Lana got up and took one of Miles’s hands in her own. He wheeled his chair toward the sofa so she could sit down. “Miles…” she said, stroking his hand. “Von Karma only cares about his record—you said so yourself. For him, it doesn’t matter if the defendant is innocent is guilty—all that matters to him is perfection. You’re not like that. Yes, your record was a symbol of pride for you, but you care about justice.”

“What does my reason have to do with this? I still did what I did. I prosecuted mercilessly, never once questioning the investigation.”

“You would never knowingly prosecute an innocent person. It’s not in you.”

“Again, it means nothing. Whether I knew about it or not, the fact remains that I tried to prove at least two innocent people guilty.”

“It happens,” Lana said, keeping sympathy in her voice.

“It happens!?” Miles repeated, taking his hand away and looking out the window again. “That doesn’t excuse my actions! People may have died because of me—innocent people!”

“Miles, look at me.” Miles turned his head to face Lana. He was almost glaring. “You’re not perfect. No one is. You’ve said yourself that there is never any way to know for sure that the defendant is guilty or innocent. All you can do is hope the investigators arrested the right person.”

“Again, that’s no—”

“You’re right, it’s no excuse for proving innocent people guilty. But look at it the other way around. Few people who are put on trial actually are innocent. For the few who are, we have the trial system so that our mistakes can be caught. Even then, the system’s not perfect. Sometimes, innocent people are convicted. Sometimes, criminals are acquitted. At the least, you should be proud that no criminal has gone free on your watch.”

Miles’s face looked somewhat calmer, but it was obvious that he was still struggling. Lana took his hand again, this time with both of her hands. She looked him directly in the eyes. His eyes avoided hers.

“I can tell this is hard for you. But I think I also understand why. You thought you were always right. You always focused only on the task before you. As long as you had no doubt, you would feel secure. It was only when you lost to Wright—”

Miles jerked a little at the mention of Wright. Lana held his hand a little tighter and waited for him to settle down. She looked back into his eyes.

“It was only then that you saw that the investigations weren’t perfect. As a result, you saw that you were not perfect, and so you began to doubt yourself. Thus, your current state of mind.”

“And what do I do about it!?” he begged. His eyes were still evasive.

“Accept it.”

“Accept it!?”

“Doubt’s not something you can get rid of, but you can limit its effect on you. It’s going to keep torturing you like this until you accept its presence.”

“You mean I have to live with this weakness?” he muttered, almost inaudible, facing away again.

“Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re weak. Even strong people doubt themselves. Sometimes even the right choice is one you’ll regret. Accept the few weaknesses you have and return to your more plentiful strengths.”

Miles didn’t respond. He sighed through his nose, still avoiding Lana’s gaze.

“You’re stronger than you’re letting yourself think. The only weak thing you can do in this situation is let yourself be tortured like this.” It then occurred to her that Miles probably also felt weak because he had to be comforted. “Am I helping at all?” she asked.

“You are…” Miles managed to say, turning to face her, but still not looking her in the eyes. “I’m just bothered that I need your help…”

“I told you. No one’s perfect. Even people like you need help from time to time.”

Miles didn’t have a response for that.

“Well, you certainly can’t get married alone,” Lana said. “Besides, isn’t that part of marriage? Depending on one another?” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “You didn’t think I’d just let you work alone once we got married, did you?”

Miles finally looked Lana in the eyes. Whether it was because he saw the smile or because he really was willing to look at her was beyond her.

“I’m sorry I made you worry,” he said, closing his eyes. He opened them after a few seconds, looking directly into her eyes. “Thank you for talking to me.” His voice sounded much calmer now. “I needed your help.” Lana felt her smile change. She was no longer smiling to cheer Miles up. She smiled because she felt like smiling.

“This is it,” a voice said. Miles turned to face the source: Lana. She had a look of concern on her face. The guards were not in the Prosecution Lobby and no one else was there but her and Miles. Lana seated herself on the sofa next Miles.

“Indeed it is,” Miles replied. “Gumshoe told me what Vasquez tried to do. It’s possible that her actions are unrelated to Hammer’s death, but that is for the court to decide.”

“You seem very calm for someone who’s questioning his role in the case.”

“There’s nothing I can do to change the facts. If Powers is innocent…”

“There’s only one truth, Miles. I think you’re beginning to see that.”

“I will not allow Powers to be acquitted as long as any possibility of his involvement in the murder exists.”

Lana sighed.

“If that possibility disappears, though…” Miles continued, “…I’ll do what I must. As a prosecutor, I will make sure the guilty are convicted. If Vasquez is the guilty party, I will make sure she is convicted.”

“I told you yesterday: I believe you’ll make the right choice when the time comes.”

Lana was smiling. That alone spoke louder than her voice. She believed in him.

“You’re so beautiful when you smile…”

Lana said nothing, but the smile faded after a moment.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “You’re not worried about your family honor?”

“What is honor?” Miles replied. “I see nothing honorable in convicting innocent people. All I see is shame.”

Lana placed her hand on his. “I’m very proud of you. I look forward to seeing how this trial plays out.”

Miles brought that hand to his lips and kissed it. “I have you to thank for that,” he said. “I know I can trust in your words.”

Lana knocked on the door.

“I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone,” Miles said from behind it.

“Not even to me?” Lana asked. She had decided beforehand that if she was going to talk to him, she would have to be herself, not Ms. Skye. As such, concern poured from her lips.

“Not even you.”

Lana sighed. “Is this how you’re going to be when we’re married, too? We’ve been through this before. You’re not invincible.”

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not, Miles. You sound as if you’re going to cry.”

“Everything’s okay now. I’m free.”

“Miles, your voice is breaking.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“You saw me during the trial, didn’t you? I was so worried…”

“I saw you.”

“I even cried a few times. Even though I did all I could to contain my emotions, they broke out a few times.”

“I saw signs of it.”

Lana waited for Miles to say more. All she heard was his music, though.

“Don’t you trust me?” she pleaded.

No response.

Lana sighed again. “Miles, if you can’t even trust someone who agreed to marry you, who can you trust? Do you really want to keep all your thoughts to yourself?” She closed her eyes. “You can trust me, Miles. I may not be worthy of your trust as a co-worker, but what about as your fiancée? Yes, I broke it off, but I still think of you as the gentleman I’m going to marry. …I believe in you, Miles. I know you’re a wonderful person on the inside, so please show that side of yourself to me.”

No response.

“…I see. You still think you need to handle everything alone. Do you really want that? There’s no shame in needing help. I’m here for you.” She sighed again. “And, frankly, I need proof that you’re fine. I’m not going to stop worrying until I’m sure. Closing yourself off from me like this just makes me more convinced that you need help.”

Is this how Ema feels? Whenever she needs me, I close myself off. She must be worried about me…

Miles’s music stopped. Lana heard the sound of footsteps on the other side of the door. The instant Miles opened the door Lana threw herself into his arms.

“You need to stop being this way,” Lana said, still holding onto Miles. “I’m not marrying Miles von Karma.”

Lana felt Miles’s arms tighten around her. She felt something touch her ear. Tears. Miles’s tears. She could feel his broken breathing. He was crying.

“Please, let it out,” Lana continued. “The only weak thing to do here is keep it all pent up inside. I’m here for you.”

Lana closed her eyes and held onto Miles. He needed someone to trust, someone he could turn to when he couldn’t handle everything on his own. Lana recalled that the door to the office was still open. She tried to move to close it, but Miles wouldn’t let go. With a small sigh through her nose, she decided to ignore it. She tightened her embrace.

“Whenever you need someone, I’ll be there for you,” Lana said, closing her eyes again.

Miles walked out of the lobby and to the medical office. Knowing Lana, she would probably be at Ema’s side. The truth was going to come out soon; he knew it. However, he wanted to hear the words from Lana’s lips. He pushed the door open and saw Lana sitting in a chair next to Ema, who was still unconscious and lying on her back on a bed (if it could be called that). Lana looked over, saw who had come, and instantly turned her head back to face Ema.

“Now is not the time to distance yourself from me,” Miles said, taking a chair and sitting down across from Lana. He would have sat next to her and held her hand, but he was worried that she might be angry with him and hurt him.

“Why are you here?” Lana asked bitterly, not bothering to face her former fiancée.

“Because I want—no, I need—to hear the truth from you.”

“I’ve already—”

“Stop right there. You have nothing to gain anymore from lying. Whether you hinder us or help us, Wright and I will both fight to find the truth, even if we have to strike you down to do so.”

Lana turned to face Miles and glared at him. “You’ve turned my sister into a killer. I have nothing to tell you.”

“Fine. Then I’ll tell you the truth. It’s Gant. He’s the one who’s been tormenting you these past two years, and I am going to call him to the stand and drag the truth out of him. He knew about what you did to the crime scene and held it over your head to control you.”

“And where’s your proof it’s Gant?”

“In Wright’s coat pocket.”

“Excuse me?”

“Gumshoe handed him a book in the Defendant Lobby. I believe it was titled Evidence Law?”

“Ah…” She started biting her thumb.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen between us after this trial is over, but there’s one thing that book made clear to me: you’re innocent, and you lied to protect Ema. I don’t know everything, but I know that. And… You intend to defeat him. That book has a purpose, or else you would not have given it to Wright.” Miles tried to look Lana in the eye, but she turned away.

“All the times you’ve been there to comfort me,” Miles said, “you looked me right in the eye and did everything you could to make me listen. Now it’s my turn. You’re not fighting Gant alone. I’m angry with you for lying to me, but I can still tell that I love you, too. Now, Lana… please… Tell me the truth. You didn’t kill Goodman, did you?”

Lana didn’t respond. Miles got up from his chair and kneeled down on the floor in front of her.

“Do you really want it to end this way?” he asked her. In a swift motion, he reached over and took Lana’s left hand in his right hand. “Lana… You can trust me.” She attempted to free her hand, but Miles refused, simply tightening his grip. “You can keep pretending to serve Gant in court and feigning guilt; I won’t question it in there. But here, I only care about seeing proof that I still have some reason to trust you. I said it before, and I will say it again: I love you. And now we can finally fight to set you free, side by side.”

Miles felt Lana’s hand stop trying to free itself. “Even if you set me free, Ema—”

“Ema will be fine. Considering the circumstances, even Manfred von Karma would not be able to prove her guilty of anything more than justified self-defense. If I have to, I will personally hire the best defense attorney for her that I can find. After all she’s done to help us find the truth, I owe it to her—and you. You have my word that she will not be seen as a criminal.”

Lana said nothing. He could see the anger had left her eyes, though.

“Please tell me: what really happened? What you say here is not admissible as testimony.”

“You’re right,” Lana finally said. “Gant… he’s the blackmailer you’re looking for. I didn’t kill Goodman. Gant just told me to dispose of the body. When I saw that… that…” She paused.

“You removed it and put my knife in the wound,” Miles finished.

“Y-yes… But Ms. Starr caught me.”

“And Gant? Is he the killer?”

“I don’t know, but that’s what I think.”

“Then we have even more reason to fight him. The truth will come out—all of it.” He got up, still holding Lana’s hand. At last, Lana looked at him. “Would a kiss be asking too much?”

He saw Lana’s sad eyes lose their veil of tears as the rest of her face shifted into a faint smile. She stood up, placing her right hand in Miles’s left, and leaned toward Miles. He, in turn, leaned in towards Lana’s face and placed a light kiss on her lips.

“I don’t think I’m ready to marry you,” Miles said after their lips parted, still holding Lana’s hands, “but I know for a fact that I don’t want to leave your side.