My Husband Is An International Idol

Chapter 4: The Husband Question

Unfortunately for Liliana, the excitement over Pulse’s upcoming return lasted only ten minutes.

Then the interrogation resumed.

"Liliana."

She froze.

Grandmother Sterling had spoken. Every member of the family immediately straightened. Even Emily stopped talking.

The seventy-five-year-old matriarch sat at the head of the long dining table, her sharp eyes sweeping across the room like a military commander inspecting troops.

Liliana suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Come sit beside me."

And the bad feeling grew worse.

Slowly, Liliana walked toward the empty chair next to her grandmother. The moment she sat down, dozens of curious eyes turned toward her.

She wanted to disappear immediately.

Grandmother Sterling folded her hands.

"How is your husband?"

There it was. The dreaded question.

Liliana forced a smile. "He’s doing well."

"When is he coming home?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

Liliana hesitated. Technically, Chris would return next month. But she wasn’t sure if she should reveal that.

"Next month."

The room fell silent. Several relatives exchanged looks.

Emily immediately leaned forward. "Really?"

"Yes."

"You’re not making that up?"

Liliana stared at her. "Why would I make that up?"

Emily opened her mouth. Then nodded. "Fair point."

Nathan nearly laughed.

Across the table, Uncle Robert frowned. "If he’s returning next month, then bring him here."

Liliana blinked. "What?"

"To the next family gathering."

Several relatives immediately agreed.

"That’s right."

"We’ve never met him."

"Five years is a long time."

"We should meet the man who married our Lily."

Liliana suddenly felt a headache forming. How exactly was she supposed to bring Chris here?

The moment he stepped through the front gate, the entire country would probably explode. Her relatives would either faint or start screaming. Possibly both.

Grandmother Sterling nodded thoughtfully.

"Your uncle is right."

Liliana’s heart sank. Oh no. Not Grandmother too.

"If your husband is returning next month, then he should visit."

The old woman’s expression softened slightly. "Marriage is important, child."

A pang touched Liliana’s chest. Because unlike the others, her grandmother wasn’t being nosy. She was worried.

Her grandmother knew the St. Claire’s because their families were friends for a long time. But the fact that she was married to Chris was a secret to everyone, even to the old woman.

So for years, most of the family had assumed Liliana’s husband wasn’t serious about the marriage because he was never around.

Only Liliana knew the truth. Chris called whenever he could. He remembered small details she forgot herself. He sent gifts. Checked on her. And made time for her despite schedules that barely allowed him time to sleep.

Their marriage wasn’t perfect. But it was real. Very real. And strangely precious. At least for her.

"I’ll ask him," Liliana promised.

The answer seemed to satisfy her grandmother. For now.

Lunch continued.

Conversations shifted from family matters to work, finances, and village gossip.

Liliana finally relaxed.

Until...

"LILIANA!" Emily suddenly screamed.

Liliana nearly dropped her fork. "What now?"

Emily shoved her phone across the table. "Look!"

Several cousins immediately gathered around while Liliana glanced at the screen. Then froze. Her soul left her body.

It was a news article.

The headline read:

CHRIS ST. CLAIRE SPOTTED SMILING AT PHONE BACKSTAGE IN PARIS.

Liliana stared.

"That’s news?"

"Of course it’s news!" Emily exclaimed.

"Why?"

"Because Chris never smiles!"

Liliana blinked. Never? That couldn’t be right. He smiled during their phone calls. He smiled when she accidentally burned pancakes. He smiled when she got into an online argument about tomato fertilizer.

Actually, now that she thought about it, most of his smiles happened around her.

A strange warmth crept into her chest.

Before she could think about it further, Emily continued.

"The internet is going crazy."

Nathan looked over Emily’s shoulder. "What are they saying?"

Emily began reading comments aloud.

"’Chris is definitely in love.’"

"’Someone check his phone immediately.’"

"’That is the smile of a man texting his girlfriend.’"

"’I refuse to believe Chris St. Claire has emotions.’"

The table erupted with laughter. Even Grandmother Sterling chuckled.

Meanwhile, Liliana wanted to hide under the table. Because for once, the internet was absolutely correct.

Chris had been texting his wife. Her. The woman currently pretending to be completely uninterested.

Emily narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why do you look guilty?"

Liliana nearly inhaled a piece of rice. "I don’t!"

"You do."

"I really don’t."

"You absolutely do."

Nathan intervened before Emily could launch another investigation. "Leave her alone."

Emily huffed. "Fine."

But her suspicious gaze never left Liliana. Not once.

Several hours later, the gathering finally ended. By the time Liliana returned home, she was exhausted. Social exhaustion. The worst kind.

She collapsed onto the sofa.

Immediately, her phone vibrated.

A message appeared.

Chris: How was the family gathering?

Liliana stared.

Liliana: Exhausting.

Chris: That bad?

Liliana: They spent half the day asking about you.

Several seconds passed.

Chris: Should I apologize?

A smile tugged at her lips.

Liliana: Unless you can magically appear and answer their questions yourself.

The typing bubble appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.

Then:

Chris: I could visit.

Liliana sat upright. Her heart skipped.

Visit?

Chris: Would that make things easier?

For several moments, she simply stared at the screen.

A visit. A simple suggestion. Yet her pulse suddenly quickened. Because Chris rarely suggested things like that.

They had spent years carefully protecting their privacy. Avoiding attention. Avoiding suspicion. And avoiding scandals.

If he visit Sterling Village, everything would change.

Liliana: Are you serious?

Chris: Yes.

Her heart beat a little faster.

Chris: If meeting your family matters to you, I’ll do it.

The warmth that spread through her chest caught her completely off guard.

It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t overwhelming.

Just soft and gentle. Like sunlight filtering through a window.

Five years of marriage. And somehow, this man still surprised her.

Before she could respond, another message arrived.

Chris: Besides.

Chris: I’d like to see you.

Liliana froze. The words were simple. And completely ordinary. Yet her cheeks immediately turned pink.

Chris: It’s been four months.

Four months. Longer than usual. Much longer.

For the first time, Liliana realized just how much she missed him. Not the idol. Not the celebrity. Not the man on television.

Just Chris.

The man who forgot what day it was. The man who bought every color because he couldn’t decide which handbag she liked. The man who somehow remembered everything about her.

A small smile appeared. Then another. And another. Liliana quickly covered her face. This was dangerous.

Because for years she had convinced herself that what they shared was comfort.

Affection. Friendship. A peaceful marriage built on trust.

That she married Chris because of an obligation for her late parents. And that Chris married her because of his responsibility as the next heir. Nothing more.

Yet recently, that explanation was becoming harder to believe. Especially when her heart reacted this way to a simple text message.

Thousands of miles away, Chris stared at his phone while sitting inside a hotel suite.

His manager was discussing schedules, while the members of Pulse were arguing over dinner.

But Chris’s attention remained fixed on one conversation.

One person.

One name.

Liliana.

The corner of his lips lifted slightly. A familiar warmth settled in his chest. The kind he never felt anywhere else.

Not on stage. Not in front of thousands of fans. Not beneath flashing cameras. Only with her.

Neither of them realized it yet.

But the distance separating them was no longer their greatest problem.

Because next month, Chris St. Claire would finally return home.

And when the world’s most famous idol appeared in Sterling Village to meet his wife’s family, keeping their marriage secret would become almost impossible.