Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

After Hannah stormed out of the dining room, the lively atmosphere disappeared.

The servants exchanged uneasy glances. No one seemed to have much of an appetite anymore.

Even Dominic, who had remained silent throughout the confrontation, quietly placed his cutlery down and stood.

"I’m done."

Without another word, he left the dining room.

Clara remained seated for a moment, suddenly feeling awkward.

The servants looked at her sympathetically, but none of them knew what to say.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Clara excused herself and followed Dominic upstairs.

***

As soon as she entered their bedroom, she found him standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.

His hands rested casually in his pockets as he looked out into the evening sky. He didn’t turn around. Still...he knew it was Clara.

Only she walked so lightly.

Clara slowly approached until she was standing beside him. After a brief silence, she spoke.

"I wasn’t lying when I said I saw Eric."

Dominic remained quiet.

Clara lowered her head slightly. "I know it sounds unbelievable...but I really did see someone who looked exactly like him."

For several long seconds, Dominic said nothing. Finally, he turned to face her.

His expression wasn’t angry. It was calm.

"Hannah and Eric grew up together. They’ve known each other since they were children. They’ve spent years building that relationship." He paused before continuing. "So how can you expect her to believe a single sentence from someone who only happened to see a man getting into a car?"

Clara lowered her eyes. His words were blunt. But they weren’t unfair.

She hadn’t given Hannah any proof. Only her own observation.

She gave a small nod. "...You’re right. I shouldn’t have said it so confidently."

A faint smile appeared on her lips, though it carried a hint of disappointment.

"Maybe... I really did mistake someone else."

Dominic watched her quietly. He had expected her to argue. To insist she was right. Instead...she admitted the possibility that she could be wrong.

That caught him off guard. Before he could say anything, Clara stepped forward.

She gently wrapped her arms around his waist.

Dominic stiffened instantly. His eyes widened slightly.

"I wasn’t trying to ruin dinner." Her voice was muffled against his chest.

"I just thought...if there was even the slightest chance I was right...then Hannah deserved to know."

She let out a small sigh. "But I ended up upsetting everyone instead."

A guilty smile crossed her face. "I’m sorry."

Dominic looked down at the woman quietly hugging him. His hand twitched ever so slightly.

(Should I... hug her back?)

(She’s apologizing...)

(Is this when husbands comfort their wives?)

He frowned inwardly.

(I’ve never done this before.)

(What am I supposed to do?)

(Pat her head?)

(Would that be strange?)

(...Why does this suddenly feel harder than negotiating a business merger?)

Clara pretended to remain unaware of the battle raging inside his mind. She simply closed her eyes.

She knew earning Dominic’s complete trust wouldn’t happen overnight. It would take time. And she was willing to wait.

Taking a quiet breath, she loosened her arms, preparing to step away. Before she could...a firm hand caught her wrist.

In one swift motion, Dominic pulled her back against him.

Clara looked up in surprise, but then he gently lifted her chin with his fingers until their eyes met.

For a heartbeat...neither of them spoke. Then Dominic leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

It wasn’t hurried. Nor was it demanding.

It was brief. Gentle. Filled with quiet reassurance.

When he finally pulled away, Clara blinked at him in surprise.

Dominic cleared his throat. "You forgot..."

His ears had turned faintly red. "...to kiss me when I came home."

Clara stared at him. The serious expression on his face made it sound as though he were discussing something incredibly important.

A rosy blush slowly crept across her cheeks.

How can he say something so sweet with such a straight face?

She smiled without realizing it.

Just then...his thoughts drifted across her mind.

(Why isn’t she saying anything?)

(Did I misunderstand?)

(Was I too sudden?)

(Should I not have kissed her?)

(...Did I make things awkward?)

Clara almost laughed. Outwardly, he looked as calm as ever.

Inside...he was panicking.

Unable to resist, she reached up and gently cupped his face. Standing on her tiptoes, she closed the small distance between them and placed another soft kiss on his lips.

This time, it lingered just a little longer before she drew back with a smile.

"Then..."

Her eyes curved into crescents.

"Let’s do it properly."

Dominic looked at her, momentarily speechless. His heart, however, was beating far faster than he would ever admit.

(...I think...)

(I like it when she welcomes me home.)

***

Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Hannah was still fuming over Clara’s accusation.

She paced back and forth across the room, unable to calm herself.

"What does she think of herself?" she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Just because my brother believes everything she says doesn’t mean she can say whatever she wants."

Frustrated, she slammed her hand against the edge of the bed.

The image of Clara calmly saying, "I saw Eric with another woman," replayed over and over in her mind.

Hannah shook her head.

"No. There is no way that’s true."

She had known Eric since they were children. They had grown up together, gone to the same schools, celebrated birthdays, and dreamed about their future.

No one understood her better than he did. Apart from her family, Eric was the one person who had always loved, spoiled, and stood by her.

How could she possibly believe Clara over him?

"She’s just trying to ruin my relationship."

Hannah folded her arms tightly across her chest.

"That’s all this is."

She repeated those words to herself, hoping they would silence the tiny voice of doubt that had begun to creep into her mind.

But no matter how hard she tried...she couldn’t completely shake off the uneasiness.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she reached for her phone.

"I need to talk to Eric. He’s the only one who can put my mind at ease."

Without another thought, she dialed his number.

The phone rang.

No answer.

Hannah frowned at the screen.

"He must be busy." She remembered Eric mentioning an important business trip before he left.

Convincing herself there was nothing unusual about it, she ended the call.

A few seconds later, she dialed his number again. This time, the call connected almost immediately.

Relief washed over her face. She smiled and was about to speak. "Eric, I—"

But a gentle female voice interrupted her.

"Hello?"

Hannah froze. The smile disappeared from her face.

She slowly lowered the phone from her ear and looked at the screen to make sure she had dialed the right number.

It was Eric’s.

Her grip around the phone tightened. She raised it back to her ear, her heartbeat suddenly becoming erratic.

"...Who are you?"

Her voice came out quieter than she intended.

For the first time that evening... Clara’s words echoed unmistakably in her mind.