Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

”Whoa... that was close.”

Clara ducked behind the corner, pressing a hand against her chest as she tried to steady her breathing.

She had no idea who had been calling her, but one thing was certain—

Getting caught now would ruin everything.

Ever since sneaking into the venue, she’d been doing everything she could to avoid being recognized. Somehow, despite all her careful planning, trouble kept finding her anyway.

Taking a deep breath, she cautiously peeked around the wall.

”...Huh?”

The hallway was empty.

Clara frowned.

”Wait... am I imagining things? I could’ve sworn someone called me.”

She scratched her head suspiciously.

Don’t tell me this place is haunted...

Just as she was about to investigate further, an icy voice sounded behind her.

”What exactly are you doing hiding here?”

Clara froze.

Very, very slowly...

She turned around.

”...”

”...”

Her eyes widened.

Helena stood there with her arms crossed, glaring at her as if she’d just caught a criminal.

Why am I this unlucky today?

Clara wanted to cry.

Instead, she forced herself to smile.

She was certain Helena wouldn’t recognize her through the disguise.

Right?

...Right?

Unfortunately, Helena kept staring at her.

One second.

Three seconds.

Five seconds.

Why is she looking at me for so long?

Did she recognize me?

Clara’s heartbeat immediately doubled.

Helena finally spoke.

”What is wrong with the staff at this hotel?” she snapped. ”Instead of attending to the guests, you’re wandering around the corridors as though you own the place.”

She was already in a terrible mood after seeing Hannah downstairs.

Although Maria had repeatedly assured her that Hannah wouldn’t create a scene, Helena couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling in her heart.

Everything has to go perfectly today.

Our company’s future depends on this marriage.

Meanwhile...

Clara’s brain was working at lightning speed.

Should I push her and run?

She immediately rejected the idea.

No. That’s attempted murder... probably.

Then should I just sprint away?

No, that’s even more suspicious.

What if she thinks I’m a thief?

One ridiculous plan after another flashed through her mind before she dismissed them all.

Finally, she plastered on the brightest smile she could manage.

”I’m so sorry, Madam,” Clara said politely. ”I was actually looking for you.”

Helena frowned.

”For me?”

”Yes.”

”Why would you be looking for me?”

Clara’s smile stiffened.

Excellent question.

I wish I knew the answer too.

Helena narrowed her eyes.

She had noticed this waitress earlier.

The same one who had spilled juice on one of the guests.

And now...

She had caught her hiding in the hallway outside the private rooms.

The more Helena looked at her, the more suspicious she became.

”Who exactly are you?” Helena asked coldly.

Clara laughed awkwardly.

”Hehe...”

”...”

”...”

”I was really hoping you wouldn’t ask that.”

Helena’s eyebrow twitched.

”What?”

Clara silently prayed for divine inspiration.

Come on, brain... this would be a really good time to start working.

Clara felt the walls closing in around her.

Another second, and she was certain Helena would see right through her disguise.

Think, Clara... think!

Her eyes darted around the hallway in desperation. Then, suddenly, they landed on a familiar figure walking toward them.

A grin instantly spread across her face.

”Oh! Madam!” Clara exclaimed, pointing down the corridor. ”Mr. Swan has been looking everywhere for you!”

Helena frowned. ”What are you talking ab—” Before she could finish, a familiar voice echoed through the hallway.

”Helena!”

Both women turned.

Alaric was striding toward them with an impatient expression.

”What are you doing here?” he asked. ”I’ve been looking all over the place for you.”

Helena’s eyes widened.

She stared at her husband before instinctively looking back toward the waitress.

”...”

Nothing.

The hallway was empty.

The waitress had vanished without a trace.

”...”

Helena blinked.

Then blinked again.

For a moment, she genuinely wondered if she’d imagined the entire conversation.

Wasn’t she standing right here?

She had been talking to the waitress just seconds ago.

So... where had she gone?

Helena looked around the corridor in complete disbelief. Not even a shadow remained.

Meanwhile... a few meters away, Clara was crouched behind a decorative pillar, hugging it for dear life.

She silently peeked around the edge.

That was close... way too close.

She quickly hid again before either of them noticed her.

Back in the hallway, Helena slowly turned toward Alaric.

”Alaric...” she said weakly.

”Hm?”

”Do you think... I’m going crazy?”

Alaric frowned. ”What?”

”I swear I was talking to someone just now.” She looked around once more. ”But she’s gone.”

Alaric stared at her for a second before letting out a tired sigh.

”Helena, this isn’t the time for jokes.”

”I’m serious!”

He ignored her protest.

”Where’s Eric?” he asked instead. ”The ceremony is about to begin. Everyone is already waiting at the altar.”

Helena’s expression froze. ”Oh no...”

She slapped her forehead. ”I completely forgot why I came upstairs!”

Alaric pinched the bridge of his nose. ”I figured as much.”

Without wasting another second, he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her along.

”Come on. We need to get Eric.”

The two hurried toward the groom’s room, completely unaware that the mysterious waitress they had been searching for was still hiding behind the pillar, silently thanking every deity she could think of for saving her from yet another disaster.

***

The moment Helena and Alaric disappeared around the corner, Clara let out a long breath of relief.

”I actually survived...”

Without wasting another second, she hurried back toward the kitchen.

The moment she pushed open the door, she found Lily sitting exactly where she had left her.

Or rather...

Buried beneath what still looked like an endless mountain of potatoes.

Clara blinked.

”...They’re still here?”

Lily weakly looked up.

The second their eyes met, tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

”Madam!”

She threw the peeler aside and rushed over, wrapping Clara in a dramatic hug.

”You finally came back!”

Clara stumbled back a step from the force of the embrace.

”W-Whoa! Did someone die?”

Lily sniffled miserably.

”I thought you did!”

”...”

Clara blinked.

”I only went out for a little while.”

”A little while?” Lily cried. ”It felt like an eternity!”

She pointed accusingly at the potatoes.

”I’ve been peeling these monsters all by myself!”

Clara glanced at the pile.

Then at the neatly peeled potatoes stacked beside it.

Then back at the untouched mountain that somehow looked exactly the same.

”...Did they multiply?”

Lily nodded with a tearful expression.

”I think they did.”

Clara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

”Be strong.”

”I don’t want to be strong anymore.”

”I understand.”

”No, you don’t.”

”I really don’t.”

Lily let out another dramatic sob.

More than the potatoes, she had been worried sick about Clara.

Ever since Madam had disappeared, she couldn’t stop imagining all sorts of disasters.

What if she had been caught?

What if someone recognized her?

What if Chef Jaden found out they weren’t real kitchen staff?

By the time Clara returned, Lily had already imagined at least twenty different ways they could both end up getting thrown out of the wedding.

”I’m just glad you’re alright,” Lily mumbled, finally calming down.

Clara smiled apologetically.

”Sorry for making you worry.”

Then she looked at the endless pile of potatoes again.

”...Now I understand why you were crying.”

Lily silently handed her a potato peeler.

Clara stared at it.

”...So this is my punishment for surviving.”

Lily nodded solemnly.

”Welcome back to reality, Madam.”

***

The guests gradually settled into their seats, their conversations fading into quiet murmurs as everyone waited for the wedding ceremony to begin.

Hannah quietly took her seat among them.

From where she sat, she had a clear view of the altar. Her gaze instinctively drifted toward Eric.

Almost at the same moment, Eric looked up, and their eyes met across the hall.

For a brief second... everything around him seemed to disappear.

What is Hannah doing here?

His heart skipped a beat.

He had no idea Ruby had invited Hannah to the wedding. Seeing her sitting calmly among the guests as though nothing had happened filled him with an unsettling sense of unease.

She wasn’t crying.

She wasn’t making a scene.

She simply sat there, composed and expressionless.

And somehow...

That made Eric even more nervous.

”Eric.”

Alaric’s low voice pulled him back to reality.

”What’s wrong with you?” he whispered through clenched teeth. ”Can you at least smile for one day?”

Today was supposed to be the day that secured the Harper family’s future.

The last thing Alaric wanted was for his son to ruin everything.

Eric remained silent.

His eyes never left Hannah.

Noticing his son’s distracted expression, Alaric followed his line of sight.

The moment he spotted Hannah sitting among the guests, the color drained from his face.

”What is Hannah doing here?” he asked in a hushed voice.

Eric finally looked away.

”How would I know?” His tone was calm, but his thoughts were anything but.

He genuinely had no idea why Hannah had come.

Closure? Revenge? Or was she planning to expose something again?

After everything that had happened, Eric had realized just how little he actually knew her.

The Hannah he remembered was gentle, obedient, and willing to overlook every mistake he made.

But the woman who had called off their engagement...

The woman who had secretly gathered evidence against him...

She was someone else entirely.

Unpredictable. Calculating.

And whenever she appeared... trouble wasn’t usually far behind.

Without realizing it, Eric tightened his grip on the bouquet in his hands, his eyes instinctively searching for Hannah once again.