Chapter 24 — It's Too Late, Doctor Vu

Three weeks after the official signing of the investment contract with Meridian Healthcare Fund, Anh Duong International Hospital held a solemn ceremony to mark this important milestone, and also announced its plan to expand into a regional hospital chain in the coming years. The event was held in the main hall of the hospital, splendidly decorated with fresh flowers and bright lights, gathering a large number of medical industry leaders, media representatives, all hospital staff and many other important guests.

This was also the first ceremony where Dinh Vu, Lam Nhi, and baby Moc Mien appeared publicly as a complete family in front of the public and the media, without any concealment or acting like before.

From early morning, Lam Nhi and baby Mien prepared outfits for the ceremony. Mother and daughter tried on dresses while laughing and joking, an idyllic scene that in the past, every time the hospital had a big event, it should have been the time when she was busy arranging to take her child to a remote place. Now, instead of hiding, she was preparing to step into the spotlight with her child, a change that sometimes made her feel like she was living in a beautiful dream.

On Bich Van, Phung Dac Nguyen and their families, and lawyer Trinh Bao Han were also invited to attend the ceremony as special guests, those who have accompanied Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi through their recent turbulent journey. Seeing them sitting in the guest seats, smiling and waving goodbye as the small family entered the lobby, Lam Nhi couldn't help but be touched by the sincere affection those friends had for her in the most difficult moments.

Lam Nhi wore an elegant turquoise evening gown, stood next to Dinh Vu in an elegant suit, both held hands with baby Mien who was wearing her favorite princess dress, entering the main hall amidst the flashes of reporters and warm applause from the entire hospital staff. Right above the entrance, the gilded sign still hung in the same position after so many years - "Doctor Kha Dinh Vu - Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Deputy Director of Specialization" - but this time, below that familiar line, the media department added a new photo of the entire family of three, replacing the solitary portrait that once made countless passersby believe that it was the image of a man who had never let anyone into his heart. Lam Nhi looked up at that sign for a moment, remembering the morning she once bowed her head and walked past it like an anonymous employee, then gently squeezed her husband's hand and continued into the light.

Ton Ba Thanh stepped up to the podium to speak at the opening ceremony, his voice filled with pride. "Today is an important milestone for Anh Duong Hospital, not only because we have officially entered a new chapter in our development with the companionship of Meridian Healthcare Foundation, but also because we have learned a valuable lesson about the value of honesty and integrity. I would like to send a special thank you to Dr. Kha Dinh Vu and his family, who have taught us all that the true power of a brand does not lie in a perfectly staged image, but in the courage to face the truth."

Applause echoed throughout the hall when he invited Dinh Vu to speak on behalf of the hospital's medical team. Dinh Vu stepped onto the podium, carrying baby Mien in his arms, while Lam Nhi stood right below, her eyes watching her husband and children with undisguised pride.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I stand here today not as a 'single star doctor' like the image everyone knows, but as a husband, a father, standing with his small but most precious family." He said, his voice ringing with emotion. "The journey to standing here today was not easy. We had to go through painful misunderstandings, dark conspiracies, and long nights when it seemed like everything had completely collapsed. But it was in those most difficult moments that we realized that love and truth, no matter how hidden or distorted, always find a way to win in the end."

He looked down at Lam Nhi, his eyes filled with love. "Nhi, you have been patient with me for five years, forgave me even though I didn't deserve it, fought with me to find the truth. I want to tell you, and to the whole world watching today, that you are the most wonderful wife, the guiding light of my life."

Lam Nhi burst into tears of happiness, tears rolling down her cheeks but the smile on her lips was brighter than ever. She stepped onto the podium, stood next to her husband and children, and the whole small family together received thunderous applause from all the guests present.

At that moment, Mr. Ly Thanh Dat stepped onto the stage, carrying a commemorative sign specially designed for this occasion. "On behalf of the Meridian Healthcare Foundation, I would like to present Dr. Vu's family with this commemorative plaque, which not only marks the beginning of our partnership with the hospital, but is also a tribute to a story that inspired me about the true value of integrity in business and in life."

Baby Mien, standing between her parents on stage, looked up at the crowd who were clapping endlessly, then suddenly turned to Dinh Vu, her clear voice rang out enough for the nearest rows of seats to hear, an innocent statement but filled with so much meaning.

"Dad, everyone is clapping for you and me, right?"

Dinh Vu knelt down to his child's eye level, the smile on his lips was as bright as ever. "That's right, honey. Everyone is applauding our family."

"I like being able to call you dad here, in front of everyone like this." Baby Mien said, holding her father's neck tightly with both hands, her voice full of contentment. "There's no need to call Uncle Vu anymore, right?"

"That's right, honey, never need to call Uncle Vu again." Dinh Vu hugged his child tightly, his voice choked with emotion, his eyes turned to Lam Nhi standing next to him, they both shared a moment of perfect happiness that they had been waiting for throughout a long journey.

The ceremony continued with the ribbon cutting to inaugurate the new expansion area of the hospital, congratulatory speeches from partners and medical leaders, but for Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi, the most meaningful moment was still when the whole family stood together on that stage, amidst the bright lights, with no more secrets to hide, no longer any fake names to carry.

That evening, after the ceremony ended and all the guests had left, the small family returned to the Tay Ho villa, which was no longer a secret place, but had truly become a true home. Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi sat on the porch, watching baby Mien run and play in the garden under the gentle moonlight, the calm surface of West Lake reflecting the sparkling city lights like thousands of stars.

"Do you remember the first night we sat here, after our secret wedding day?" Dinh Vu asked, putting his arm around his wife's shoulder.

"I remember." Lam Nhi smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "At that time I wondered if I was making the right decision, accepting to live in secret because of my love for you."

"And now, do you regret the past journey?" He asked softly, his voice a bit worried even though he already knew the answer.

Lam Nhi shook her head, her eyes looked out at the lake, then turned to look at him with the warmest smile. "No, Mr. Vu. Every hardship we have gone through is part of the story that brought us here, to this moment — where It's Too Late, our Doctor Vu finally has the most worthy name he always deserved, from the beginning."

Dinh Vu bent down, placed a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead, then they both turned their eyes to baby Mien who was laughing in the middle of the garden, the gentle moonlight illuminating the happy faces of the whole small family.

Little Mien ran to her parents, climbed up and sat between them on the bench on the porch, chirping about what impressed her most about today's ceremony - the sparkling flash lights, the applause, and the giant cake that was cut at the reception afterwards. Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi listened to their child tell the story, exchanging affectionate glances, immersing themselves in the simple happiness that they had to exchange so many difficulties to reach.

It was late at night, baby Mien gradually closed her sleepy eyes in her mother's arms, Lam Nhi carried her into the room, and Dinh Vu lingered a while longer on the porch, looking out at the quiet West Lake, his heart filled with a deep gratitude for the past journey, which, although full of thorns, had finally led the whole family to the shore of complete happiness like today.

Lam Nhi returned to the porch after putting her child to bed, quietly sat down next to her husband, resting her head on his shoulder like any other peaceful night. No one said anything else, just quietly enjoying the sweet stillness of the late night, listening to the gentle wind shaking the surface of the lake, clearly feeling each other's warmth after everything they had both gone through to have this peaceful moment - a new, complete beginning, no longer any darkness could obscure it.