Chapter 18 — Post-Divorce Rebound: Claiming My Daughter and Starting Over

She is so gentle.

And so thoughtful.

She truly loves the children.

It is nothing like Ye Thanh Uyen.

No matter how long you raise a stray, it never learns its place.

What an ungrateful, disloyal creature.

If I had known she was the type of person she turned out to be, I never would have allowed her to set foot in the Co family home from the very beginning.

Co Dinh Tham remained silent, sitting motionless in the dim light. His brows were knit tightly together, a ridge of mounting tension across his forehead. Lam Vy Vy was, in truth, a virtuous woman. She was devoted to him, heart and soul, and cared for the three children with unwavering dedication. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, as his mother’s voice droned on, and his gaze drifted to the lawyer’s letter sent by Tham Du Minh resting on the desk, a wave of unspeakable irritation surged within him. He waved a hand, signaling for Chu Bich Hoa to leave.

As the office door clicked shut, silence swallowed the room. The only sound was the rhythmic, unconscious tapping of his fingertips against the mahogany surface. Ye Thanh Uyen… just how much did she really know? How many cards did she still have hidden up her sleeve? It seemed that Tham Du Minh was determined to lock horns with him, which meant he needed to apply pressure from other directions. And then there was that thumb drive. He remembered it well—an old, worn device that she had always guarded as if it were a precious heirloom. Could there be secrets buried inside it?

He could not allow it. He must not give her the chance to turn the tables. He had to neutralize her—to dispose of her before she could stir up any greater trouble. A flicker of chilling ruthlessness ignited in his eyes. He reached for his phone and dialed a number.

Hello. It is me. I need you to investigate someone. Tham Du Minh. The lawyer. I want everything—his background, his network of associates, his previous case files. Especially… find out if he has any weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Also, hire a few people to tail Ye Thanh Uyen and her daughter. I want to know exactly what they do each day, who they meet, and most importantly, if they are making contact with people they shouldn't.

After hanging up, Co Dinh Tham strode to the window. He stared out into the thick, suffocating veil of the night, his expression cold enough to freeze blood. Ye Thanh Uyen, he thought, if you refuse the toast, then you shall surely drink the bitter cup. Do not blame me for what follows. I will make you vanish entirely.

At that same moment, in a small apartment located in a different corner of the city, I finished sending the final batch of encrypted documents to the email address Tham Du Minh had provided. The moment I pressed send, it felt as though I had flipped a switch on a path of no return. I did not know whether a violent storm lay ahead or if this was merely the dawn of a counterattack, but I knew one thing: Nuan Nuan and I had stepped onto this road. There was no retreat, only the desperate necessity to move forward.

I closed my laptop and walked into the bedroom. Nuan Nuan was sleeping restlessly; her small brows were furrowed, and she would occasionally let out a soft sob in her dreams. I lay down beside her, gently pulling her soft, fragile body into my arms, stroking her hair.

Sleep now, Nuan Nuan. Mother is here.

I whispered the words, partly to soothe my daughter, and partly as a vow to myself. I promise you, from this day forward, I will never let anyone bully you again. Those who have harmed us—I will make every single one of them pay the price.

The night deepened, growing heavy and oppressive. A war without the sound of gunfire had quietly begun, and I had already tightened my grip on the only weapon I possessed, bracing myself for the inevitable gale. Yet, at that time, neither I nor Co Dinh Tham—who was busy plotting my complete eradication from the safety of his mansion—could have foreseen the truth. The burden I had unleashed was not merely a bomb; it was a key. It was a key destined to open Pandora’s box, releasing a torrent of secrets and scandals potent enough to drag the entire Co empire into the abyss. And the first person destined to be devoured by the truth would be none other than him.