Chapter 20 — Dawn After the Crack

“Lawyer Truong.” Tong Dao opened another file, "The child kidnapping case of Tran Quoc Dong has entered the stage of reviewing and prosecuting. Evidence of Tran Quoc Luong suspected of being an accomplice is being handed over. If Tran Canh Tham insists on the issue of child custody - we will file an additional lawsuit, asking the court to cancel all legal relations of Tran Canh Tham with the child. Reason: The marriage between the Tran family and the kidnapped child is a product based on a violation. crime.”

Truong Minh's face immediately changed.

"Mr. Tran, I can't accept this case." He closed the file and stood up.

“You…” Tran Canh Tham looked at him, “You accepted my money…”

“I will refund your money.” Truong Minh carried his briefcase and walked out of the living room.

Only Tran Canh Tham and Tran's mother were left standing there. Tran's mother's face was no longer distinguishable between white or red. She suddenly made a "thud" sound and fell to her knees.

"Nien So, I beg you - your father has been arrested, your eldest uncle is about to be arrested too. Canh Tham really doesn't know about that, please forgive him..."

“Mom.” Tran Canh Tham tried to help her up.

“Don't call me Niem So.” Lam Niem So hugged her child and stood up.

The whole living room was silent.

"Three years ago, on the first day I became your daughter-in-law, I washed your clothes for three years straight. You never asked me if I was tired. When I was pregnant, you couldn't even stew me a bowl of chicken soup. Your son took care of the women outside, so you covered for him. Your son asked to divide the money fairly with me, so you sat next to me, bowing your head and sipping the soup."

She bent down to look at So Tinh in her arms.

“My child will never call you grandma.”

Tran's mother knelt on the ground and burst into tears. Tran Canh Tham's fists clenched until they turned white.

“Lam Niem So, you will regret it.”

“You said this again.” Lam Niem So hugged her child and walked towards the stairs, turning her back to him.

"Tran Canh Tham, I said twice 'you will regret'. The first time was at the hospital gate, the second time is now. But until now, the only one who regrets it is me."

She walked upstairs, not bothering to look back once more. Trieu Toan stood in the living room and cleared his throat.

“You two, please.”

Tran Canh Tham and Tran's mother were kicked out of the Lam family's gate. The moment the iron gate closed, Tran Canh Tham heard a child's cry coming from inside the house - So Tinh had woken up. It was his daughter's cry. But the gate was tightly closed. Tran Quoc Dong's case has been sentenced. Charged with kidnapping and child trafficking, sentenced to ten years in prison. Tien Duc Hai was tried as an accomplice and sentenced to eight years in prison. Tran Quoc Luong on suspicion of concealment, cover-up and participation in planning should be additionally prosecuted. The verdicts in all three cases came in the same week. News once again climbed to the top of searches.

"The case of the kidnapping of the golden Thi Lam Thi has had an appeal verdict, the three defendants received prison sentences."

The comment with the most likes is: Twenty-eight years. Justice may come late but will not be absent. Lam Niem So did not attend the sentencing hearing. That day she was in the studio fine-tuning the third piece of the “Healing” collection – a brooch, shaped like a phoenix, the cracks in its wings filled with thread. yellow, with wings spread out as if flying out of a sea of fire. When the craftsman gave her the finished product, she lifted it up and looked at it for a long time under the light.

“The shine of the gold thread can be increased by another five percent.”

“Mr. Lam, this gloss is already the top level in the industry.”

“Then we have to create something that the industry doesn't have yet.”

The craftsman laughed, took the sample and started grinding it again from scratch. In the evening, Co Tham came to the studio. He brought two cups of coffee, one for her, one for himself.

“The case has been declared.”

"I know."

“You have no reaction?”

Lam Niem So pinned the sketch of the brooch on the display board, took two steps back to look at the layout.

"The reaction is over. The day I learned the truth, I finished reacting. The verdict is just a formality."

Co Tham took a sip of coffee.

"Minh Chau Jewelry's side is getting ready."

"Trieu Bang Trinh worked on her specifications for two months, and the defective product rate reached more than ninety percent. Chau Dao plans to shut down the entire new product line."

“It was predictable.”

"Chau Dao asked someone to leave a message and wanted to invite you to dinner."

"It's okay to eat rice. But he has to apologize."

“Does he agree?”

"If you don't like it, don't eat. Anyway, it's not me who's worried."

Co Tham put down his coffee cup and looked at the drawings on the wall.

“Lam Niem So.”

“Have you ever thought about taking over Lam Thi Group in the future?”

Lam Niem So turned to look at him.

“What did my grandfather tell you?”

"He told Lam Tri Vien that she is the only child. She is the only heir of the Lam family."

“Right now I just want to do design.”

"Being a designer and being a manager is not at all contradictory. You have been doing it - your performance in the meeting just now is no different from a real manager."

“Those are two different things.”

“It's one thing.” Co Tham stood up, "The way you do design is also the way you do everything - precisely, without talking too much, without compromise."

He walked to the door and paused for a moment.

“I feel like you can do it.”

“What can be done?”