Kevin left the army base early as yesterday. He didn't head for the Leng's house and instead went straight to his apartment. Kevin bought some cute gadgets on his way home —— he was going to decorate his apartment to make it look more cozy.

  After he was done, Kevin leaned against the door, admiring his masterpiece, a comfortable apartment with a facelift. He smiled as he began to imagine life in this little space. Before meeting Leena, he never planned to live here forever. He had always viewed this apartment as a temporary residence.

  As Kevin was enjoying his daydreams, what was happening at the Leng's house was another story entirely. Leena had showed Duke the marriage certificate. He stared at it with open-mouthed incredulity. His hands, holding the luggage, began to tremble. Leena looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction. To her surprise, he burst out laughing. That was typical of his sister, doing anything she had to in order to get what she wanted. She would even use the most serious things, like marriage, to avoid leaving home.

  "Leena, a fake marriage certificate won't work. You hear me? This isn't going to get you out of studying in France." Duke had no idea why Leena hated to go there so much that she even forged document.

  "Duke, we agreed that you wouldn't ask me to go to France if I got married." Leena's eyes filled with tears. Her brother was so fixated on sending her back to France that she didn't get a chance to tell him Kevin was coming by for a visit. Leena started panicking as Duke began to take her luggage out. France was far away from home and she had no friends there. Going back there was the least thing Leena wanted to do. The marriage certificate was her last chance —— Duke wouldn't go back on his word, would he?

  "Yes, we agreed on that

  now —— he had to protect her.

  He got in the car and his foot stamped down on the accelerator as he recalled what Leena said in her text: Help! International Airport. He sounded the siren and hurtled onward to the airport.

  Maybe he should have gone to the Leng's house instead of decorating his apartment. If he had done what he was supposed to do, Leena wouldn't be on her way to the airport. Now he didn't have the faintest idea of what happened to Leena. Why was she going to the airport? Was it her brother? Because they were married? Where was she headed? Oh right: France. Did Duke force her to leave before she could tell him they had got married? Kevin didn't know anything and all he could do now was guessing.

  His Humvee was whizzing along the motorway with a loud siren. At the airport, Leena was restlessly waiting for Kevin. Boarding was in 15 minutes and he hadn't appeared yet. Did he get the text? Or were his hands full with work right now?

  Duke was surprised to see Leena stop crying. Didn't she just shout that she would rather be dead than in France? 'Okay, no matter the reason. It's good to see her stop crying.' Duke thought. 'Her tears might soften even my heart.'