My Husband Is An International Idol

Chapter 6: Welcome Home

Liliana barely slept. Not that she would ever admit it.

At ten o’clock, she checked the clock.

At eleven, she checked it again.

At midnight, she told herself to stop being ridiculous.

At one in the morning, she checked her phone twice.

By two o’clock, she finally accepted the truth.

She was nervous. Very nervous. Which made absolutely no sense.

Chris was her husband. They had been married for five years. She should not be acting like a girl preparing to meet her crush.

Yet every time she thought about seeing him again, her stomach filled with butterflies. It was annoying.

When dawn finally arrived, Liliana gave up on sleep completely.

She climbed out of bed and immediately began cleaning. It was a terrible idea. But cleaning always helped calm her nerves.

By seven o’clock, the living room sparkled.

By eight, the kitchen looked brand new.

By nine, she had reorganized the pantry twice.

By ten, there was literally nothing left to clean.

Liliana stood in the center of her spotless house.

"Now what?"

The silence offered no answer.

Her eyes drifted toward the clock.

10:07 AM.

Chris had said he would arrive around noon.

Then she checked again.

10:08 AM.

A groan escaped her lips.

This was going to be a very long morning.

Meanwhile, a black luxury SUV sped along the countryside roads leading toward Sterling Village.

Inside, Chris sat beside the window.

Unlike his usual public appearances, he wore a simple black shirt and jeans.

A baseball cap covered his dark hair. A face mask hid most of his features.

To outsiders, he looked like an ordinary traveler. Unfortunately, his manager knew better.

The older man glanced at him suspiciously.

"You seem happy."

Chris looked up.

"I am."

"That’s concerning."

Chris ignored him.

The manager sighed. "You know this visit is supposed to be private."

"It is private."

"Chris."

"Yes?"

"If reporters somehow discover you’re visiting the countryside, I am retiring."

Chris almost smiled. "Understood."

The manager pointed a finger. "I’m serious."

"I know."

The older man studied him for several seconds.

Then he suddenly asked:

"You’re visiting your wife, aren’t you?"

Chris remained silent.

The manager immediately understood.

At exactly 11:58 AM, a vehicle stopped in front of Liliana’s house.

Inside the kitchen, Liliana froze. Her heart skipped. Then accelerated and completely lost control.

’He’s here.’

For several seconds, she simply stood there. Listening.

The sound of a car door opening. Footsteps. The creak of the front gate.

Then...

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The familiar sound echoed through the house.

Liliana swallowed before she walked toward the front door.

Her pulse raced with every step.

Five years of marriage. Four months apart. And somehow she was still nervous.

The moment she opened the door, time seemed to slow.

Chris stood there.

Tall. Handsome. Real.

Not a photograph. Not a video. Not a television appearance. Him. In the flesh.

For a brief moment, neither moved. Neither spoke.

And neither looked away.

Then Chris smiled genuinely.

One reserved for almost no one.

"Hi."

The simple greeting shattered the tension.

Liliana smiled back.

"Welcome home."

Something warm flashed through his eyes.

For reasons neither fully understood, those two words affected him more than stadiums filled with cheering fans ever could.

Home. Not the mansion. Not the city. Not the luxury penthouse provided by the agency.

This place. This woman. This feeling.

Home.

Several minutes later, they sat across from each other in the dining room. An awkward silence settled between them.

Not uncomfortable. Just unfamiliar.

Because despite countless phone calls and messages, seeing each other in person felt much different.

Liliana placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

Chris accepted it. "Thank you."

She nodded.

Silence returned.

Chris took a sip as Liliana watched him.

Chris looked at her. And their eyes met. But both immediately looked away.

The silence somehow became worse. Much worse.

Finally, Chris spoke.

"You cut your hair."

Liliana touched the ends of her brown hair. "Oh."

"It looks nice."

Her cheeks warmed. "Thank you."

Chris took another sip.

A small smile appeared. "The flowers are bigger."

Liliana brightened instantly. "They are."

That topic she could discuss. Comfortably and safely. And without embarrassment.

For the next twenty minutes, she enthusiastically explained every new plant in her garden.

Chris listened patiently. Occasionally asking questions. Occasionally nodding. But mostly watching her.

The nervousness gradually disappeared. Everything felt normal again. Natural and easy.

Like it always had.

Until...

"LILIANA!"

A loud voice echoed from outside.

Liliana froze. Her soul nearly left her body.

No! No! No! Not now.

Anyone but her.

The front gate opened. Then footsteps approached rapidly.

"Emily." She whispered.

Chris immediately understood. "Your cousin?"

Liliana nodded desperately.

"Hide."

Chris blinked. "What?"

"Hide."

But the front door burst open.

"LILIANA, THE CAR OUTSIDE—"

Emily stopped.

The rest of her sentence died instantly. And complete silence filled the room.

Emily stared mouth wide open.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Nobody blinked.

Several seconds passed.

Then Emily slowly pointed at Chris.

Her mouth still opened. But no sound emerged.

Liliana considered fainting. It seemed like a reasonable response.

Finally, Emily found her voice.

"Chris?"

Liliana squeezed her eyes shut.

This was it. The end. Their secret was finished. Destroyed. Ruined. And gone forever.

But then, Emily burst into tears.

Everyone froze.

"What?" Emily pointed again.

Her entire body shook.

"CHRIS ST. CLAIRE IS IN YOUR HOUSE!"

Liliana blinked.

Emily looked moments away from cardiac arrest.

Chris looked surprisingly calm.

"Hello."

Emily made a strange choking noise. Then she collapsed onto the sofa. Still crying and shaking.

"Oh my god."

Liliana slowly sat beside her. "Emily."

"Oh my god."

"Emily."

"OH MY GOD."

Chris rubbed his forehead.

Liliana suddenly felt sorry for him.

This probably wasn’t the peaceful reunion either of them had imagined.

Unfortunately, things became worse. Much worse.

Because while Emily was having an emotional breakdown inside the house...

Outside the front gate, a passing villager had just noticed something unusual.

A luxury SUV. Security personnel. And a very familiar face entering Liliana’s home.