Chapter 17 — Tears in the Frost

There were mornings, Lăng Bách Việt woke up earlier than usual, only to sit quietly on the edge of the bed, looking at Thư Nhã still sleeping next to her, one of her hands loosely placed on her belly that had begun to protrude more clearly each week. He looked at her face in her sleep, her delicate features no longer having to force herself to maintain a serious look like usual in the office, and in that moment, he realized a truth that he had tried to avoid for a long time: he no longer saw her as a contract wife, but as a woman he couldn't imagine what his life would be like without.

He remembered every small moment over the past weeks - how she stayed up late toiling over a whiteboard full of shell company diagrams, her hands shaking from fatigue but still persistently typing each line of analysis; the way she responded sharply, without flinching, to Tống Khả Di's harsh provocations; The way she puts her hand on her stomach every time she talks about the future, reminds herself of the reasons to continue being resilient.

Three years ago, he chose her because of her trust. Now, he realizes he loved her for who she was — her steadfastness, her integrity, and a quiet inner strength that not every woman has.

He gently touched her abdomen with his hand, careful not to wake her up, feeling the warmth transmitted through the thin blanket. The child in there, he thought, would grow up with a mother stronger than anyone he had ever known, and he promised himself that from now on, he would never let her face any difficulties alone again, whether at work or in her personal life.

*

That evening, after a stressful working day with a series of consecutive meetings discussing strategies to deal with Hằng Phát, Bách Việt returned to the apartment earlier than usual, carrying a small bouquet of flowers - not the luxurious roses often seen in formal ceremonies of the upper class, but a simple bouquet of daisies, the flower Thư Nhã had accidentally mentioned in a rare conversation about her childhood memories.

"I remember you like this flower," he said, slightly awkwardly giving her the bouquet of flowers, a gesture completely foreign to the image of the cold, controlling General Director that the whole company knew.

Thư Nhã received the bouquet of flowers and was so surprised that she was speechless for a moment. "Do you remember that? I only mentioned it once, more than a year ago."

"I remember everything you ever said, even the smallest details," he replied, his eyes so sincere that it made her heart pound. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realize and admit this, Thư Nhã. But I want you to know, no matter how things turn out with Hằng Phát, no matter the final result, my feelings for you no longer have anything to do with the old contract. I love you, for who you are, not because of any other obligations."

*

Thư Nhã stood still, holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand, tears suddenly flowing from her eyes with emotion. Over the past three years, she had learned to suppress all her emotions, learned to accept a life without public words of love, and now, when those words were finally spoken, she felt like all the burdens she had been carrying for so long were suddenly lighter.

"I love you too," she said, her voice shaky but sincere. "I've probably loved you for a long time, before I even dared to admit it to myself. I was just always afraid that my feelings would never be reciprocated, that I would forever be just a part of a cold contract."

Bách Việt pulled her into his arms, his arms embracing her gently and carefully as if he were cradling a precious treasure. "From today, there are no more contracts, Thư Nhã. It's just us, and our children. I want to build a real family, not because of obligation, but because that's what I desire the most."

They stood embracing each other for a long time in the warm living room, the soft yellow light reflecting on the bouquet of daisies placed on the table, a simple but meaningful symbol of a love that had been silently blooming for three years, now finally publicly acknowledged.

That night, the two sat together on the sofa for a long time, reviewing every little memory of the three years they lived together - the first time they cooked an awkward meal together because neither of them were good at cooking, the time Bách Việt quietly bought cold medicine for her when she was sick without saying a word, the time Thư Nhã stayed up all night preparing documents to help him catch up on an important negotiation. Those memories, when looking back now, have a much deeper meaning than either of them realized at the time.

*

But that happiness didn't last long before harsh reality struck again. The next morning, when both were preparing to go to work, Bách Việt's phone rang, on the other end of the line was the urgent voice of the head lawyer of Việt Thịnh's legal department.

"Dear General Director, we have just received an official notice. Hằng Phát Investment Fund, along with a group of affiliated shareholders, has officially submitted a request to convene an extraordinary shareholder meeting, with the reason given to question the current management capacity of Việt Thịnh's board of directors."

Bách Việt tightened his grip on the phone, his eyes darkened, his fingers turned white because the grip was too strong. "Did they have the necessary votes to convene a meeting?"

"Yes, Mr. General Director. According to the announcement, they currently hold or have support from about twenty-one percent of the shares, surpassing the prescribed threshold to request the convening of an extraordinary meeting according to the company's charter."

"What about the specific content of the request?" Bách Việt continued to ask, his voice trying to stay calm even though a high level of vigilance arose in his heart.

"They requested a vote on the dismissal of the current General Director position, citing reasons related to transparency in corporate governance. We suspect they are holding some internal information, but cannot determine exactly what." The lawyer replied, his voice could not hide his concern.

Bách Việt hung up the phone, his face became more serious than ever. He looked at Thư Nhã, both of them immediately understood that the "inside information" that the lawyer mentioned was their secret marriage contract, which Khả Di had probably tried to exploit in some way.

Bách Việt hung up the phone, turned to look at Thư Nhã, his face was full of seriousness. "The time has come. Khả Di has officially struck."

Thư Nhã took a deep breath, her hand unconsciously placed on her stomach, feeling the first gentle kick of the child as a reminder of what she needed to protect. She looked straight into Bách Việt's eyes, there was no longer any fear in those eyes. "So how much time do we have left to prepare?"

"According to regulations, an extraordinary meeting of shareholders must be held within thirty days from the date of receipt of a valid request," Bách Việt replied, his voice had regained the usual decisiveness of a leader, although hidden deep in his eyes there was still a bit of anxiety that could not be hidden. "Thirty days to complete all evidence, consolidate support from neutral shareholders, and prepare for the most important battle in Việt Thịnh's history."

"We will do it," Thư Nhã said, her voice was firm, holding his hand tightly. "I've been preparing for this moment for a long time, even though I didn't expect it to come so soon. We won't let Khả Di have a second chance to win, not this time, when we already know all her tricks."

Bách Việt looked at her, in his eyes was absolute trust, without any doubt. He bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for always being here, even when my world was rocking the hardest. I don't know what I would do without you by my side right now."

The thirty days ahead will be the most stressful thirty days of both of their lives, but for the first time in a long time, they enter that battle not as two strangers bound by a piece of paper, but as a real couple, side by side, ready to face all the storms ahead.