Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Dominic’s car was completely different.

Ever since he had carried Clara into the back seat, not a single word had passed between them.

Dominic sat quietly, his gaze fixed ahead, trying to keep his thoughts under control.

Across from him—or rather, beside him—Clara had done nothing but stare at him with a foolish smile on her face.

If her unwavering gaze wasn’t enough to test his composure, her drunken confession from earlier certainly was.

"My man."

The two simple words refused to leave his mind.

Every time he recalled them, his heartbeat became a little more erratic.

Clara rested her chin on her palm, studying him intently.

"You’re too quiet, Dom."

Her voice was soft and slightly slurred.

She frowned when he didn’t answer.

Although alcohol had dulled her body, her mind was far more awake than anyone realized.

After accidentally blurting out that she would "listen to his thoughts" to win his heart, she had spent the entire ride wondering if Dominic had actually believed her.

Now he was sitting there in complete silence.

It annoyed her.

She wanted him to say something.

Anything.

She wanted his attention.

More importantly...

She wanted him to stop overthinking.

As the car rolled through the gates of the Sterling Mansion, Clara suddenly crawled across the leather seat without warning.

Before Dominic could react, she settled herself sideways on his lap.

His entire body stiffened.

"Clara..."

She ignored him.

Instead, she lifted both hands and gently cupped his face.

Their eyes met.

Then she leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

Dominic’s breathing hitched.

(...Stay calm.)

(She’s drunk.)

(She’s just drunk.)

His heart, however, stubbornly refused to listen.

Clara gazed into his eyes for a long moment before speaking again.

"Why are you so quiet?"

Dominic swallowed.

"We’re home."

His voice remained calm and steady despite the chaos in his mind.

Clara glanced out the window.

The driver had already parked in front of the mansion.

Still...

She made no attempt to move.

Instead, she looked back at him.

"You still haven’t answered me."

Dominic sighed softly.

"What is it?"

She tilted her head.

"Why didn’t you tell me you had already investigated Eric?"

Her words caught him by surprise.

"I know you were the one who made Hannah see the truth."

She remembered Nicolas’ phone call that morning.

At first, she hadn’t thought much about it.

Then Lily had unknowingly mentioned seeing Hannah at the bar.

Later, Sylvia’s confirmation had connected the final pieces.

Everything suddenly made sense.

She had assumed Hannah had secretly gathered evidence against Eric herself.

What she hadn’t expected...

...was Dominic quietly helping from behind the scenes.

Dominic looked at Clara for a moment before shifting his gaze toward the driver.

A subtle nod was enough.

Understanding immediately, the driver stepped out of the car and quietly closed the door behind him.

Silence settled inside once again.

Only the faint sound of rain tapping against the windows could be heard.

Clara looked at him expectantly.

Dominic blinked.

"I want to hear you." Her voice softened.

"I know it’s easier for me to figure things out on my own..." She paused. "...but I don’t want everything between us to come from assumptions."

Her fingers gently traced the sleeve of his coat.

"I want you to tell me."

Dominic’s eyes softened almost imperceptibly. He wasn’t a man to express his emotion verbally. A problem he had since he was a child. Back then, he assumed that everyone, including his family, would grow accustomed to him being alone and rarely communicating. But now that Clara has asked him to speak, he realises she is still new in his life and trying to know him.

Dominic waited for a moment before gathering himself and saying, "I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t my place."

Clara frowned.

"Hannah deserved to discover the truth herself. If I had simply handed her the evidence, she might have thought I was interfering and that I was taking your side."

He looked out the window briefly before continuing.

"So I only confirmed what she was already beginning to suspect."

Clara listened quietly.

"Besides..." A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"You were already doing enough."

She blinked.

"Me?"

"You stood up for her. Fought with Eric and his friends. Gathered evidence"

Dominic had asked her one last time after she awoke, and when Clara told him what she had been up to, all of his doubts about her were gone.

He expected her to do everything she could to ignore him again, but she didn’t, and that was enough for him to lower his guard.

"You stayed with her."

"You let her cry."

He looked back into her eyes.

"Sometimes that’s worth more than any evidence."

Clara felt her chest tighten. She hadn’t expected him to notice something so small.

"So..." She smiled faintly. "...you weren’t angry that I comforted Hannah?"

Dominic shook his head.

"I’m not angry because you comforted her." His expression became more serious. "I’m angry because you got yourself drunk."

Clara lowered her head guiltily.

"I..."

"You rarely drink. You skipped dinner. And then you emptied several glasses on an empty stomach."

His voice remained calm, but the concern beneath it was impossible to miss.

"You could have made yourself sick."

Clara bit her lower lip.

"...Sorry."

Dominic let out a quiet sigh.

"You don’t have to apologise for caring about my sister." He gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "But next time...take better care of yourself too."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them no longer felt awkward.

Instead... it felt comforting.

Clara frowned thoughtfully before glancing down.

"...Dom."

"What?"

She blinked a few times.

"Why does your lap feel... upgraded?"

Dominic’s expression froze.

"...Upgraded?"

She nodded seriously.

"Yeah. It wasn’t like this before."

His brain short-circuited.

(...Please don’t continue.)

Clara poked his chest instead.

"Did you hide a wallet under there?"

"..."

"Or a book?"

"..."

"Wait..."

Her eyes widened dramatically.

"Did your muscles move?"

Dominic immediately grabbed both of her wandering hands.

"That’s enough investigating."

She pouted.

"But I’m doing research."

"No."

"Scientific research."

"No."

"You’re a very mysterious husband," she pouted with narrow eyes.

Dominic let out a defeated sigh.

(Tomorrow she’s forgetting everything about this.)