Chapter 20 — A Diary, A Fallen City

She walked up to the massive red wooden bookshelf, doing exactly as I had told her before, gently turning a decorative vase. The bookshelf moved slightly to one side, revealing behind the wall... a giant safe. Ly Thien took a deep breath and moved closer. Her hand... trembled very slightly. She raised her hand to the number board and slowly entered each number. Birth date of Zhao Hongwei's deceased wife. The safe door opened. Ly Thien's eyes immediately lit up. Inside... are neatly arranged rows of gold bars, stacks of US dollars, and all kinds of precious jewelry. But she didn't touch it. Her eyes... were fixed on a bag of documents at the top. She knows very well. That thing… was her real ticket into the upper class. Her hands trembled... and she took the document bag. Just as he was about to turn around and leave— The office door... opened. Trieu Vu stood at the door. On his face... was a faint smile, mixed with doubt.

“Thien Thien, what are you doing here?”

Ly Thien's whole body stiffened. The document bag in her hand... was like red coal, so hot that she could barely hold it.

“Ah… Trieu Vu?” Her voice trembled, her face turned pale, "You... why are you back?"

“I'm not sure about you.”

Trieu Vu said as he walked in. The smile was still there... but his eyes were cold as blades. He scanned her panicked face. stopping at the open safe behind. The smile on his lips… disappeared. Instead there was an eerie calm.

“What are you looking for?”

His voice was very light. But it was enough to make Ly Thien feel like she was falling into an ice hole.

“I… I don't…” she panicked and hid the document bag behind her back, “I just… came in to get some documents for you…”

“Really?”

Trieu Vu step by step approached.

“To get documents... but need to open the safe?”

“What kind of documents did you get… that made you tremble so much?”

Suddenly, he reached out and snatched the document bag out of Ly Thien's hand. He didn't even open it. Just pick it up and weigh it lightly. Then… burst out laughing. That smile... full of sarcasm.

“Thien Thien huh…”

“You really are… pitifully naive.”

Having finished speaking, he took out another bag of documents from his pocket. He opened it right in front of her. Inside is a trust contract. But more important... was the paper tucked inside. A DNA test. A real… copy. Examiner A: Chu Minh Khai. Examiner B: Ly Thien's fetus. Conclusion: biological paternity is ruled out. Ly Thien's pupils shrank. Mind... blank. Impossible… why is that?

“Surprised?”

Trieu Vu conveniently threw the report in her face.

“Do you think you do everything very discreetly?”

“I think… your father is really old and can't see the kind of woman who only wants to climb high like me?”

“You think… being pregnant with an illegitimate child means you can step into the Trieu family?”

Every sentence, every word... went straight to her heart.

“From the moment you said you were pregnant…”

“My father has already sent someone to investigate you.”

“What happened between you and Chu Minh Khai… we know everything.”

“Even today I met Hua Tinh…”

“What you say, what you do... is all under our control.”

In the safe house… I looked at the screen. The whole body went cold. I... lost. The plan that I thought was perfect... from the beginning... fell into the enemy's trap. Zhao Hongwei— that old fox… is even scarier than me thought. He never focused all his attention on the hotel. just a smoke screen. The real purpose... was to use Ly Thien as bait. Pull me out... then catch me in one fell swoop. On the screen... Ly Thien completely collapsed. She collapsed to the ground, crying soundlessly.

"No... it's not... Trieu Vu... listen to my explanation... it's Hua Tinh! She forced me! She said she had proof that I couldn't have children, saying she could help me fake a report..."

Trieu Vu coldly interrupted.

“Hua Tinh is indeed very smart.”

“She… almost succeeded.”

“Unfortunately…”

He turned his head and looked towards the corner of the room. The place where a tiny camera is placed is almost unrecognizable. He looked straight into the lens. Show a smile of a winner.

“She miscalculated something.”

“That is… the extent to which my father ‘values’ her.”

“From the moment she got hold of that notebook…”

“everyone beside her…”

“everything she said…”

“everyone she meets…”

“are all within our control.”