My Husband Is An International Idol

Chapter 21: A Promise Twenty Years Old

High above the city, the lights of the capital stretched endlessly into the distance.

From the top floor of St. Claire Tower, the entire skyline looked small.

Insignificant.

Matthew St. Claire stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.

Silent.

Thoughtful.

A glass of untouched whiskey rested on the table behind him.

His phone was pressed against his ear.

On the other end of the line was his wife, Amanda was unusually serious.

Which was never a good sign.

"He found her name."

Matthew closed his eyes. "I know."

"The report reached me this morning."

Amanda sighed heavily.

For several moments, neither spoke.

Twenty years.

They had protected that child for twenty years.

And now a journalist was slowly digging through the past.

One clue, one photograph, and one discovery at a time.

"This should not happen." Amanda’s voice softened. "We promised Edward and Vanessa that we would protect Liliana."

Matthew’s expression darkened. The old memories surfaced immediately.

The funeral. The rain.

A little girl standing beside her grandmother, Lucia Sterling.

Lost. Confused. Heartbroken.

And two coffins. Two people who should have been alive.

His closest friends, Edward and Vanessa Sterling.

People he had trusted for years. And people he still missed even after two decades.

"I know." His voice was quiet. "We’ve been doing that for the past twenty years."

Amanda remained silent.

Matthew continued. "Nothing will happen."

"You sound confident."

"I am."

A dangerous calm entered his voice.

"The moment Edward entrusted Liliana to us, I made a promise."

Amanda smiled faintly. Even through the phone she could hear it.

That tone.

The tone Matthew only used when something truly mattered.

"I know."

Matthew looked out across the city..His reflection staring back from the glass.

Older. Tired but still determined.

"I’ll make sure nobody hurts her."

The conversation ended shortly afterward. The call disconnected. Silence returned.

Matthew remained standing before the window.

Alone, thinking and remembering.

"If only you were alive." The words escaped quietly. Almost a whisper.

His gaze drifted toward the distant city lights.

"You’d be standing beside me, my friend."

For a brief moment, he could almost imagine it.

Edward Sterling standing there, laughing Then complaining about business, talking about their children, about the future. A future neither of them had imagined would end so abruptly.

Matthew sighed. Then reality returned.

A sharp knock interrupted the silence.

"Come in."

The office door opened. A tall man entered immediately, dressed in a black suit.

Henry, one of Matthew’s most trusted bodyguards.

The man approached and stopped a respectful distance away.

"Chairman."

Matthew turned. "What is it?"

Henry handed over a folder.

"Victor Reyes."

Matthew accepted it. Opening the file calmly. Inside were photographs, reports, and investigation summaries.

Everything they had gathered over the last few weeks.

Victor Reyes.

Age thirty-four. Award-winning journalist.

Persistent. Respected. Dangerous.

Matthew skimmed through the information. Then stopped. A particular page caught his attention.

Liliana Sterling.

Victor had officially connected the name to the mystery woman.

The timeline had accelerated faster than expected.

Henry remained silent while Matthew reviewed the documents.

Several moments passed before Matthew finally looked up.

"He found her."

"Yes, Chairman."

Matthew closed the folder. Not angry. Nor surprised. Simply thoughtful.

"How much does he know?"

"Not enough." Henry paused. "Yet."

Matthew nodded slowly. That matched his own assessment.

Victor was dangerously close. But not close enough. Not yet.

The problem wasn’t what Victor knew. The problem was what he might discover next.

"How do you want us to handle this?"

Henry’s voice remained professional. Calm and neutral.

Matthew returned the folder.

"For now?"

Henry waited.

Matthew walked back toward the window.

"Nothing."

The bodyguard frowned. "Chairman?"

Matthew stared at the city below. "Let’s see what else he finds.

"That carries risk."

"Everything carries risk."

The answer came immediately. Confident and certain.

Henry couldn’t argue with that. Instead, he asked another question.

"And Miss Liliana?"

The atmosphere changed instantly. Because when it came to Liliana, Matthew never hesitated.

His answer arrived without delay. "Make sure she’s protected."

Henry nodded. "Understood."

Matthew continued. "At all times."

"Yes, Chairman."

"Without her noticing."

Another nod.

That part wasn’t unusual..Liliana had been under discreet protection for years. Most of the time she never realized it. Which was exactly how Matthew preferred it.

She had already lost enough. The last thing she needed was to feel trapped.

Henry made a note. Then hesitated.

"There is one more thing."

Matthew turned. "What?"

"The journalist has been visiting Sterling Village frequently."

Matthew’s expression remained calm. "Has he approached her?"

"No."

"Good."

Because if Victor approached Liliana directly, everything would become much more complicated.

And Matthew wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

Meanwhile, another person remained completely unaware of the growing danger.

Chris St. Claire.

Who was currently suffering through rehearsal again.

The concert was only days away which meant chaos.

Everyone was panicking. The stage crew, the lighting team and the production managers were all in chaos.

Except Chris.

Mostly because he no longer possessed the energy required to panic.

His manager approached holding a schedule.

Chris immediately looked suspicious.."What now?"

The manager smiled.

"A television interview."

"No."

"A sponsor event."

"No."

"A promotional shoot."

"No."

The manager continued anyway.

Chris looked toward the ceiling. Perhaps disappearing was an option.

Unfortunately, his phone suddenly vibrated.

A message.

Liliana.

Immediately, his expression softened.

The manager noticed and groaned.

"Oh no."

Chris looked up. "What?"

"That face."

"What face?"

"The married face."

Chris stared.

The manager pointed accusingly. "You only smile like that when it’s her."

Chris immediately looked away.

The manager laughed. Because he was absolutely right.

Back inside St. Claire Tower, Matthew remained alone.

The office had grown darker while the city lights were brighter.

Henry had already left.

The reports were gone and the room was quiet.

Yet Matthew’s thoughts remained occupied.

Victor Reyes. Liliana and Chris.

The promise he made before the accident.

Everything was connected. Everything was fragile.

Slowly, he opened a drawer. Inside rested an old photograph around twenty years old. It was faded around the edges.

The picture showed two families standing together.

Edward, Vanessa and Lucia. Amanda and himself.

And two children. A little boy and a little girl.

Chris and Liliana. Standing side by side, smiling.

Matthew stared at the image for a long moment.

Then smiled sadly.

"You two have no idea how much trouble you’re causing."

Outside, the city continued moving.

And somewhere in a hotel room across town, Victor Reyes continued digging through old records.

Unaware that he was now being watched. Not knowing that the chairman of St. Claire Entertainment knew exactly who he was.

And completely unaware that he was about to uncover a secret capable of shaking the entire country.

A secret protected by a promise made twenty years ago.