Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 409

Serena sat in her office, staring out the large window at the city skyline. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the buildings, but she hardly noticed.

Her mind was elsewhere, tangled in the mess of emotions she had been avoiding for weeks.

Everything had changed.

The truth about Philip. The revelation that Steve—the man who had helped her rebuild her life—was actually Ryan’s father. The scandal that had almost cost her everything.

But most of all, Ryan.

His presence in her life had once been something she had accepted begrudgingly.

Their nights together, their moments of passion—it had all been something she had allowed herself to indulge in, telling herself that it didn’t mean anything.

She had convinced herself that it was just sex. That her heart wasn’t involved.

But now, as she sat alone in her office, she realized that Ryan had always been a storm in her life.

And she was tired of storms.

She exhaled, leaning back in her chair. She had fought so hard to rebuild herself after he had broken her.

When he had left her years ago, when he had chosen Kate over her, she had learned to survive without him.

And now, after everything—after almost losing her company, almost losing Amy, almost being dragged through hell because of his family’s mess—she knew one thing for certain.

She was done.

She couldn’t keep doing this with him. She couldn’t keep letting him walk into her life whenever he pleased, taking what he wanted, only for her to be left picking up the pieces when it all fell apart again.

Serena closed her eyes.

She had given him too much already.

Now, she was taking it all back.

When her phone rang, she already knew who it was. Ryan.

His name flashed across the screen, and for the first time in a long time, she hesitated.

Normally, she would answer. Normally, she would let herself get caught up in whatever he had to say.

But not again.

She silenced the call and placed the phone face down on her desk.

Enough was enough.

-

Ryan sat in his car, gripping his phone in frustration.

Serena hadn’t picked up. Again.

He had called three times today, and every time, she had ignored him.

His jaw clenched as he exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin.

She had been distant ever since the truth about his father had come out. He had given her space, letting her process everything that had happened, but now… she was shutting him out completely.

And he didn’t like it.

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, staring out at the night. He knew he had no right to demand anything from her. He knew that he had messed up in the past, and that their relationship had never been simple.

But that didn’t mean he was willing to let her go.

She was everything.

And he wasn’t about to lose her.

Before he could overthink it, he stepped out of his car and headed toward Serena’s apartment. He had gone there before—many times—but tonight, something felt different.

Tonight, he could feel her slipping away.

And he wasn’t going to let that happen.

Serena sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment, exhaustion weighing her down.

It had been a long day. The constant flood of emails, meetings, and interviews had drained her, and all she wanted now was to shower and sleep.

But the moment she opened the door, she froze.

Ryan was there.

He stood in front of her door, his hands in his pockets, watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite read.

Her heart stuttered.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

Ryan didn’t answer immediately. He just studied her, his gaze intense, as if trying to memorize every detail of her face.

Finally, he spoke and strode past her into the house. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Serena inhaled deeply, shutting the door behind her. “I’ve been busy.”

Ryan scoffed. “Serena.” His voice was softer now. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like we don’t both know what’s going on.”

She crossed her arms. “And what exactly is going on, Ryan?”

He exhaled, shaking his head slightly. “You’re shutting me out.”

Serena let out a bitter laugh. “Maybe because I’m finally seeing things clearly.”

His brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” she said, her tone firmer now, “that I don’t want this anymore.”

Silence.

Ryan’s face hardened. “Serena—”

“No,” she cut him off. “Let me talk.”

She took a step closer, her expression unreadable. “Do you know what your presence in my life has done to me? Every time I let you back in, I lose something. My peace. My control. My stability.”

Ryan flinched, but she didn’t stop.

“I spent years building myself back up after you left me, after you divorced me and chose Kate,” she said, her voice quiet but sharp. “And then you came back, and I let you in again. I let you into my bed, into my life, even when I knew better.”

Ryan opened his mouth, but she shook her head. “No. Let me finish.”

His jaw locked, but he stayed silent.

Serena took a deep breath. “I don’t want this anymore. I don’t want the complicated mess that comes with you. I don’t want to wake up every day wondering if you’re going to hurt me again.”

Ryan’s hands curled into fists. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Serena’s lips parted in a humorless smile. “You already did.”

The silence between them was thick and suffocating.

Ryan exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face. “So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”

Serena’s eyes burned, but she refused to cry. “I’m not walking away, Ryan. I’m choosing myself.”

Ryan swallowed hard, his throat aching.

He wanted to argue. To tell her that they could fix this.

But he saw it in her eyes.

She had made up her mind.

After a long moment, Ryan finally nodded. “Fine,” he said, his voice rough. “But you’ll still let me see Amy?”

Serena’s chest tightened.

“She’s your daughter,” she murmured. “Of course.”

Ryan inhaled sharply, nodding again.

She was letting him stay in Amy’s life… but not hers.

He forced himself to accept it. For now.

But as he stepped past her and reached for the door, he hesitated.

Then, he turned back, his gaze locking onto hers.

“I’m not giving up on you,” he murmured.

Serena’s breath caught.

“I don’t care how long it takes,” Ryan continued. “I’ll win you back.”

Serena’s fingers curled into fists. “Ryan—”

“I mean it,” he said simply. Then, he opened the door and walked out.

Serena stared after him, her heart pounding.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to stop or continue trying.