My Husband Is An International Idol

Chapter 18: The First Date

Victor Reyes had spent years chasing celebrity scandals, breakups, secret feuds, hidden relationships, and fake friendships.

He had uncovered enough stories to fill several careers.

But this?

This was different.

Because for the first time, Victor wasn’t chasing a rumor. He was chasing a possibility.

A possibility that somehow explained every mystery surrounding Chris St. Claire.

Victor stared at the photographs spread across his hotel desk.

The festival picture, the supermarket reflection, the candid shots, the timelines, strange visits, and the unusual protection surrounding Sterling Village.

Individually, they meant nothing.

Together? They painted a picture.

Victor rubbed his temples.

"If I’m right..."

He didn’t finish the sentence. Because even saying it aloud felt ridiculous.

Chris St. Claire. The nation’s most eligible bachelor.

The man whose dating rumors generated millions of views. The celebrity who had never publicly confirmed a relationship.

Married? Secretly married?

Victor looked at the photograph again.

The woman with green eyes behind her thick glasses. And the woman who somehow appeared in every clue.

Every trail eventually led back to her. The question was, who is she?

Victor slowly closed his notebook. He still lacked proof.

And without proof, the story was worthless.

But if he found evidence, the entire entertainment industry would explode.

Meanwhile, Chris was experiencing a completely different crisis.

His closet.

More specifically, what he was supposed to wear.

"Why is this difficult?"

Chris stared at rows of expensive clothing. Designer jackets. Luxury shirts. Custom suits.

He hated all of them.

Tomorrow wasn’t an award show or a concert. It wasn’t a photoshoot.

It was a date.

In fact, his first date with his own wife. Which somehow made him more nervous than performing in front of eighty thousand people.

The door suddenly opened.

"Still choosing?"

Chris nearly jumped. His manager entered carrying coffee.

Chris frowned. "How did you get in?"

"I have a key."

"Why?"

"Because I don’t trust you."

Chris returned his attention to the closet.

His manager watched for several seconds.

Then sighed.

"You look like you’re preparing for surgery."

"It’s important."

"It’s a date."

"Exactly."

His manager stared..Then burst out laughing.

Chris looked offended.

"What?"

"You’ve sold out stadiums."

"So?"

"You’ve performed live on international television."

"And?"

"You’ve faced reporters."

Chris narrowed his eyes.

His manager pointed at him.."And now you’re terrified because you’re taking your wife to dinner."

Chris immediately looked away, which was basically a confession.

The laughter became worse.

His manager just shook his head as he watched Chris having a headache because of what to wear.

Back in Sterling Village, things weren’t going any better for Liliana.

Because Emily had discovered the date.

And that was an absolute disaster. A catastrophe. A nightmare.

Mostly because Emily wouldn’t stop talking.

"This is historic."

"It isn’t."

"It absolutely is."

Liliana sighed.

Emily was currently sitting on her bed surrounded by clothes.

The entire room looked like a clothing store had exploded.

Emily held up a dress.

"What about this one?"

"No."

Another dress.

"No."

Another.

"No."

Emily stared.

"You’re impossible."

Liliana folded her arms.

"I just want something simple."

"That’s the problem."

"What problem?"

"The only simple dress you have is your usual housewife outfit." Emily laughed then pointed dramatically. "This is your first date."

Liliana’s cheeks immediately turned pink. The words still felt unbelievable.

Their first date was five years after marriage. It sounded ridiculous. And yet, she couldn’t stop smiling whenever she remembered it.

Emily noticed.

Then grinned. "Oh."

Liliana immediately became suspicious.

"Oh what?"

"You smiled."

"I didn’t."

"You did."

"No."

Emily gasped. "You’re excited."

Liliana buried her face in a pillow.

Emily screamed like she’d won the lottery.

"Just admit that you’re already in love with him."

Liliana didn’t answer and just threw a pillow on her cousin.

The next morning arrived far too quickly.

Chris and Liliana barely slept. But neither would admit it.

Around ten o’clock, a black SUV entered Sterling Village.

Chris stepped out wearing a simple cap, a face mask and dark sunglasses.

A disguise. Not a very good one, but better than nothing.

After all, no one knew he was already married.

The nation still believed he was single. And if he was taking his wife on their first date, the least he could do was try to hide his identity.

Even so, he immediately attracted attention. He stood six feet two inches and he had an overwhelming aura even with his face covered.

Several neighbors nearly dropped whatever they were holding.

Children pointed, while the adults whispered.

Chris smiled awkwardly. Then immediately headed toward the Sterling house.

His heart pounded strangely. As if he was there to court some random girl.

The front door opened. And Chris forgot how breathing worked.

Liliana stood there wearing a simple white dress with light makeup.

She wasn’t on pigtails but her hair was flowing over her shoulders. She replaced her usual glasses with a contact lens.

Nothing flashy. Nothing dramatic. Yet somehow she looked so beautiful.

For several seconds, neither spoke. Both were staring at each other.

Then Grandmother Sterling appeared behind her. "Oh."

The elderly woman smiled knowingly.

"Now I understand."

Both immediately turned red.

Grandmother laughed. "Have fun and be careful."

Then she closed the door, leaving them standing outside. Alone.

Chris cleared his throat first. "You look nice."

Liliana smiled softly. "So do you."

Neither knew what to say afterward. Which was impressive considering they spoke almost every day.

Finally, Chris opened the passenger door.

"Shall we?"

Liliana nodded. The drive began.

At first, the conversation was awkward.

Painfully awkward.

They discussed weather, road conditions, trees, and a dog they passed.

Literally anything except the obvious fact that both were nervous.

Eventually Chris laughed.

Liliana looked at him. "What?"

"This is ridiculous."

"What is?"

"We’ve been married five years."

She blinked. Then laughed too.

The tension disappeared almost instantly. Finally, things felt normal again.

Then the city slowly came into view.

Tall buildings. Busy streets. Crowds.

Liliana stared out the window.

It had been months since she’d left the village.

Everything felt larger. Faster. Louder.

Chris noticed her expression.

"Nervous?"

"A little."

He smiled."I’m here."

Such a simple sentence. Yet somehow it made her feel safe.

An hour later they arrived at their destination.

Liliana stepped out of the vehicle. Then froze. Her eyes widened.

The building in front of them was beautiful. Elegant, famous, and extremely expensive.

Liliana turned slowly toward Chris.

"Absolutely not."

Chris blinked. "What?"

"No."

He frowned. "No?"

"I’m not eating somewhere that costs more than my monthly grocery budget."

Chris looked genuinely confused.

"But the food is good. And I want to treat you in a nice place."

"Chris, this is nice. Very Nice. But you already gave me a lot of gifts."

"Are you sure?"

"Chris, it’s expensive."

"So?"

Liliana stared at him. Chris stared back.

Neither moved. Then Chris sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

Liliana smiled triumphantly.

Ten minutes later they were sitting inside a small noodle restaurant.

Nothing luxurious. Nothing fancy. Just warm food and comfortable seats.

Ironically, Chris looked happier here. So did Liliana. Because neither cared about luxury.

They cared about being together.

Neither realized someone across the street had just taken a photograph.

A single photograph showing Chris St. Claire entering a restaurant with a woman.

The photographer immediately checked the picture. The woman was wearing a contact lens instead of her usual glasses. But she was clearly the same woman from the other photos.

He smiled.

Because sometimes fate handed people exactly what they needed.

And Victor Reyes had just received his first real piece of evidence.