My Husband Is An International Idol

Chapter 7: The Rumour Spreads

"OH MY GOD."

Emily was still repeating the same phrase ten minutes later. And Liliana was beginning to worry for her cousin’s health.

"Emily."

"Oh my god."

"Emily."

"He’s sitting right there!"

Chris raised his hand politely.

"Hello."

Emily looked like she might faint again.

She grabbed Liliana’s shoulders. Very hard.

"Liliana!"

"Ouch!"

"Why is Chris St. Claire in your house?!"

Liliana’s brain immediately entered survival mode.

Think. Think faster.

"He—"

Her mind went completely blank.

Chris calmly set down his coffee cup.

"We’re friends. I meant I’m friends with her husband."

The room fell silent.

Friends? That was the explanation?

Chris continued without hesitation.

"We met through her husband years ago. I’m here to deliver a message from him."

The lie came so smoothly that Liliana almost believed it herself.

Emily stared suspiciously. Then she looked at Chris. Then at Liliana.

Then back at Chris.

"Friends?"

"Yes."

Emily narrowed her eyes. Very suspiciously.

Liliana suddenly realized that her cousin looked exactly like a detective solving a murder case.

And that was terrifying.

Fortunately, Emily’s fangirl instincts won.

For now.

"Oh my god."

There she went again.

Chris quietly drank his coffee.

Liliana wanted to bury herself underground.

———————————————

Outside the house, the situation was becoming increasingly problematic.

A middle-aged villager named Mrs. Torres had witnessed the luxury SUV arriving earlier.

At first, she had ignored it. Then she recognized the man exiting the vehicle.

Now she was speaking to three other villagers.

"I’m telling you, it was him."

"Who?"

"Chris St. Claire."

The group laughed.

Mrs. Torres crossed her arms.

"I’m serious."

"Why would an international celebrity come to Sterling Village?"

"Exactly."

"That doesn’t make sense."

Mrs. Torres frowned. It didn’t make sense. Yet she was certain of what she had seen.

Meanwhile, rumors continued spreading. Slowly. Quietly.

Like a spark traveling through dry grass.

————————————————

Back inside the house, Emily had recovered enough to function.

Barely.

She sat across from Chris while gripping a cushion for emotional support.

"So..."

Chris looked up.

"So?"

Emily inhaled deeply. Then she asked the most important question in her life.

"Can I have a selfie?"

Liliana closed her eyes. Of course.

Chris smiled politely.

"Sure."

Emily immediately screamed.

A few moments later, dozens of photos had been taken.

Then more. Then even more.

Chris displayed the patience of a saint.

Liliana was honestly impressed. If she had been asked for fifty consecutive selfies, she would have escaped through a window.

Eventually, Emily exhausted herself.

The house finally became quiet. For approximately thirty seconds. Then her phone rang. Emily glanced at the screen.

Her expression changed.

"Oh."

Liliana immediately sensed danger.

"What?"

"It’s Nathan."

"Answer it."

Emily hesitated.

Then answered.

"Nathan?"

A loud voice immediately erupted from the speaker.

"WHY IS EVERYONE SAYING CHRIS ST. CLAIRE IS IN STERLING VILLAGE?"

The room froze.

Emily slowly lowered the phone. Chris raised an eyebrow. Liliana felt her soul leave her body.

The rumors had already spread. That was fast. Far too fast.

Nathan continued shouting.

"Emily?"

"Uh..."

"Emily."

"Yes?"

"Why is everyone talking about Chris St. Claire?"

Emily looked toward Chris. Then toward Liliana. Then back toward Chris.

The temptation was obvious. Very obvious.

Painfully obvious.

Liliana silently pleaded. Don’t tell him. Please don’t tell him.

Emily surprisingly resisted.

Mostly.

"Because..."

Nathan waited.

Emily swallowed. Then blurted:

"I CAN’T TALK RIGHT NOW!"

She immediately hung up.

Silence.

Several seconds passed. Then Chris laughed. A genuine laugh.

Rich and warm. The sound surprised everyone. Including himself.

Liliana stared. She loved hearing him laugh. Far more than she should.

The realization made her quickly look away.

————————————————-

Later that afternoon, after Emily left, Chris helped Liliana in the garden.

Or rather, he attempted to help.

"That’s a weed."

Chris paused. "I know."

"You just watered it."

Liliana sighed. Chris looked mildly offended.

Five minutes later.

"That’s not a rose."

"I know."

"You are trimming it."

Another sigh.

Ten minutes later.

"Chris."

"Yes?"

"Why are you digging a hole?"

He looked down. Then at the shovel.

"Good question."

Liliana burst into laughter. A real laugh.

Bright and unrestrained.

Chris froze. The sound wrapped around his heart unexpectedly. Warm. Comfortable. Beautiful.

For several moments, he simply watched her. The sunlight illuminated her brown hair. Her eyes sparkled behind her glasses. Her smile transformed her entire face.

Something tightened in his chest. A feeling he had experienced more frequently lately. Dangerously frequently.

Liliana finally noticed his gaze. Her laughter faded.

The air suddenly felt different. Quieter. Warmer.

Their eyes met. Neither looked away. The world seemed to disappear.

No fans. No cameras. No secrets.

Just the two of them.

A strange nervousness appeared. Chris took a small step closer. Liliana’s breath caught.

One step.

Then another.

The distance between them slowly disappeared. Her heart pounded louder than expected.

Then—

RING!

Both jumped apart. The spell shattered instantly.

Liliana grabbed her phone. Her face turned red.

Chris looked suspiciously interested in a nearby tomato plant.

The caller ID displayed: Grandmother Sterling.

Liliana answered immediately.

"Hello?"

Grandmother’s sharp voice emerged.

"Liliana."

"Y-Yes?"

"I heard a rumor."

Liliana froze.

Chris froze.

Danger.

Immediate danger.

"What rumor?"

"They are saying Chris St. Claire is visiting Sterling Village."

Liliana nearly choked. "That’s ridiculous."

"That’s what I thought."

Relief flooded her chest.

Then Grandmother continued. "So I informed everyone not to believe gossip."

Relief grew.

"Good."

"Therefore." The relief vanished. "Imagine my surprise when Nathan called and informed me that Emily mysteriously disappeared this morning and refuses to answer questions."

Liliana closed her eyes. Emily. That traitor. Absolute traitor.

Grandmother continued. "I will be visiting shortly."

Silence.

Pure silence.

Liliana’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"I’ll arrive in twenty minutes."

The call ended.

Chris slowly lowered his watering can.

Emily, who came back, had been secretly listening nearby, turned pale.

Twenty minutes.

That was all they had. Because Grandmother Sterling was coming.

And unlike Emily, the old woman was sharp. Observant. Intimidating.

If anyone could uncover their secret marriage, it would be her.

Outside the property, another vehicle slowly entered Sterling Village.

Inside sat a journalist. He lowered a camera. Then looked toward Liliana’s house.

Rumors. Luxury vehicles. Security personnel. Chris St. Claire.

Individually, none of it meant much. Together?

That was a story. A potentially career-changing story. A slow smile appeared on his face.

Meanwhile, inside the house, neither Liliana nor Chris realized that their greatest threat was no longer curious relatives.

The media had arrived.

And once reporters started asking questions, secrets became very difficult to keep.