Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

Once Vincent and Julian left the Sterling Estate, Mark respectfully bowed to Dominic before excusing himself.

The servants, however, remained standing in the living room. Without saying a word, Dominic walked over to Clara, gently took her by the hand, and led her upstairs.

The sight left everyone stunned.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" one of the maids whispered.

Silvia folded her arms confidently.

"Young Master is probably taking Young Madam upstairs to teach her a lesson. After all, the Sterling family’s reputation has been dragged into this mess."

Lily looked unconvinced. "But... didn’t Young Master just prove Young Madam was innocent?"

Silvia shot her a glare. "Even if she was framed, the scandal is still everywhere online. Do you really think Young Master is just going to let it slide?"

Before Lily could reply, both of them noticed someone entering through the front door.

"Young Miss!"

Hannah had returned. She glanced toward the entrance where Vincent’s and Julian’s car had just disappeared.

"What happened here?" she asked. "Why were Mr. Vincent Hayes and Miss Julian here?"

She had assumed they came because of the scandal spreading across the internet. Knowing Vincent, it wasn’t surprising.

He valued his reputation above everything else. If the Sterling family ever withdrew their investment or canceled the projects connected to Hayes Group, his company would suffer a devastating blow.

Yet instead of finding a house in chaos, everything seemed strangely peaceful.

Silvia immediately stepped forward, with Lily following behind. "Young Miss."

Hannah glanced at the other servants. "Everyone else, leave."

"Yes, Young Miss."

Within moments, the living room was empty. Only Hannah, Silvia, and Lily remained.

Hannah crossed her arms. "Now tell me exactly what happened."

***

Meanwhile, inside the master bedroom, Dominic quietly closed the door.

He guided Clara toward the sofa and helped her sit down. Earlier, Bulter James had informed him that Clara had moved all of her belongings into his room. The news alone had made his heart unexpectedly lighter.

Without a word, he removed his suit jacket and draped it over a nearby chair before rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt.

"Stay here," he said softly. Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

Clara watched him quietly. A few moments later, Dominic returned carrying a bowl of cool water and a clean towel.

He sat beside her before gently soaking the towel. "Don’t move." His voice remained calm, but his expression was unusually serious.

Clara couldn’t help studying him. She had always known Dominic to be composed and unreadable. Even after everything she had put him through in her previous life, he rarely allowed his emotions to show.

But today, as his eyes settled on the faint red mark left on her cheek... she could clearly sense the anger he was trying to suppress.

(She can argue with me all she wants...)

(So why won’t she protect herself?)

Clara blinked. The thought made her heart tighten.

Just then, Dominic carefully pressed the cool towel against her cheek, realizing that Vincent had already slapped her once.

She winced. "Ah..."

Dominic immediately pulled his hand back. "I’m sorry."

Concern filled his usually indifferent eyes. "Did I hurt you?"

Clara gently shook her head. "It’s just a little sore."

Dominic resumed applying the towel, this time much more gently. Neither of them spoke for several moments. Finally, Clara broke the silence.

"Thank you."

Dominic looked up.

"For standing up for me downstairs." She lowered her eyes. "And... believe me, I really wasn’t the woman in those photographs."

"I know." His answer came without the slightest hesitation.

"When the photos appeared online, I had Mark investigate them immediately. I never believed they were real."

Clara stared at him in surprise.

"You... never doubted me?"

Dominic calmly wrung out the towel. "The woman in those pictures may have looked like you...but she wasn’t my wife."

His words left Clara speechless. Anyone else might have believed those edited photographs. They looked convincing enough to fool almost anyone. Yet Dominic had chosen to trust her without hesitation.

(How could I let anyone speak badly about her?)

(She’s my wife.)

(No one gets to point a finger at her while I’m here.)

Clara felt warmth spread through her chest. Before she even realized what she was doing, she reached out, cupped Dominic’s face, and softly kissed him.

The brief kiss caught him completely off guard. He remained frozen, staring at her with widened eyes.

Clara smiled. "Thank you... for believing me."

Dominic was still trying to process what had just happened.

(She... kissed me?)

(Again?)

(That was too short...)

(Why does every kiss end so quickly?)

Unable to hold back her laughter, Clara leaned forward once more and kissed him again.

This time, the kiss lingered.

After a brief moment of surprise, Dominic slowly relaxed and returned it, gently cradling the side of her face.

The quiet room seemed to disappear around them. Just as they reluctantly began to pull apart, the sudden ringtone shattered the moment.

The two immediately separated. Clara’s cheeks flushed crimson as she quickly looked away.

Dominic let out a quiet cough before reaching for his phone on the coffee table. His expression instantly turned respectful when he saw the caller ID.

Grandpa.

The head of the Sterling family. Nicolas Sterling

Dominic answered immediately.

"Grandpa," he said with a respectful tone, but what came next changed his entire aura.

***

[Hayes Mansion]

"Finally..." Vincent Hayes let out a long sigh of relief as he refreshed the news page on his tablet.

The scandalous photographs circulating online had disappeared one by one. The trending topics had also been taken down. He didn’t need anyone to tell him who was responsible. Only Dominic Sterling had the influence to erase the news so quickly.

A complicated expression crossed Vincent’s face. Part of him felt relieved that the Sterling family had stepped in before the scandal spiraled out of control. But another part of him couldn’t stop replaying the scene at the Sterling Estate.

The slap. Clara’s calm expression. And Dominic is standing in front of her without hesitation.

Vincent rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"I shouldn’t have slapped her." His quiet confession surprised both Dorothy and Julian.

Vincent rarely admitted when he was wrong. He had always had a short temper. Whenever his anger took over, he acted first and thought later. That was exactly what had happened today.

Now that the truth had come to light, guilt slowly settled in his heart.

"Dad..." Julian immediately walked over and gently held his arm. "You didn’t do anything wrong."

She smiled reassuringly. "Anyone would’ve reacted the same way after seeing those photographs."

Dorothy nodded in agreement.

"Julian’s right." She sat beside her husband. "Clara is married into the Sterling family now. Every word she says and every step she takes represents not only herself but the Hayes family as well. We can’t allow her to embarrass us like that."

She sighed dramatically before looking affectionately at Julian. "If only Dominic had chosen you instead..." She smiled proudly. "Our daughter would never have caused us this much trouble."

Julian lowered her eyes shyly, though inwardly she couldn’t have agreed more.

"If I were Mrs. Sterling..." she thought bitterly. "...none of this would’ve happened."

Vincent remained silent. After a while, he shook his head.

"Even so... I should’ve verified everything before going there." He recalled Dominic’s icy warning.

Even now, the memory sent a chill down his spine.

Before today, Clara had always stood alone. The only person who ever seemed to defend her was Julian. Now... she had someone far more powerful standing beside her.

Dominic Sterling.

For the first time, Vincent truly realized that Clara’s position had changed. She was no longer the neglected daughter of the Hayes family. She was now the young madam of the Sterling family.

Vincent slowly stood up. "I’ll have someone investigate who leaked those photographs. If they dared target my family once...they may do it again."

Julian’s face instantly lost all color.

"No!"

The word escaped her mouth before she could stop herself, causing Vincent to frown.