Chapter 13 — Reborn to Love the Perfect One

Throughout the week waiting for the board meeting to resume, Ánh Vy and Dịch Phong worked tirelessly to review every smallest detail in the set of documents that Bách Nam presented. They compared each line of data in the internal monitoring system with the content of emails and transfer orders allegedly approved by Ánh Vy.

"I have found the key point," Dịch Phong said, opening the computer for Ánh Vy to see while working late at the office one evening. "According to the official monitoring system, there were no transfer transactions made from the trust during the period mentioned by the fake document. Furthermore, when I carefully analyzed the printed email file, the font and format of the email subject line did not exactly match the company's official internal email system, a very small difference that would be difficult to detect without careful attention."

"So does that mean all those documents were faked?" Ánh Vy asked, her eyes lit up.

"Exactly." Dịch Phong nodded. "And what's even more interesting, I asked an independent information technology expert to check the metadata hidden in the document file, discovering that this file was created from a device whose most recently accessed IP address matched the residential area where the apartment that Kiều Ý Nhi is renting is located."

Ánh Vy clenched her hands, feeling relief and anger mixed in her heart. "So we have enough evidence to prove my innocence, and at the same time partly reveal Kiều Ý Nhi's role in this entire incident."

"That's right," Dịch Phong replied, his eyes looking at her were full of admiration. "You prepared this surveillance system very wisely in advance. Without it, proving the truth would have been much more difficult."

The day the board meeting resumed, the atmosphere in the meeting room was so tense that it could be clearly felt through each member's scrutinizing eyes. Bách Nam sat at the corner of the table, his face trying to keep a calm look but his hands kept clasping each other unconsciously.

"We will begin by reviewing the charge that was made last week." Vệ Thành Lâm opened his mouth, his tone serious. "Ánh Vy, do you have anything to present to the council?"

Ánh Vy stood up, her eyes scanned each member in the meeting room before starting. "Dear Board of Directors, I have compared the entire content of the alleged documents with the company's independent internal transaction monitoring system, established many months ago to increase transparency for the trust fund for key personnel."

She signaled Dịch Phong to show the detailed comparison on the big screen. "As you can see, according to the system logs, there were no transfer transactions made from the trust during the time period that the alleged documents refer to. Furthermore, through metadata analysis, we discovered that the documents submitted last week had clear signs of being falsified, and did not originate from the company's official email system." The whole meeting room was buzzing. Tưởng Bảo Long, his face suddenly changed color, he quickly spoke up to put out the fire. "Perhaps this was just an unfortunate mistake. We should not hastily conclude that someone intentionally falsified documents."

"You're right, we shouldn't rush to conclusions," Ánh Vy replied, her tone still calm but sharp. "But I think the board of directors has the right to know the truth, and I believe someone intentionally provided false information to damage my reputation and that of the entire company."

All eyes in the meeting room turned to Bách Nam. He tried to keep his expression calm, but his voice was somewhat shaky when he spoke. "I... I just received these documents from an anonymous source, I don't know if they are fake or not. I presented them to the council only because I was worried about the company's transparency."

"So can you tell the council who that anonymous source is?" Ánh Vy asked directly, her eyes looked straight at Bách Nam without avoiding it.

Bách Nam hesitated, unable to give a clear answer. His prolonged silence was like a tacit confession before the entire board of directors.

"I think we need to temporarily see this as a cautionary lesson about being more careful when receiving and spreading unverified information," Vệ Thành Lâm spoke, his tone was both stern and somewhat restrained. He clearly realized there was something unusual in Bách Nam's attitude but did not want to push things too far right away. "Ánh Vy was completely exonerated before the council today. As for the origin of the fake documents, I ask the legal department to continue investigating and clarify."

The meeting ended, Ánh Vy left the room with a feeling of relief mixed with caution. She knew that even though she had successfully turned the situation around this time, Bách Nam and Kiều Ý Nhi certainly would not give up easily, and this failure would most likely make them more reckless and dangerous in their next steps.

Out in the hallway, Dịch Phong was already waiting, his eyes looking at her full of respect. "You did very well. Your bravery today made me truly admire."

"Thank you for always being there to support me," Ánh Vy replied, a relieved smile on her lips. "If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to prepare such solid evidence."

"We're a team," Dịch Phong replied, his eyes looking at her with sincere warmth. "And I believe, our team will overcome many more difficult challenges ahead."

At the same time, in Kiều Ý Nhi's luxurious apartment, the atmosphere was completely opposite. Bách Nam slammed the glass on the table, causing fragments to scatter. "Your plan failed miserably, Ý Nhi! Now the entire board of directors suspects that I am the one behind the document forgery. How should I explain?"

"Calm down," Kiều Ý Nhi replied, her tone still remaining cold and calculating even though she had just experienced a bitter defeat. "The document forgery expert I hired must have revealed some loopholes, causing the other party to find clues. We need to be more careful next time, we can't reveal any traces that can be traced back to us."

"Is there a next time?" Bách Nam was confused, his tone full of worry. "If I continue to fail, I'm afraid I will lose everything, including my position in the company and the trust of Ms. Ánh Vy and my father."

"You've come this far, there's no turning back now," Kiều Ý Nhi said, her eyes flashed with a cold, calculating light. "We need a bigger plan, a plan that can't be overturned by any surveillance system. I'll think about it more, just trust me."

Meanwhile, at a small cafe near the company headquarters, Ánh Vy sat with Gia Hạnh, recounting the entire meeting's events. "In the end, everything was resolved, but I have a feeling this is just the beginning, Gia Hạnh."

"You're right to be worried." Gia Hạnh nodded, her eyes filled with rare seriousness. "But I believe, with careful preparation like you are doing, along with Dịch Phong's strong support, you will not be defeated easily. I will always be by your side to support you, no matter what happens next."

Ánh Vy smiled, holding her best friend's hand tightly, filled with gratitude. She knows that even though the road ahead is full of thorns, she no longer has to walk alone like in her previous life.

On the way home that night, she sat in the car, looking out the window at the city lights passing by, still thinking about the question that Bách Nam could not answer before the board of directors. She knew well, he wouldn't stop here. The bitterness of failure, combined with the pressure of debt still hanging over them, will push him and Kiều Ý Nhi to even more reckless decisions in the near future. She told herself that she needed to prepare more carefully, not only stopping at defense, but also proactively learning more about every move of both people, so that she would never be surprised by any upcoming attack.

The car stopped in front of the villa gate, Ánh Vy got out and looked up at the starry night sky. She took a deep breath, feeling more clearly than ever that, although the road ahead was still long and full of uncertainties, she was no longer the weak, easily deceived girl of her previous life.