly against the fabric of her coat.

When they pulled up to the airport entrance, Serena sighed, finally turning to him.

“Well, thanks for the ride,” she said, her voice neutral.

Ryan sighed. “Just… be careful out there.”

Serena smirked, finally turning to meet his gaze. “It’s Paris, Ryan. Not a war zone.”

Ryan shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

Serena studied him for a moment before nodding. “I’ll be fine.”

She opened the door, stepping out into the cool morning air. Ryan followed, walking around to the trunk to grab her luggage.

He placed the suitcase beside her, watching as she adjusted the strap of her handbag.

Ryan nodded but didn’t say anything right away. He just stared at her for a moment, as if debating something.

Then, before she could turn to leave, he leaned in and pulled her into a hug.

Serena stiffened instantly, caught off guard. Ryan had never been the type to initiate affection, at least not like this— in the public.

It wasn’t a possessive grip, not the way he used to hold her when they were together in the room. It wasn’t heated or desperate.

It was… something else.

A quiet moment.

A moment that made Serena feel things she didn’t want to feel.

She hesitated before awkwardly patting his back. “Ryan—”

“Take care,” he murmured, his voice low.

Serena swallowed, quickly stepping back, grabbing the handle of her luggage. “I should go.”

Ryan nodded, watching as she turned and rolled her suitcase toward the entrance without looking back.

He didn’t move until she disappeared inside the airport.

Then, with a deep sigh, he turned back to his car and drove off.

Neither of them knew that someone had been watching.

Neither of them knew that someone had taken a picture.

And neither of them knew that, within hours, the internet would explode.

BREAKING NEWS: RYAN WINTERS AND SERENA WINTHROP CAUGHT TOGETHER!

SERENA STILL CLINGING TO HER EX—WHAT ABOUT KATE?

Foolish or Shameless? Serena Winthrop’s Desperation Knows No Bounds.

Emma sat in her office, gripping her phone tightly as she read the endless stream of headlines.

Her heart sank with every article.

The picture was everywhere—Ryan hugging Serena in front of the airport, his arms wrapped around her while she stood in his arms.

And the internet was eating it up.

The comments were even worse.

“What kind of woman does this? Ryan is ENGAGED! She’s so desperate.”

“She just can’t let him go, can she?”

“Kate should just leave Ryan already. He obviously still wants his ex.”

“Serena is pathetic. No self-respecting woman would behave this way.”

“She’s ruining Rocky’s Designs with all these scandals. If I were an investor, I’d be pulling out.”

Emma let out a groan, rubbing her temples. This was exactly what they didn’t need.

Before she could even process the damage, another notification popped up on her screen.

Her breath hitched.

Another picture.

But this time, it wasn’t Ryan.

It was Lucas.

ANOTHER MAN IN HER LIFE? SERENA WINTHROP SPOTTED SHOPPING WITH A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER!

Emma clicked on the article, her stomach twisting.

The photo showed Serena and Lucas at the shopping mall. Lucas was helping her carry bags, both of them laughing.

And, of course, the media twisted it into something worse.

“First Ryan, now some random guy? How many men does she need?”

“Ryan is engaged, but she’s still playing games. This woman has no shame.”

“She must be sleeping with every man she meets. Disgusting.”

Emma slammed her phone on the desk, frustration bubbling inside her.

This was bad. Really bad.

The board had already given Serena a final warning.

If they saw this, if investors started pulling out again, it could destroy Rocky’s Designs for good.

Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone again, immediately dialing Serena’s number.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

No answer.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

Emma groaned, pacing the office. Serena was on a plane to Paris, completely unaware that the world was tearing her apart.

This couldn’t wait.

She quickly called Lisa, the company’s PR specialist.

“Lisa, we have a huge problem,” Emma said the moment the call connected.

There was a brief pause. Then Lisa’s voice came through, tight with concern. “I saw it.”

Emma ran a hand through her hair. “We need to fix this. Now.”

Lisa sighed. “It’s already spreading like wildfire. The media is running with it, and people are eating it up.”

Emma clenched her jaw. “We need a statement. Something that shifts the focus.”

Lisa hesitated. “That’s tricky. If we deny it, it’ll make things worse. But if we ignore it, the damage will grow.”

Emma exhaled sharply. “Then we spin it.”

Lisa hummed in thought. “What if we push the business angle? Highlight the Paris trip, emphasize that Serena is focused on work, not personal drama?”

Emma nodded. “That’s a good start. But what about Ryan? His engagement to Kate is public. This picture of him hugging Serena makes it look like an affair.”

Lisa sighed. “We’ll have to be careful with the wording. We can’t outright deny their history, but we can redirect the focus.”

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. “Get something drafted. Send it to me in the next hour.”

“On it,” Lisa said before hanging up.

Emma sat down, taking a deep breath.

This wasn’t just a minor issue.

This was a PR disaster.

And if Serena didn’t get ahead of it, the consequences could be devastating.