It happened that the nurse came to feed the baby. The premature infant's lungs had not yet fully developed and could not suck the milk itself. When the nurse took away the milk bottle, the little thing seemed not to have enough and was unwilling to let go of the rubber n.i.p.p.l.e. After the nurse left, her mouth was still searching for the n.i.p.p.l.e, but soon she fell asleep again. She looked sweet and cute in sleep.

Kate's eyes were wet again, and warmth filled up her c.h.e.s.t. Her daughter had been in her belly for less than 200 days and came to this world in advance. She was now an individual and had to survive alone. As her mother, Kate felt proud of her. So the mother had no reason not to be strong. So did he, because the strong gene of the child came half from him.

Kate watched her sleep for quite a long time, and she said to Betty, "I hope I can nurse it with my b.r.e.a.s.t milk."

"You will. As soon as she gets better, you can feed her." Looking at Kate's baby, Betty thought of her baby that she lost. Then she sighed and asked, "Does she have a name?"

"He said before. Catherine for a girl and Michael for a boy."

Kate's face was lit up by gentleness, "My dear Cathy."

Depth of night.

Claire drove to a house in a secluded place in the downtown area.

Jimmy was here as she guessed. It was the place he had lived alone for several months. Now he was sitting on the step of the porch and smoked.

Claire walked over and said, "Don't catch a cold staying outside for too long."

"It is good here. The coldness makes me lucid."

Claire sat down with him as he didn't get up. She told him about the meeting in the afternoon, "Bill confessed. The call you overheard was calling to Harry Jackson. He said Jackson helped his family before. The one who shot Ed and then was shot by Tristan instead was some kind of relative of the ex-chief of LA Customs. He must be ordered to irritate Tristan so that they have an excuse to kill Tristan. He didn't expect to lose his own life there."

It took Jimmy a long time to rely upon, "We should be happy that Bill is a lousy shooter. If the bullet is 1mm closer, Tristan would be dead immediately."

Claire turned to him and asked, "Are you feeling sad for Bill?"

"There are many obstacles for this case. The obstacle from above is easy to deal with, but the betrayal of your teammates in a critical moment is…" Jimmy sighed, and they didn't even care about him who was being pointed by a gun, "honestly, is chilling."

Claire thought about it and said, "Most of the people follow the wealth and fame. Police are of no exception. The characteristics of the job make them have to deal with all kinds of temptation and threat. Not everyone could sustain the testing all the time." She stopped for a while and then said, "We cannot give up our faith because of some individual cases."

Jimmy looked at her with surprise and said half-jokingly, "Didn't expect you to be such a warrior."

Claire grimaced and said in her heart, "I learned from you."

The battle had not finished yet.

Or, to be more exact, another more severe battle was going to begin.

In this winter, LA's political circle had a roaring current under the stiff water. Somebody had ants in his pants; somebody pulled strings to save his ass; somebody lobbied around to conceal their crimes.

Three days later, Harry got a phone call in his study. The caller had a sorrowful voice, "What can I do now, Harry?"

"Nothing can be done now."

Harry's well-preserved face didn't have the complexion as before. His face was now as white as the paper of a letter spreading on the table, on which the signature was Charley Foster.

Owen went back home and saw his father stood by the bookshelf and was looking at a Picasso work hanging on the wall. It was just a copy.

"Dad, when will you go to Washington?"

Harry's hand clenched to fist, and he said, "Probably will not go."

Owen was puzzled, but his father asked, "You wrote an anonymous letter that blew the whistle on Chasin Group, didn't you?"

Owen was startled, but he knew his father was an old policeman, and he could not fool him, so he nodded.

"Stupid." Harry's tone was harsh, "Why made such kind of ungrounded accusation? If he knew it, you might prepare for his revenge."

"He didn't find out, did he?"

Harry stared at him and said, "You thought Tristan Fox could not find out who did it?" He pushed the files on the table to the floor and made a big sound. Owen was scared and backed off.

"It is just because you have a father." He was getting angrier and angrier, "I thought you just bear grudge at him because of a woman. I didn't expect you to make such trouble."

After he vented his anger, he controlled his breath and then said solemnly, "If I am not here, I expect you to take care of the family, take care of your sister. But how can I count on you?"

Owen didn't expect his tricks were known by his father. And when he heard about this, he thought of the rumors lately. He began to worry, "Dad, Chasin's case, did you…get involved?"

Harry could not maintain his dignity in front of his son. He got very annoyed and turned to the window. After a while, he said, "Who do you think paid for your college education abroad and your sister's expensive surgeries?"

Owen's heart sank to the bottom of the sea. He still didn't give up the hope, "Don't we have a factory?"

Years ago, Harry took advantage of his job, purchased crafts and art factories under the name of one relative. He sneered when he heard his son mention it. "The factory could not make ends meet for a long time. It is just a cover for some income. I supported the family with the dividend Tristan gave me."

Owen's face was colorless.

And for the further relations with Tristan, Harry could not tell his son.

Both the father and the son were pondering, and the study was deadly silent.

The silence was maintained for about a quarter until it was interrupted by the doorbell downstairs. The maid went to open the door, and there was an unfamiliar voice, "US attorney…"

Harry sighed and pulled his shirt straight, looked again at his dumbfounded son, and when out of the room.

The two persons in uniforms said solemnly when they saw Harry Jackson, "Harry Jackson. We need you to go to the police station. You have the right to maintain silence…"

Owen chased out and said with reddened eyes, "Dad…"

Harry stopped and said to him, "Your sister is not fully recovered. Don't tell her about this." And then he turned and left with the two persons.

The heavy wood door was closed in Owen's face.

Owen remained in the middle of the living room, and his face was as pale as a dead person.

When Jessie came to him, Owen just drank alcohol and curled up on the couch.

The woman was pale and gaunt, and it took him a long time to recognize she was his goddess. He managed to stand up and said, "Jessica…How are you?"

He saw her take out a piece of paper and gave it to him. He took it in puzzlement and squinted to see the words on it. "Induced Abortion," it said.

"It is your child."

Jessica's voice was terribly calm. "I haven't slept with another man in the past half-year."

Seeing the man's expression of a mixture of shock and hurt, she was hurt too. She had waited for love for many years, and she had not regretted it. However, what she got was not what she wished for. She was desperate. And she was scared to see the real human nature.

Owen got spared because of the shock. He questioned, "Why you didn't tell me the truth?"

"You don't have to know about that. The child is gone anyway."

He suddenly fell to the ground and cried, "Jessica, how could you be so heartless?"

"It is you who are heartless!" Jessica suppressed the bitterness in her heart, "Tristan didn't get in your way. Why do you have to kill him?"

"He is in my way. Wherever he goes, he still occupies your heart. Unless he died, I could not have your heart…" He became hysterical and shouted.

Jessie looked at him with shock and disgust. She said coldly, "Owen, we grew up together. I know you are nice to me. You have been with me all the time, and nobody is nicer to me than you are. But do you know why I can never fall in love with you? It's because you are narrow-minded. Of course, I am a no better person, but I am honest. I don't play dirty tricks to get what I want. We are not the same kind of people."

After she said that, she left and the door was closed again.

A few hours earlier, Owen thought he finally removed the obstacle on the road to his happiness. A few hours later now, his father was taken away with unknown fate; he was told that his child was gone, and so was his love of life…

He had nothing now.

And this was all done by himself.

Owen collapsed onto the couch and cried.