My Husband Is An International Idol

By evening, the fire at St. Claire Entertainment had become national news.

Every television network covered the incident. News websites updated their headlines by the minute. Social media exploded once again.

At first, people only talked about the fire. Then someone uploaded a photograph.

A photo of Chris St. Claire carrying an unconscious Liliana Sterling out of the building.

His white shirt was stained with soot. His usually composed expression had completely disappeared. His face showed nothing but panic, fear and desperation.

The image spread across the internet within minutes. And entertainment pages immediately replaced their previous headlines.

CHRIS ST. CLAIRE CARRIES LILIANA STERLING OUT OF ST. CLAIRE ENTERTAINMENT AFTER FIRE INCIDENT.

Another followed.

THE INTERNATIONAL IDOL BREAKS DOWN AFTER MODEL COLLAPSES DURING EVACUATION.

Then another.

FIRE AT ST. CLAIRE ENTERTAINMENT SUSPECTED TO BE INTENTIONAL.

The comments flooded every platform.

"I’ve never seen Chris look that terrified."

"That’s not the expression of a man protecting a friend."

"He looked like he lost everything."

"Please let Liliana be okay."

Everyone was worried.

Inside St. Claire Entertainment, however, the atmosphere was far heavier than anything the public could imagine.

The executive conference room had fallen into an oppressive silence as Matthew St. Claire stood at the head of the table, surrounded by Victor Reyes, Sarah Clifford, Robin, the heads of Human Resources, the legal department, the security division, and every senior executive in the company.

No one dared speak while Sarah replayed the security footage on the large screen. Every second of the recording felt suffocating.

The fake maintenance worker entered the storage room carrying his toolbox. Carl De Vera appeared moments later, calm and composed, showing no sign of surprise before the fire alarm sounded.

Then came the evacuation, the confusion, and finally Liliana collapsing near the emergency exit.

When the footage ended, silence lingered throughout the room.

Matthew slowly clasped his hands behind his back before speaking.

"Effective immediately..."

His voice was calm, but everyone could hear the anger simmering beneath it.

"I want every employee investigated."

The Human Resources director nodded immediately.

"We’ve already started, Chairman."

Matthew looked directly at him.

"Not enough."

His voice became firmer, each word carrying unmistakable authority.

"I don’t care if they’ve worked here for twenty years. I don’t care if they’re executives, department heads, or members of my own family."

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across everyone in the room.

"Everyone."

No one questioned the order.

Robin quietly opened his notebook.

"We’ll conduct another complete background investigation. Employment history, educational records, financial transactions, professional references..." He looked up from his notes. "Everything."

Sarah nodded in agreement.

"This time we won’t rely on submitted documents alone. Every record will be independently verified."

Victor folded his arms across his chest.

"No more assumptions."

Matthew slowly turned away from the conference table and looked at the illuminated St. Claire Entertainment logo mounted on the wall. Someone had infiltrated his company, fabricated an identity, manipulated official records, and endangered the people under his protection without being detected.

He had failed.

Again.

For a long moment, he stood before the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city. The sea of lights beyond the glass stirred memories he had not allowed himself to revisit in years.

Twenty years earlier, St. Claire Entertainment had been a struggling company on the verge of collapse. Investors questioned whether it deserved their trust, reporters criticized every decision he made, and competitors waited eagerly for him to fail.

During those difficult days, there had always been one person standing beside him.

Edward Sterling.

Matthew could almost hear his old friend’s reassuring voice.

"Ignore the noise."

"Build something people can’t ignore."

Edward had believed in him when almost no one else did.

A faint, bittersweet smile touched Matthew’s lips before quickly disappearing.

"You always knew what to say..."

Amanda quietly stepped beside him and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You miss him."

Matthew gave a slow nod, never taking his eyes off the city skyline.

"Today..."

His voice became almost inaudible.

"...I needed my best friend."

No one spoke after that.

Edward Sterling had been gone for twenty years, yet in that moment, surrounded by people who depended on him, Matthew had never felt more alone.

Meanwhile, St. Gabriel Medical Center had become unusually crowded. The once-quiet waiting area was now filled with familiar faces from the St. Claire and Sterling families, along with every member of Pulse.

No one complained about the long hours. No one spoke louder than necessary. Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the hospital room where Liliana lay unconscious.

Chris refused to leave her side even once.

Amanda quietly prayed with trembling hands clasped together while the Sterling cousins sat together in anxious silence.

Matthew arrived shortly afterward, and although exhaustion weighed heavily on everyone’s faces, not a single person suggested going home.

They would wait.

No matter how long it took.

Several hours later, the silence inside the hospital room was broken by the faint rustling of bedsheets.

Chris immediately looked up.

"Lily?"

Liliana’s eyelashes fluttered before she slowly opened her eyes. Everything around her appeared blurred—the white ceiling, the bright hospital lights, and unfamiliar medical equipment. Her vision gradually cleared until it settled on the person sitting beside her bed.

Chris.

He was the first face she recognized.

The first person she searched for.

"...Chris?"

The moment he heard her voice, the fear that had gripped his heart for hours began to ease.

"I’m here."

Liliana slowly lifted her hand toward him. Her fingers trembled from weakness, but Chris immediately took her hand into both of his as though afraid she might disappear again.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"...Are you okay?"

Chris froze.

She had collapsed and had been the one lying unconscious for hours.

Yet the first thing she worried about was him.

His throat tightened with emotion as he gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.

"I should be asking you that."

Liliana gave him a faint, exhausted smile.

"I’m fine."

Chris slowly shook his head, unable to hide the fear still lingering in his eyes.

"No."

His voice cracked ever so slightly.

"You scared me."

Only then did Liliana truly look at him.

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