Chapter 15 — The 12th-Floor Kitchen Contract

The next morning, Khang and Diem Tram visited Mrs. Cam with a heavy heart, mentally preparing for an important conversation that could completely change both of their futures. The old lady, sitting reading a book in the familiar living room, could not hide her surprise at the unusually serious expressions of both of them.

"What happened, you two?" Mrs. Cam asked, placing the book on the table, her eyes filled with sincere concern.

Khang sat down opposite her, took a deep breath before starting. "Grandma, I need to tell you the truth about my relationship with Diem Tram," he said, his voice shaking but steady. "The truth I should have told her a long time ago."

Mrs. Cam was silent, listening attentively as Khang told the whole story - from the pressure of the will clause, the decision to offer Diem Tram a fake marriage contract, to the true feelings that gradually arose between the two over time. Diem Tram sat next to her, her heart pounding, waiting for the reaction of the woman she had gradually come to love like family.

***

When Khang finished the story, a heavy silence covered the room. Mrs. Cam sat quietly for a long time, her eyes looking thoughtfully into the distance, making both Khang and Diem Tram nervous about the upcoming reaction.

"You already know," Mrs. Cam finally said, leaving them both stunned by the unexpected revelation.

"When did you know?" Khang asked, unable to hide his surprise.

"Since the first anniversary party," Mrs. Cam replied, a gentle smile appearing on her lips. "She has lived long enough to realize the difference between a staged relationship and a real relationship. At first, perhaps it was a bit awkward between the two of them, but over time, she noticed that the feelings between the two of them became more and more natural and deeper."

***

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Diem Tram asked, still shocked by this unexpected truth.

"Because I wanted to see if you two could find your own path to true love," Mrs. Cam explained, her voice filled with deep understanding. "She set a clause in the will not to force Viet Khang to marry mechanically, but to create an opportunity, a situation that forced him to open his heart to the world outside of work. She did not expect that the plan would succeed in such a beautiful way."

Khang could not hide his emotions at his grandmother's deep understanding. "So you're not angry with me for lying to you?" he asked, his voice still hesitant.

"You never lied to me," Mrs. Cam replied, holding her grandson's hand with sincere affection. "You're just finding your way to happiness in your own way. And I believe, true love, no matter where it starts, is always true love in the end."

***

That tolerant affirmation made both Khang and Diem Tram feel extremely relieved, as if a great burden had been lifted from their shoulders. "Thank you," Diem Tram said, her voice choked with emotion. "For trusting and accepting us."

“I only have one request,” Ms. Cam said, her eyes turning serious. "Now that the truth has been exposed in the family, you two need to be more careful, because I believe that Dinh Phat and the Ho family girl will not easily give up their destructive intentions. I will be on your side, but you also need to protect yourself."

Khang nodded, his eyes filled with new determination. "I will prepare carefully to confront Uncle Phat directly," he affirmed. "It's time to end these plots and schemes once and for all."

Mrs. Cam nodded in agreement, then turned to look at Diem Tram with affectionate eyes. "You have given my grandchild something I never dared hope he would find — a sincere love, a real home," she said. "I thank you for that, and I believe that together you two will overcome all the challenges that lie ahead."

Leaving Mrs. Cam's villa, Diem Tram and Khang felt much more relieved, even though they knew clearly that the battle with Mr. Phat was still ahead. But with solid support from the most important person in Khang's family, the two feel more confident than ever to face whatever challenges lie ahead, together protecting the love and happiness they have worked so hard to build.

***

On the way back, Khang suddenly suggested stopping at a small roadside park, where there was a quiet lake reflecting the gentle afternoon sunlight. "Can we stop for a moment?" he asked, his voice somewhat strange.

Diem Tram nodded, curious about the unexpected change in route. The two walked together along the lake, enjoying the rare fresh air amid the recent stressful days. "Do you know," Khang began, his voice deep and warm, "when grandma said she knew the truth from the beginning, I suddenly realized, perhaps fate had arranged for us to meet, even through unusual circumstances."

"I think so too," Diem Tram replied, smiling at the rare romance in his words. "Sometimes, the most beautiful things come from beginnings we never expected."

Khang stopped and turned to look at her with eyes filled with seriousness. "I want to tell you something," he said. "No matter how the war with Uncle Phat ends, whether I inherit the restaurant or not, that is no longer as important as being with you. You have become the most meaningful thing in my life, more important than any property or fame."

***

That sincere confession made Diem Tram's heart warm and full of happiness. "Me too," she replied, holding his hand tightly. "No matter how things started, I don't regret anything, because it led me to you, to a love that I never dared to dream of."

They stood there on the shore of the lake, hand in hand, watching the sunset gradually fall, dyeing the still surface of the water golden. That moment of peace, amidst the turmoil that lay ahead, further reinforced both of their firm belief in the power of sincere love - a love that has surpassed all boundaries of an initial contract, to become a solid foundation for a future that they both desire to build together.

"We should go home," Diem Tram finally said, even though she didn't want this moment to end. "There's still a lot to prepare for the confrontation with Uncle Phat."

"Yes," Khang replied, squeezing her hand one more time before they both returned to the car, carrying with them a new peace and determination to face whatever challenges lay ahead, together, like a real couple, not just two people bound by cold contract pages.

***

That evening, upon returning to the apartment, Khang immediately began preparing for the upcoming confrontation with Mr. Phat. He contacted the company's legal department, requesting a review of all records related to Mr. Phat's financial activities over the years, suspecting that his ambitious uncle may have engaged in non-transparent behavior during the management process.

"Do you think Uncle Phat may have done anything wrong in his management job?" Diem Tram asked, curious about this new direction of investigation.

"I'm not sure," Khang replied, his eyes still glued to the computer screen displaying a series of complex financial reports. "But with the level of fierceness he is showing to prevent me from inheriting, I suspect he is probably trying to hide something, afraid that when I officially take over, all secrets will be exposed."

Diem Tram sat down next to him and reviewed the documents with him. "I'll help you," she said, pulling her chair closer to him. "Together we will find the truth, whatever it is."

The two spent the entire evening reviewing documents, looking for any unusual signs that could help them better understand the true motives behind Mr. Phat's drastic actions, preparing for the decisive confrontation that was about to take place, a confrontation that would determine not only the future of the inheritance, but also the transparency and fairness in all operations of the family restaurant chain that the whole family had worked hard to build for many generations.