Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

Note—A small change in one of the characters’ names. From now on it will be Julianna, not Julian.

***

Juliana glanced at her mother before looking back at the phone vibrating in her hand. Without hesitation, she declined the call.

"It’s nothing," she said calmly. "Alex is just losing his mind over Clara rejecting him."

Dorothy accepted the explanation without question.

All this time, she believed Alex was nothing more than a pawn they controlled with money. Little did she know that her own daughter had been carrying on a secret affair with him for years.

Juliana discreetly observed her mother’s expression. When Dorothy simply nodded, she quietly let out a sigh of relief.

"That boy is still useful to us, Juliana," Dorothy said, her voice firm. "After today’s failure, I’m worried he’ll do something reckless. You know how impulsive he can be."

"I know," Juliana replied with a nod. "I’ll handle him."

Satisfied with her answer, Dorothy dismissed her.

Juliana wasted no time returning to her bedroom. The moment she stepped inside, she locked the door behind her before dialing Alex’s number.

The call connected almost instantly.

"Where the hell have you been, Juliana?" Alex snapped before she could speak. "Why haven’t you been answering my calls?"

His voice was filled with frustration.

Ever since their plan to publicly humiliate Clara had failed, he had been waiting for Juliana to contact him. Her complete silence had only made him increasingly anxious.

Juliana’s patience snapped.

"Don’t act like you’re my boyfriend, Alex," she shot back coldly. "I don’t have to answer every time you call."

Silence followed.

Their relationship had never been built on love.

They were simply using each other.

Juliana enjoyed having someone willing to carry out her plans without asking questions, while Alex enjoyed the luxurious lifestyle she provided. Their physical relationship was merely another transaction that benefited them both.

Still, hearing Alex question her movements irritated her.

On the other end of the line, Alex quickly realized he had crossed a line.

He knew better than to provoke her.

To him, Juliana was the jackpot he had stumbled upon. As long as she remained by his side, he had money, expensive gifts, and access to a life he could never have afforded on his own.

Losing her was not an option.

"I was only asking," he said, immediately softening his tone. "No need to get angry, babe."

Years ago, Alex and Clara had met in middle school.

They started as close friends before eventually falling in love.

Although Alex had treated Clara well during their relationship, his greatest weakness had always been his greed.

At first, he was attracted by Clara’s beauty. But after learning that she had become part of the wealthy Hayes family, his ambitions grew.

He imagined living a comfortable life through her.

However, those dreams crumbled when Clara repeatedly refused to rely on the Hayes family’s wealth or maintain a close relationship with them.

That was when Juliana entered the picture.

Unlike Clara, Juliana embraced her privileged life.

She was bold, manipulative, and more than willing to use money to get what she wanted.

After she deliberately blurred the boundaries between them and hinted that they could both benefit from working together, Alex made his choice.

Her proposal had been simple.

Help her manipulate Clara, and she would give him everything he wanted.

Money.

Luxury.

And herself.

To Alex, it had been an offer too tempting to refuse.

Sensing that Juliana had calmed down, he carefully changed the subject.

"So," he asked, "did you find out what Clara is planning?"

Juliana remained silent for several seconds before letting out a slow breath.

"I think..." she said quietly, "Clara has realized that I’m not on her side anymore."

Those words made Alex’s expression turn serious.

"Are you sure?"

Juliana frowned.

"I don’t know. But the way she looked at me today... it wasn’t the same."

She recalled Clara’s calm, unwavering gaze.

"The old Clara would never have questioned me. She trusted everything I said."

Her fingers tightened around her phone.

"But now..." she murmured, unease creeping into her voice, "I think she’s starting to see through me."

For the first time in years, Juliana felt something she had never expected to feel when dealing with Clara.

Uncertainty.

Her eyes flickered for a moment, but now she was more determine to find everything.

***

Meanwhile, at the Pearl Mansion, Grace continued staring at the brochure in her hand. She hadn’t realized she had been reading the same page over and over again.

She still couldn’t believe Clara had opened a bakery.

What surprised her even more was that Dominic had actually allowed it. From everything Grace knew about him, he wasn’t the kind of man who would encourage his wife to work, especially after marrying into the Sterling family.

Yet somehow, Clara had done exactly that.

"What have you been staring at all this time, honey?" Jonathan asked as he walked into their bedroom.

Ever since they had returned from dinner, Grace had been unusually quiet. She had been sitting on the edge of the bed with the brochure in her hands, completely lost in thought.

At first, Jonathan hadn’t paid much attention, assuming she was simply tired. But as he approached the bed, his eyes caught the colorful flyer.

"Wait... is that..."

Before he could finish, Grace let out a soft laugh.

"Clara opened a bakery," she said, holding up the brochure. "And do you know what the funniest part is? She even gave us a family discount."

Jonathan blinked in surprise before taking the brochure from her.

The Sweet Crumbs... he read silently before looking back at his wife.

"I never expected Clara to do something like this."

"Neither did I."

Jonathan studied Grace’s expression. She wasn’t mocking Clara or criticizing her as she normally would. Instead, there was something thoughtful in her eyes.

"You seem... happy."

Grace smiled faintly.

"I think I am."

Jonathan sat down beside her.

"I thought you didn’t like Clara."

Grace let out a quiet sigh.

"I didn’t."

There was no point denying it.

"I always believed she was spoiled, arrogant, and rude. Every time we met, she’d either argue with someone or act like the world revolved around her."

Jonathan nodded. That was the Clara everyone in the family knew.

"But today..." Grace paused, recalling everything that had happened.

"Today felt different."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"Different how?"

Grace leaned back against the headboard.

"Different in a way I never imagined."

She recalled everything that had happened at the boutique, and one thing had become clear to her.

She had judged Clara far too quickly.

Jonathan listened quietly, allowing her to gather her thoughts.

"So, what do you think of her now?" he asked.

He knew how protective Grace had always been of Dominic. She had never understood why he had been so determined to marry Clara, and for a long time, she believed he had made the wrong choice. But seeing her finally look past her prejudice and begin to understand Clara, Jonathan couldn’t help but wonder what had changed.

Grace fell silent for a moment before a gentle smile spread across her face.

"Maybe... giving her a chance wouldn’t be such a bad idea."

Her words alone were reassuring, but what convinced Jonathan even more was the sincerity shining in her eyes.

For the first time since Dominic’s marriage, Grace no longer looked at Clara with resentment.

She looked at her with an open mind.