Chapter 4 — Reverse Chess

Hua Chan Van sat down on the chair, his legs were soft, his face was as gray as ashes. He certainly never expected that an engagement party that he was always proud of, preparing for in hopes of strengthening ties with the Luc family, would turn into a public trial exposing the crime of murder. He couldn't have imagined that the eldest daughter he had despised for so many years - the person he once considered timid, weak, and easy to lead, could be used in such a cruel and desperate way, a single cut to overturn the entire chessboard that he thought he had firmly in his hands. Below, the police stepped forward, preparing to escort Hua Du Du away. But Hua Du Du cried until her heart was broken, her body trembled, her hand clutched Luc Can Ngon's arm, her nails almost digging into his skin: "Can Ngon! I'm not going! I'm so scared! Say something! It's not me! It's really not me! It's her! It's me who is harming you! It's Hua Niem who is setting a trap for me!!!" Luc Can Ngon clenched his jaw, his eyebrows frowned deeply, his eyes were as dark as an abyss. He bowed his head and gently patted the back of Hua Du Du's hand as a reassuring gesture. Then he looked up, looked straight at Captain Ly, his voice was calm but full of arrogance and coldness: "Captain Ly, I think... my lawyer has the right to be here. Before my lawyer arrives, my fiancee... will not answer any questions." Captain Ly calmly replied and nodded: "Of course it's possible." He gestured invitingly, his voice sharp: "But now, they have to follow us back to the bureau first." Two female police officers stepped forward, held Hua Du Du tightly, and pulled her out of the crowd. But at that exact moment, I don't understand where she got the strength, she suddenly jerked away from control, then like a cornered animal, screaming towards me: "Hua Niem!!! This slut!!! It's you! It's all you who hurt me!!! "Even if I die, I won't forgive you!!!" She seemed crazy, her face was blurred, her makeup was smeared, her tears mixed with mascara to form terrifying black streaks. Her luxurious evening gown worth hundreds of thousands was torn to tatters, her hair was a mess, strands stuck to her tear-soaked face. There is no longer the image of the prestigious lady who was praised by so many people. At this moment, she is like a crazy, market woman, regardless of everything. But the bodyguard next to me reacted promptly. He stepped forward half a step, held her shoulder firmly with one hand, firmly pressed her down on the cold stone floor, and immediately controlled her. I lowered my eyes, looking at her face distorted by resentment and jealousy. In my heart... there is not a single bit of pleasure. No gloating. Not satisfied. There is only a desolate void left. We used to be blood sisters. Growing up holding hands, protecting each other, whispering secrets that only the two of us knew. Yet today... standing at both ends of an implacable battle. I don't know, when did things turn into this? Was it from the day I saw her unusually admiring eyes… when she first saw my boyfriend? Or... from the moment she found out... Mom left the family's most valuable trust fund to me, and not to the youngest and most pampered daughter in the family — her? I didn't have the energy to think much anymore. All… temporarily as if the curtain had ended. The police escorted Hua Du Du out of the hall. She was still screaming and cursing wildly, her screams tearing through the atmosphere. The crystal lights were still dazzling, but I felt cold, like standing in the middle of a moonless winter night. Luc Can Ngon stood there, silently adjusting his slightly disheveled collar, moving slowly and elegantly, little by little restoring his noble appearance. He was not taken away. I know - with his identity and status, the police will not be able to immediately arrest him without absolute evidence. He stepped forward. With each step closer, my breathing became heavier. The distance was so close that I could smell the familiar scent on him - the cold, pure wood scent, the scent that had captivated me for five years. “You are very pleased, right?” He spoke softly, his voice was low, but it contained a bone-chilling coldness. “Using this all-in-one method… destroy me, destroy Du Du, and also destroy the last bit of dignity of the Hua family and the Luc family.” I looked at him, my eyes unwavering, my voice calm, without the slightest tremor: "I'm just asking for justice... for my mother."

“Fair?” He laughed faintly, a dry laugh, full of mockery and contempt. “Hua Niem… do you really think… you won?”

My heart skipped a beat, a feeling of insecurity welled up in my chest. But before I could ask, Luc Can Ngon leaned down so close that his warm breath blew into my ear, carrying the cold scent of agarwood that I once knew well. His voice was extremely low, just loud enough for the two of us to hear: “Your mother's death…” “…is indeed related to me.” The blood in my body seemed to freeze. My ears were ringing, my heart was beating chaotically, every cell seemed to be dead in that moment. I opened my mouth, but my throat was dry, my voice was hoarse as if it was torn: "What... what did you just say?" Luc Can Ngon raised his head slightly, his eyes were dark and deep, his voice was calm and terrifyingly cold: "But..." "The person who poisoned... was not Du Du." Those four words... were like a bolt of lightning exploding in my head. I almost instinctively took a step back, my hand tightened on the microphone, my lips trembling: "Not... Du Du?" Luc Can Ngon's eyes were bottomless, his breathing was so steady that it was scary, his voice was extremely low, but each word seemed to be engraved straight into my bones: "She... doesn't have the guts." “She only dared to complain in front of me,” he said, his voice low and cold, “complaining that her mother was biased, complaining that you took away everything she thought belonged to her.” “She has hatred, but… doesn't have the guts to kill.” His eyes darkened, his breathing was steady as if it had never wavered, then he slowly continued: "So... I gave her a hand."

“Bang——” It was like there was a loud explosion in my head, all consciousness collapsed in an instant. Ears ringing, blood in the body seems to freeze, limbs cold, mind blank. I opened my mouth, but my throat was choked, making a hoarse sound: "What... what did you say?" Luc Can Ngon stood near me, his tall figure seemed to cover all the light. He tilted his head, lowered his voice, as if narrating a plan that had been planned for a long time: "I told her... that there is a medicine... that can make your mother mentally exhausted and become confused. confused.” “That way, you will have enough good reasons to take her abroad to a long-term sanatorium. At that time, the entire Hua family... will be completely in the hands of your father and her." He stopped, looked straight at me, his voice was terrifyingly calm: "I gave her the medicine. She believes me. She naively thought… it was just a common sedative.” My whole body felt as cold as falling into an ice cellar, my breathing became rapid, my heart felt like it was being squeezed in my chest. I no longer felt anything in my arms or legs, my scalp was numb, but I still tried to let out a trembling voice: "I..."

"And your father..." Luc Can Ngon's voice became lower and heavier. He straightened up, his sharp eyes looking down at me from above, carrying a kind of naked cruelty. “Do you really think… he doesn't know anything?” I trembled, my whole body seemed to be submerged in an abyss, whispering: "No... it's impossible..." The corners of his lips curled slightly, his smile was as cold as a knife cutting into the flesh: "The trust fund is in your mother's name... To touch it, it must be signed by both husband and wife. Her mother did not agree, so… of all people, the one who wished her mother dead the most… was him.” I heard the sound of blood pounding in my ears, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. “No… it's impossible… my father… he wouldn't…” Luc Can Ngon bowed his head, his eyes were dark, cold to the bone: “He didn't do it himself… but he was complicit. He knows. Every time Du Du drugged her mother... he was present. He saw it all. But not a word.”

The air seemed to be drained away. I staggered back a step, so hard that I hit the table behind me. “Clang——” The sound of broken glasses was deafening, but I couldn't feel anything anymore. My whole body felt hollow. It hurts so much that I can't even cry. So cold that I couldn't breathe. Luc Can Ngon stood right in front of me, his low voice seemed to press every word into my heart: "Do you understand now, Hua Niem... The family you tried to protect, the father you respected, the younger brother you loved... All of them... wanted your mother to die."