Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

"This was actually fun. I wish it had lasted a little longer," Jonathan said with a slightly disappointed expression.

After Grace had assured him that Clara being accused of poisoning the cookies would make the event entertaining, he had completely abandoned his attention to the charity event and focused entirely on watching the drama unfold.

Grace, meanwhile, had witnessed everything with her own eyes.

Dominic glanced at his father but said nothing. Instead, it was the look in Grace’s eyes that caught his attention.

"I’m sure there’s a lot we need to discuss, son," she said.

Dominic immediately understood what she meant.

He simply nodded.

Before Grace could say anything else, she noticed Clara approaching them.

"Mom, Dad, I’m sorry you had to witness something like this," Clara said.

Grace and Jonathan exchanged a glance before shaking their heads.

"You were amazing, Clara," Jonathan said. "No wonder your mother put her faith in you."

Clara looked at Grace in confusion.

"Mom, since when did you start betting on me?"

Grace laughed heartily. "Ever since my daughter-in-law gave me enough confidence to trust her."

Clara’s expression softened. That was the first time Grace had openly admitted that she trusted her.

For Clara, it meant more than Grace probably realized. After everything she had gone through, having a second chance with this family was something she quietly cherished.

She didn’t say anything. But her small smile was enough of an answer.

"Anyway, I think we should head home," Grace announced. "It’s been a very long night."

"Wait. What about Hannah?" Jonathan suddenly asked, glancing around. "Are we really leaving her here?"

Clara shook her head.

"Hannah already left with Mark."

The moment she mentioned Mark, both Grace and Jonathan frowned.

"Is she trying to punish that poor boy by making him run errands for her?" Grace asked.

Clara nearly choked on her laugh.

If only they knew that Hannah would happily shower Mark with affection if she ever admitted how she truly felt.

"She said she was too tired and wanted to head home," Clara explained. "And Mark happened to be going in the same direction."

Grace and Jonathan exchanged a relieved look.

Their daughter could certainly be troublesome at times, but at least there was nothing for them to worry about tonight.

"Alright, then. We should head home," Grace said.

She and Jonathan soon left the venue.

With only Clara and Dominic remaining, Clara turned toward him, ready to finally confront him about the poisoned cookies.

Before she could say a word, however, a familiar, cheerful voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Big Sis Clara!"

Clara froze.

She slowly turned around.

And the moment she saw who was running toward her, her expression changed.

Clara immediately crouched down and lifted Penelope into her arms.

One of the things that had frightened her the most was the thought that Julianna might not have cared if the children were harmed by whatever scheme she had planned.

Seeing Penelope safe now brought Clara an enormous sense of relief.

"Big Sis Clara, you fought that bad aunty so well!" Penelope exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Clara’s neck. "I’m so proud of you!"

Clara couldn’t help but smile.

"Really? You think I did well?"

Penelope nodded enthusiastically.

"Very well!"

Clara chuckled.

She had been so caught up dealing with Julianna that she had completely forgotten about Penelope for a while. Now that the little girl was safely in her arms, however, one question immediately came to mind.

"Penelope, did you eat any of the cookies I made tonight?"

Penelope immediately shook her head.

"No."

Clara’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

She already knew there had been nothing wrong with the cookies, especially after Adrian had somehow eaten one and remained perfectly fine. Still, she wanted to make absolutely certain that Penelope hadn’t eaten one.

"Are you sure?" Clara asked.

Penelope nodded.

"Handsome Uncle told me not to."

Her eyes suddenly drifted toward Dominic.

Clara followed her gaze.

Dominic was standing nearby, looking at Penelope with an unusual warmth in his eyes.

Clara blinked.

"Handsome Uncle?"

Penelope nodded proudly.

"He told me not to eat the cookies, even when I said they smelled yummy."

Dominic gave the little girl an approving look.

"Thank you for cooperating, Penelope."

"You’re welcome!"

Clara stared at Dominic for a moment.

A few pieces of the puzzle had already fallen into place in her mind.

So Dominic had known something.

Maybe even before everyone else.

She wanted to ask him right then and there, but instead, she decided to keep quiet.

If Dominic wanted to tell her, she would let him explain it himself.

After all, she wanted to hear the truth from him rather than drag it out of him.

The three of them spent some time talking before Penelope eventually said goodbye and left with the other children.

It wasn’t until Clara and Dominic finally got into the car that the silence between them became impossible to ignore.

Clara turned slowly toward him.

"This isn’t the way home, Dom."

"I know."

His answer came so quickly that Clara couldn’t help but glance at him.

She looked out the window, watching the familiar cityscape gradually disappear and give way to darker, quieter roads. She didn’t question him again.

Instead, she simply let Dominic drive wherever he wanted.

Eventually, the car came to a stop at the top of a cliff overlooking the city.

Dominic turned off the engine.

"Want to get some fresh air?"

Clara nodded and unfastened her seat belt.

The two stepped out of the car and walked toward the edge of the cliff. The cool night breeze brushed against Clara’s face, washing away some of the tension that had been building throughout the evening.

She leaned against the car and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I needed this."

Dominic looked at her fondly.

"I know."

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

They simply stood there, enjoying the silence.

Once Clara had finally relaxed, Dominic broke the silence.

"I know you have questions."

Clara opened her eyes and looked at him.

"And you’re actually going to answer them this time?"

Dominic gave her a small smile.

"I am."

His unwavering gaze made her heart skip a beat.

Clara hesitated for a few seconds before finally asking the question that had been bothering her.

"You changed the bottle, didn’t you?"

Dominic nodded.

"Yes."

Clara’s expression turned serious.

"Mark took care of it before Thomas made it here," Dominic explained. "He made sure Thomas couldn’t interfere and that whoever hired him wouldn’t be able to carry out their plan."

Clara remained silent for a moment, trying to process everything Dominic had just told her.

Meanwhile, Dominic couldn’t help but think about how he had managed to piece everything together in the first place.

"Mark?" Clara finally asked.

"Yes. Mark."

Dominic leaned against the car.

"I had him find Thomas. It didn’t take long. A little pressure was enough to make him start talking."

Clara gave him a skeptical look. "A little pressure?"

Dominic shrugged innocently.

"Mark has his ways."

Clara sighed. Of course he did, but her mind quickly returned to what Thomas had told them.

She remembered his confession.

Thomas had clearly claimed that Julianna was the one who had hired him. They had even seen Julianna with their own eyes.

Yet somehow, everything had changed.

Vincent Hayes was the one who had supposedly hired Thomas.

Clara frowned deeply. "This doesn’t make any sense."

Dominic looked at her as she continued.

"I was completely certain Julianna was the culprit. Thomas himself said she was the one who hired him. We even saw her involved in everything." Clara shook her head. "So how did Vincent Hayes suddenly become the person who hired him?"

She let out a frustrated breath.

"I went through all that trouble to expose Julianna, only for the entire story to turn upside down."

Dominic nodded, understanding exactly why she was confused.

"That’s because Thomas was telling you the whole truth."

Clara’s eyes widened slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Dominic looked at her, his expression turning serious.

"Julianna was the one who actually hired Thomas," he explained. "But the way she went about it was twisted enough to drag Vincent into the mess without him even realizing what was happening."

Clara frowned deeply.

"Wait... then does that mean Vincent had no idea about any of this?"

Dominic nodded. "Yes."

"And yet he ended up being treated like the real culprit?"

"Exactly."

Clara stared at him, trying to make sense of it. "But how did Julianna manage to involve him without his knowledge?"

"She used a number directly connected to Hayes Enterprise," Dominic explained. "It’s a private line that only the CEO is authorized to use."

Clara’s brows furrowed as she processed his words.

"She used that number under Vincent’s name," Dominic continued. "And whenever she communicated with Thomas, she used a voice modulator to disguise her voice and make it sound male."

Clara remained silent. Everything suddenly started falling into place.

"So Thomas thought he was dealing with Vincent..."

"Exactly."

Clara slowly nodded, letting the information sink in.

Julianna hadn’t just tried to frame Vincent.

She had made sure there was enough evidence to make everyone believe he was responsible.