Leena's next question was a surprise. "Mom, can I ask you something? How do you like foreigners?" Claire would be marrying a foreigner, so Leena wanted to find out her mom's attitude about the matter.

  "Oh? And why the sudden interest in foreigners?" Shannon retorted. She was puzzled by the question.

  "Oh, nothing. I was just curious," Leena quickly replied. However, she refused to say why she asked the question.

  "Well, I do have my thoughts about them. In my opinion, they have their advantages. Foreigners are independent, but they also have weaknesses. Sometimes, I feel that they are not very serious when it comes to relationships. If I were dating a foreigner, I don't think I'd feel safe. Of course, that's just my personal view. Maybe, I've based my opinions on those television dramas. But, I'm not quite sure as to how genuine they are in reality." She didn't know many foreigners, so Shannon's views about them were also limited.

  Slightly disappointed by the response, Leena said, "I understand." But Shannon's words did little to comfort her. All she could think about was Claire. 'Poor Claire. She doesn't know that she'll be facing a big problem. It seems that Mom doesn't like foreigners that much, ' Leena thought.

  "Is there something you're not telling me? Why ask such a weird question?" Shannon probed. Pondering over the strange question, Shannon didn't believe Leena asked her for no reason. Her instinct told her Leena was hiding something from her.

  "Honestly, Mom, it's just chitchat. There's nothing to tell," the new mother replied. She knew it was a weak excuse and that her reply was insincere. But Leena felt she needed to speak to Claire soon to warn her about this possible obstacle.

  Stormy weather worsened conditions in the remote place where Kevin and his team were assigned. That was why communication signals were weak. Aside from this, he and his men had little access to clean water and adequate food rations.

  He had been asked to join an international assignment to hunt and arrest a criminal group. The mission was dangerous because they were up against elite fighters, who were well-trained in detection and anti-detection operations. It was not an easy task to take all of them down at one time.

  Kevin and his team were able to trace the gang. But they wasted a lot of time doing so beca

  Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.

  To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.

  "As long as I'm alive, I'm still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."

  She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.

  Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.

  e real for him when he felt the baby's warm breath brush his hand. It was not a dream. This was reality.

  Richard seemed to appreciate his father's touch. He became more excited and pedaled in the air with pudgy legs to welcome Kevin. The baby, already two weeks old, didn't understand what was happening but felt a connection.

  "Hey there! Daddy's here. Come here, boy," Kevin crooned softly. Carefully, he reached out, trying to hold the baby in his arms clumsily. It frightened, yet at the same time, excited him. The baby was so small and delicate. Kevin was afraid he might hurt him.

  Suddenly, he heard Leena. "Kevin? Is that you?" She had been roused by the baby's giggling. Leena, still groggy from sleep, saw a man standing beside the crib and called out to confirm it was Kevin.

  He turned around and looked straight into her eyes. He walked toward her, closing the gap between them. Leena rushed into his tight embrace. Silence and human contact spoke volumes more than words could.

  "I'm sorry, darling, for making you suffer so much," Kevin whispered. "Thank you so much," he said, while raining kisses on Leena's face and neck. He couldn't believe he was finally home and his wife was in his arms.

  "Hey, stop that! You're tickling me," she said breathlessly. "The beard," Leena said, while pushing at his face slightly. She shrank back because she found his beard too itchy.

  "Is it now?" Kevin teased her. "How about this?" he murmured as he continued to kiss her neck. Leena struggled. "No, Kevin. Stop it. Richard is staring at us."