Chapter 18: I trust my wife
The next morning, Dominic left the Sterling Estate with Hannah.
Mark drove them toward the Pearl Mansion while Dominic quietly reviewed several documents on his tablet.
A few minutes into the drive, Hannah couldn’t help stealing another glance at her brother.
Something felt... off.
"Brother," she asked, frowning, "are you feeling alright?"
Dominic looked up from his tablet.
"Why do you ask?"
Hannah pointed at him.
"Your ears."
"They’re completely red."
She leaned in slightly, concern replacing her usual sharp tone.
"Are you coming down with a fever?"
Mark glanced at Dominic through the rearview mirror and noticed the same thing.
"Boss," he said cautiously, "should I schedule an appointment with the family doctor?"
Even he found it unusual.
Dominic looked perfectly composed as always.
But the tips of his ears were undeniably red.
Dominic calmly cleared his throat.
"I’m fine."
His voice was as steady as ever.
Neither Hannah nor Mark looked convinced.
"Are you sure?" Hannah pressed.
"You hardly ever get sick."
"I’m sure."
He lowered his gaze back to the tablet, clearly signaling that the conversation was over.
Hannah exchanged a puzzled look with Mark.
Then why does he look like he’s blushing?
She frowned to herself.
No... that’s impossible.
Brother doesn’t blush.
Deciding not to dwell on it, she turned her attention to the passing scenery outside the window.
Meanwhile...
Dominic looked perfectly calm on the outside.
Inside, however, his thoughts were in complete disarray.
(Three kisses...)
(She actually kissed me three times.)
(One before I left the room...)
(One at the bedroom door...)
(...And another just before I got into the car.)
The memory replayed vividly in his mind.
Clara had stood on the front steps with a bright smile.
"Be good," she had said while straightening his tie.
"And don’t argue with Grandpa, okay?"
Before he could respond, she had leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, she had cupped his face, kissed his lips, and gently patted his head.
"There."
"My husband is all set."
Dominic had stood frozen the entire time.
He hadn’t even managed to say goodbye properly before Clara cheerfully waved him off.
Now, even after half an hour had passed...
He could still feel the warmth of her lips.
(She actually remembered our deal...)
(Does this mean she’ll kiss me every morning from now on?)
(...Stay calm, Dominic.)
(Stop smiling.)
The corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly before he quickly pressed them into a straight line.
Mark happened to catch the tiny movement in the mirror.
His eyes widened.
Did Boss... almost smile?
He immediately looked back at the road.
No.
I must’ve imagined it.
A few minutes later, the black Rolls-Royce slowed to a stop before the grand entrance of the Pearl Mansion.
Mark stepped out first and opened the rear door.
"We’re here, Boss."
Dominic tucked the tablet under his arm and stepped out of the car.
The moment his polished shoes touched the ground, the warmth in his expression disappeared.
His face returned to its usual calm, unreadable state.
Hannah looked at him and secretly sighed.
"There he is... my impossible-to-read brother."
Together, the siblings walked toward the mansion, where the elders of the Sterling family were already waiting.
***
Inside the living room of the Pearl Mansion, a heavy silence filled the air.
No one spoke. The atmosphere was so tense that even the servants stood motionless along the walls, afraid to make the slightest sound.
Finally, Nicholas Sterling slammed his hand against the armrest of his chair. The loud bang echoed throughout the room.
"You ungrateful brat!" His sharp gaze locked onto his eldest grandson. "How dare you reject me to my face?"
Despite the old man’s fury, Dominic remained seated calmly. Not a single muscle twitched on his face. His expression was as composed as ever.
"I simply didn’t want to keep you waiting for an answer, Grandfather." He met Nicholas’s gaze without the slightest hesitation. "So here it is. I will not divorce my wife."
Silence fell once again. Grace, who was seated beside Jonathan, couldn’t help but sigh.
"Dominic..." Her voice was gentle but filled with concern.
"That girl simply isn’t suited to be your wife." She looked at him with motherly worry. "Didn’t you see what happened yesterday? Those photographs spread across the entire internet. Our family’s reputation was dragged into the spotlight. It was humiliating."
Grace wasn’t Dominic’s biological mother. After Dominic’s mother passed away, Jonathan had remarried, hoping his young son would grow up with a mother’s love.
Grace had embraced Dominic as though he were her own child. She loved him wholeheartedly. In fact, she had initially refused to have children of her own because she feared Dominic might feel neglected.
Only after Dominic himself encouraged them to expand the family did she and Jonathan decide to have Hannah.
To Grace... Dominic had always been her eldest son, and she wanted nothing but the best for him.
Watching him stubbornly cling to a marriage with a woman who had repeatedly hurt him left her heart aching.
Dominic calmly looked at her. "The photographs were fake." His firm voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.
"They were digitally altered. Someone deliberately edited them to frame Clara."
The room instantly fell silent. Nicholas frowned.
"Fake?"
Grace looked equally surprised. "You’ve confirmed this?"
Dominic nodded once. "I had Mark investigate the moment the photographs appeared. My cybersecurity team performed a forensic analysis. The report confirmed that the images had been digitally manipulated."
Jonathan, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke.
"Are you certain?"
Dominic looked at his father. "Yes. There is no doubt."
Hannah, however, couldn’t keep quiet. She folded her arms.
"Brother... Even if the photographs were edited, how can you be sure Clara wasn’t the one who leaked them herself?" She frowned. "What if she deliberately created this scandal to embarrass you? Or to pressure you into agreeing to a divorce?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Dominic slowly turned to look at her. He didn’t say anything. Yet the calmness in his eyes alone made Hannah instinctively stop talking.
She pursed her lips. She wasn’t trying to accuse Clara without reason. She simply couldn’t forget everything Clara had done over the past.
Jonathan glanced between his children before asking quietly,
"Dominic... Is there something you know that we don’t?"
His son wasn’t the type to defend someone blindly. If Dominic were speaking with such certainty... then there had to be a reason.
Dominic lowered his gaze briefly before answering.
"I trust my wife."
Four simple words. Yet they stunned everyone in the room.
Even Nicholas looked at him in disbelief.
For the first time... they realized Dominic’s faith in Clara wasn’t born out of stubbornness.
It was unwavering trust, not formed overnight but way before anyone could even know.