Chapter 3 — Passionate About A Twisted Love

The three days of waiting passed as long as three years. Nha Dan almost never left the hospital, staying by her mother's side every day, staying awake at night worrying, just waiting for the phone to ring with good news. Ms. Anh Tuyet's condition worsened day by day, sometimes she passed out for hours, forcing doctors to constantly monitor her closely.

On the third day, as promised, Nha Dan returned to Lam Phong Group headquarters, her heart heavy with both hope and fear. This time Phan Dinh Long was waiting in the lobby, leading her straight to the 50th floor without going through any formalities.

Cao Thien Lam sat behind the desk, still looking as cold as last time, but this time in front of him was a thick prepared file.

"Sit down." He gestured towards the chair opposite, his voice lacking any emotion.

Nha Dan sat down, clasping her hands together in her lap to hide her trembling. "Have you decided yet?"

"I agree to pay all surgery and treatment costs for your mother." Thien Lam said, pushing the file towards her. "But like I said, there will be conditions."

Nha Dan opened the file, her eyes scanned the carefully typed words, and the more she read, the paler her face became.

"This is... the engagement contract?" She looked up at him, not believing what she had just read.

"That's right." Thien Lam nodded, his eyes never left her, observing every expression on her face as if enjoying a game. "You will become my nominal fiancée for one year. You will move to live in my villa in Thao Dien, appear by my side at every important family and corporate event, and play the role of a perfect fiancée in front of everyone."

"One year?" Nha Dan stammered, a feeling of dizziness rising in his head.

"That's right, one year. After that, we will terminate the contract accordingly, and you can leave with a fair compensation." Thien Lam continued, his voice monotonous as if reading a financial report. "In exchange, I will pay all surgery costs, post-operative treatment costs, and ensure your mother receives the best hospital care."

Nha Dan tightened the file in her hand, trying to calm down. "Are there any other conditions?"

Thien Lam was silent for a moment, his eyes darkened. "There is one more condition. You must immediately end the relationship with your current lover, Lam Viet Dang."

That sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured straight into Nha Dan's body. She was stunned, couldn't believe her ears. "Why? What does that have to do with this contract?"

"Because you will be my fiancee in front of the whole society, in front of my family, in front of the media." Thien Lam explained, his voice was cold and unforgiving. "I can't let my fiancee get involved with another man, that would become a laughing stock, and I don't accept having my reputation tarnished for any reason."

"But that's just a name, not a reality." Nha Dan tried to argue, her voice trembling. "Why do I have to break up with the person I really love just because of a role?"

Thien Lam stood up, slowly walked to the window, looking down at the city below, his voice sounded cold and decisive. "This is not a negotiable condition, Nha Dan. Either you accept it completely, or you can leave here right now and find another way to save your mother."

Nha Dan's knees seemed to buckle, she had to grip the armrest of the chair tightly to stand. She thought of Viet Dang, of the sweet memories the two of them had, of the warm eyes he always gave her when she was tired and exhausted. But then she thought of her mother, of the heart rate monitor whirring in the cold hospital room, of the time that was only measured in days.

"If I refuse, my mother will die." She said, her voice choked up as if she was talking to herself.

"That's your choice." Thien Lam turned to look at her, his eyes unwavering. "I'm not forcing you to sign this contract."

But both people in the room understood that was not a real option. It was a perfectly laid trap, where Nha Dan had no way to retreat, whether he wanted to or not.

Nha Dan's tears fell, wetting the contract paper in her hand. She thought of Viet Dang's face, of the promise he once made to always be by her side no matter how difficult it was, and now she was the one who had to break that promise, not because she no longer loved her, but for a much crueler reason.

"I need to talk to him first." She said, her voice trembling.

"Okay, I'll give you one day." Thien Lam nodded, his voice softened a bit, even though he didn't understand why he gave in. "But only for one day. Tomorrow, you must move into my villa and sign this contract."

Nha Dan nodded, her hand trembling as she signed the first sheet of paper in the contract, officially accepting the step into a completely new life, a life that she knew would be full of storms.

That evening, she arranged to meet Viet Dang at a small roadside cafe, where the two of them had so many beautiful memories. Looking at his radiant face when he saw her coming, Nha Dan's heart felt like someone was strangling him.

"What's up, is there any news about the cost of your surgery?" Viet Dang asked, his eyes full of sincere concern.

Nha Dan bowed her head, not daring to look him straight in the eyes. "I have found someone to help. Mom's surgery costs will be fully covered."

"Really? Who is that? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Viet Dang happily held her hand, but then noticed her gloomy face, the smile on his lips gradually faded. "Is something wrong?"

"Viet Dang..." Nha Dan took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry. We have to break up."

The space was terrifyingly silent. Viet Dang looked at her, his eyes turned from surprise to pain. "What did you say? Why suddenly like this? Is it because of the person who helped you?"

Nha Dan couldn't tell the truth, couldn't let him know about the engagement contract, about Cao Thien Lam, about everything she was about to trade. She can only lie, a lie that cuts into her own heart.

"That person asked me to devote myself to them in exchange for help. I have no other choice, Viet Dang. I'm sorry."

"No way." Viet Dang shook his head, his voice shaking with anger and pain. "Who gave such a cruel condition? Nha Dan, tell me who it is, I will find another way, we will find another way, we don't have to be like that."

"There's no time left." Nha Dan's tears fell, she stood up, trying to stay calm even though her heart was broken. "My mother doesn't have much time left, Viet Dang. I'm sorry for hurting you, but I have to choose my mother."

"Nha Dan, wait!" Viet Dang stood up, grabbed her wrist, his eyes were both pleading and angry. "You can't just disappear from my life like that. We've been together for almost two years, can it just end with these few words?"

"I'm sorry." Was all Nha Dan could say, before withdrawing her hand from him, turning around and walking away quickly, not daring to look back, afraid that with just one more look at his miserable face, she would no longer have the courage to leave.

She walked in the night, tears falling endlessly, her heart aching as if someone had torn it to pieces. She loves Viet Dang, that love is sincere and pure, but now she is forced to bury it, in exchange for a chance to live for her only remaining mother.

That night, Nha Dan returned to her small rented room for the last time, packing a few simple clothes into an old suitcase. She looked around the room that had been with her for many years, a place that contained so many happy and sad memories, now she was about to leave it to enter a completely strange world, where she would have to live under the control of a man who saw her as an enemy.

She sat down on the edge of the old bed, took her phone and texted one last message to Viet Dang, not to explain, just simply a thank you: "Thank you for everything you have given me all this time. I'm sorry for not being able to be with you until the end. I hope you will find your true happiness." She looked at the message for a long time before pressing send, her hands shaking, her tears once again falling uncontrollably.

The phone has no response. Perhaps Viet Dang was too hurt to respond, or perhaps he understood that any further explanations were meaningless. Nha Dan put down the phone and turned it off, as a way to completely cut off the last thread connecting her to her old life, to the love she once cherished the most.

She looked around the rented room one last time, her eyes stopping at the corner of the wall where she used to stick her design sketches, where a small table used to be placed for two people to eat dinner on the evenings when Viet Dang stopped by after work. All of those memories, she must now learn to leave behind, close the door to the past to enter a new chapter full of uncertainty in her life.

She didn't know what lay ahead, she only knew that she had no way back. Nha Dan tightened her suitcase, looked steadily out the window at the dark night, telling herself that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, she would continue, for her mother, for her family, for the price of a plea that she was forced to pay.