My Husband Is An International Idol

Chapter 39: The Press Conference

The conference hall remained silent. Or at least, as silent as a room filled with reporters could be.

Meanwhile, the livestream had already surpassed several million viewers. The comment section moved so fast it looked like a waterfall. Everyone wanted answers.

And Matthew St. Claire was finally ready to provide them.

The chairman stood.

"Allow me to properly introduce our newest talents."

Immediately, cameras focused on the newcomers.

Nathan looked uncomfortable while Nicolo looked proud.

Nicole looked nervous. Rose looked calm.

And Liliana looked like she wanted to disappear.

Matthew pointed toward Nathan. "Nathan Richards. Twenty-one years old."

The large screen behind them displayed his profile.

"He will begin training as an additional member of Pulse."

The room became chaotic. The livestream exploded again.

Comments immediately flooded every platform.

CHAOS IS REAL.

THE GAMER?!

PULSE IS GETTING A NEW MEMBER?!

THIS IS INSANE.

Nathan looked as though he regretted his decision that brought him here.

Matthew continued.

"Nicolo Ashford. Twenty years old."

Nicolo smiled confidently. Well, a little too confidently.

"He joins St. Claire Entertainment as a model trainee."

The cameras flashed endlessly. Several reporters whispered among themselves. Then realization spread through the room.

Wait.

Ashford?

Matthew smiled. "Nicole Ashford. Twenty years old."

The room collectively blinked while looking back and forth between the two. Then blinked again.

The internet realized it at exactly the same moment.

THEY’RE TWINS?!

NO WONDER THEY LOOK ALIKE.

THEY’RE BOTH ATTRACTIVE.

THAT FAMILY HAS INCREDIBLE GENETICS.

Nicole looked embarrassed but Nicolo looked proud of their genetics.

Matthew continued.

"Nicole Ashford will join the trainee lineup for our upcoming six-member girl group, Rhythm."

The comments multiplied instantly.

RHYTHM?!

NEW GIRL GROUP?!

ST. CLAIRE IS FINALLY DEBUTING IDOL GIRLS?!

The entertainment news outlets immediately started writing articles.

Meanwhile, Nicole looked overwhelmed.

"Rose Parker."

The cameras immediately focused on her.

"Recently turned twenty years old."

Rose smiled politely.

"She will also join Rhythm."

The internet approved immediately. Most of them were already creating fan pages. Some were creating edits. Others were choosing bias positions despite the group not existing yet.

Finally, Matthew looked toward Liliana.

"Liliana Walker."

The room somehow became quieter.

"Twenty-four years old."

Even the reporters seemed more attentive.

"She will join St. Claire Entertainment as a model trainee."

The cameras flashed endlessly.

And somewhere online, thousands of people simultaneously searched:

WHO IS LILIANA WALKER?

The formal introductions ended.

The real battle began — question and answer.

Robin immediately looked exhausted.

The first reporter stood.

"Chairman Matthew, can you explain the photographs from the villa?"

The room became attentive.

Matthew nodded calmly. "Of course."

His voice remained professional.

"The company granted Pulse and our new talents permission to spend a two-day vacation together."

He smiled slightly.

"Pulse had spent months preparing for the concert. They deserved a short break."

The answer was reasonable. Professional. Safe.

The internet mostly accepted it.

The comment section still exploded.

THEY GOT A COMPANY VACATION?!

THEY DESERVE IT.

I WANT TO WORK THERE.

ST. CLAIRE IS HIRING?

SOMEONE SEND MY RESUME.

The next question came immediately.

"Why do they seem so close already?"

The reporter pointed toward the newcomers.

Matthew gestured toward Leo.

The leader adjusted his microphone. "As everyone knows, they’re now part of the same company."

His smile remained calm.

"We’ve spent time together recently and became friends."

A simple and safe answer.

"We support our juniors."

The comment section immediately responded.

LEO IS SUCH A GOOD LEADER.

ADOPT ME TOO.

HE SOUNDS LIKE A PROUD DAD.

Then came the question everyone expected.

The reporter stood then looked directly at Nicole.

And asked, "Miss Ashford, there are many rumors about you and River. Would you like to comment?"

Nicole immediately froze while River looked amused.

Robin looked concerned and suddenly felt nervous. Beside him, was Mary, who was confidently smiling.

Everyone waited.

Nicole took a deep breath. Then answered honestly to everyone’s surprise.

"I’ve been a fan of Pulse for years."

The room smiled.

"I especially liked River."

The livestream exploded.

RIVER WON.

SHE SAID IT OUT LOUD.

SHE’S BRAVER THAN ALL OF US.

Nicole’s face turned red. But she continued.

"When I met him, I realized he’s actually a nice person."

River smiled. A genuine smile.

The internet nearly died.

The reporter continued. "Do you like him?"

Nicole looked toward River. Then nodded. A very small nod but enough to make the conference hall erupted and the livestream became unreadable.

Even Matthew looked surprised.

Meanwhile, Chris quietly admired her courage. Because unlike him, she had no problem being honest.

Then another reporter stood. "You are studying architecture, correct?"

Nicole nodded.

"Yes. I’m currently in my final year."

The internet immediately loved her more.

BEAUTIFUL AND SMART.

UNFAIR.

LIFE IS UNFAIR.

Then the reporter turned toward River.

The room suddenly became excited.

"Do you feel the same way?"

Everyone watched him. River didn’t hesitate. Not even for a second.

"Yes."

The room froze.

"So much for media training," Robin muttered.

River ignored him.

"I like Nicole a lot."

Silence. Then absolute chaos.

The livestream practically caught fire.

THEY’RE ADORABLE.

SOMEONE PROTECT THEM.

I SHIP IT.

MARRY THEM.

NOT YET.

BUT EVENTUALLY.

Nicole looked ready to hide beneath the table but River looked pleased with himself.

The next victims were Aaron and Rose. The questions were similar.

Aaron remained calm, professional and predictable.

"What do you think of Rose?"

Aaron glanced toward her. "I enjoy talking with her."

The internet immediately analyzed those five words for hours. Possibly days.

Then Rose was asked. "What about Aaron?"

She smiled. "I enjoy talking with him too."

The comment section instantly declared them in a secret relationship.

Then came the final pair everyone had been waiting for.

Chris and Liliana.

The atmosphere changed immediately. Even the reporters seemed more interested. Because unlike the others, their chemistry was obvious.

The photographs, the looks and the smiles. Everything about them seemed different.

One reporter finally asked the question.

"Many people believe you two have exceptional chemistry. What do you think?"

Liliana immediately looked embarrassed. Chris looked suspiciously happy.

Everyone noticed.

Then another reporter stood. "Miss Walker, are you currently in a relationship?"

The room became quiet.

Liliana answered honestly. "There is someone special."

The comment section exploded.

WHO IS IT?!

WHO WON?!

SOMEONE TELL US.

Chris quietly looked away for his own safety.

Then the microphone moved toward him.

The reporter smiled. "Mr. St. Claire."

Chris already knew where this was going.

"Are you interested in Liliana Walker?"

The room fell silent. Every camera pointed toward him. Every livestream viewer waited..And Robin silently prayed.

Chris answered. "Yes."

The room screamed. The internet exploded. The reporters became chaotic. Robin nearly had a heart attack.

HE SAID YES.

CHRIS SAID YES.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

SOMEBODY CHECK ON THE FANDOM.

Even Liliana looked surprised. Not because he liked her. But because he admitted it publicly.

Then another reporter laughed.

"But she already has someone special."

The room laughed lightly. The reporter wasn’t wrong.

Chris smiled. A confident smile.

Then answered. "I guess I’ll just have to do better than her special someone."

The conference hall erupted.

The internet completely lost its sanity.

HE’S COMPETING WITH A MAN WHO DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HE’S IN A COMPETITION.

CHRIS IS DOWN BAD.

HE’S DECLARING WAR.

SOMEONE STOP HIM.

Meanwhile, Liliana stared at her husband. Because she was fairly certain he was competing against himself.

And somehow, he intended to win.

The press conference continued. But by then, the internet had already made its decision.

Nathan became the future member of Pulse.

Nicole and River became the nation’s favorite pair.

Aaron and Rose became the quiet romance everyone supported.

And Chris St. Claire?

He became the first idol in history to publicly challenge his own identity for the affection of his own wife.

Thankfully, nobody knew that part.

Yet.