Chapter 19 — The 12th-Floor Kitchen Contract

News of the official engagement between Luong Viet Khang and Ngo Diem Tram quickly spread throughout the business and culinary world in the city, bringing a wave of warm congratulations from everywhere. Different from the initial skepticism when the fake contract was first announced, now no one doubts the sincerity of the feelings between the two.

"We received hundreds of congratulations in just one day," Hoai Thu announced, unable to hide her excitement as she checked the mailbox of Diem Tram bakery. "Some culinary magazines even wanted to interview her about this special love story."

Diem Tram smiled, although inside she still felt a bit overwhelmed by this unexpected attention. "I think we should focus on the work at hand," she said. "The wedding will require a lot of preparation, and I don't want to let anything distract from what's really important."

***

That weekend, Diem Tram and Khang organized a small meeting between the two families to officially discuss wedding plans, with the attendance of Mrs. Cam, Mrs. Lam, and a few other close people. The atmosphere of the meeting was filled with warmth and excitement as both families discussed important details for the upcoming big day.

"I think we should hold the wedding in the fall, when the weather is coolest and most pleasant," Mrs. Cam proposed, her eyes filled with excitement as she thought about preparing for her nephew's wedding.

"I think so too," Diem Tram agreed, glancing at Khang with a warm smile. "And I want to sew my own wedding dress, as a way to fully express my enthusiasm for this important day."

Mrs. Lam, hearing her daughter share that idea, could not hide her emotions. "I believe, you will create the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen," she said, clutching her daughter's hand with pride that cannot be expressed in words.

***

In the following weeks, Diem Tram devoted all her attention to preparing for the wedding, combined with the growing business of both the bakery and the new cake counter at Cam Luong restaurant. Even though her workload has increased significantly, she still feels full of energy and happy about what lies ahead.

"Are you feeling overwhelmed?" Khang asked one evening, when he saw Diem Tram still busy with sketches of wedding dress designs even though it was quite late.

"Not at all," Diem Tram replied, looking up at him with eyes full of happiness. "Every job I do is for love, for the future we are building together. I have never felt so energized before."

Khang sat down next to her, looking at the sketches with sincere admiration. "I believe, this wedding dress will become the most beautiful work of your career," he said, gently kissing her forehead in a gentle, natural gesture.

***

Along with the wedding preparations, Khang is also busy restructuring the entire management system of the Cam Luong restaurant chain, building more transparent monitoring processes to avoid repeating the mistakes that happened under Mr. Phat's management. "We need to ensure that every financial decision is cross-checked by at least two independent departments," he presented in a meeting with the board of directors, receiving high consensus from all members.

Kien, now promoted to the position of deputy executive director, provides strong support to Khang in implementing these important reforms. "I believe, with these changes, the company will operate much more transparently and effectively in the future," Kien commented, unable to hide his pride in accompanying his close friend on the journey to rebuild trust for the entire business.

"Thank you, for always being by my side," Khang replied, patting his most trusted partner on the shoulder. "Without your support, I don't think I would have been able to overcome the recent difficult period to reach the happiness I have today."

***

One afternoon, when Diem Tram was trying on fabric for a wedding dress at a familiar garment factory that she had cooperated with for a long time, the veteran tailor could not hide her admiration for the design she had drafted herself. “You have truly excellent design skills,” she commented, meticulously sewing each layer of silk fabric to exact measurements. "This shirt will become a masterpiece of a lifetime."

"Thank you," Diem Tram replied, unable to hide her excitement as she saw the shape of her wedding dress gradually taking shape. "I want it to be both modern and luxurious, while still retaining the sophistication of traditional hand embroidery."

While waiting for the fitting to complete, Diem Tram's phone vibrated with a call from Khang. "Are you busy?" he asked, his voice somewhat strange.

"I'm trying on wedding dresses," she replied, smiling at his concern. "What's up?"

"Nothing important," Khang replied, although his voice was still a little confused. "I just want to hear your voice. Work is a bit stressful today."

***

That night, when the two had dinner together at the apartment, Diem Tram noticed that Khang seemed more thoughtful than usual. "What's bothering you?" she asked, putting down her chopsticks to give her full attention to the conversation.

Khang sighed, finally sharing what was bothering him. "Today, a few board members expressed concerns about expanding too quickly after the incident with Uncle Phat," he explained. "They want us to be more cautious in upcoming investment decisions, especially the project to expand the restaurant chain to other cities that he has long cherished."

"Do you think, is that a legitimate concern?" Diem Tram asked, showing sincere interest in his work.

"Somewhat, maybe so," Khang admitted. "But I also don't want to let the fear of what happened cause us to become too conservative and miss important opportunities for growth."

Diem Tram held his hand, her eyes full of encouragement. "I believe you will find the right balance," she said. "You have proven your bravery through everything you have been through. I believe in your leadership abilities."

That sincere encouragement helped Khang feel much more relieved, realizing that having someone who always believes in and supports him unconditionally is the greatest source of motivation for him to continue to face the challenges that await him in the journey of rebuilding and developing the career that his grandmother worked so hard to build.

***

A few days later, Khang decided to hold an open meeting with the entire board of directors, detailing a cautious yet ambitious development plan for the Cam Luong restaurant chain. "Instead of expanding massively, I propose that we start with a pilot branch in a neighboring city, thoroughly evaluating the effectiveness before continuing to replicate the model," he presented, along with detailed market analysis data that his team had diligently researched.

That cautious but solidly based proposal received high consensus from the entire board of directors, completely allaying previous concerns. “This is exactly the approach we wanted to see,” commented the council president. "Both ambitious and shows the necessary prudence after recent upheavals."

After the meeting, Khang immediately called Diem Tram to share the good news. “My plan has been approved,” he said, his voice filled with relief and excitement. "Thank you, for always trusting and supporting me."

"I always believe you will find the best solution," Diem Tram replied, unable to hide her joy when hearing the news. "We should celebrate tonight."

***

That evening, the two went together to a small restaurant that they both loved, enjoying a private, cozy dinner to celebrate both their success at work and their increasingly fulfilled happiness in their personal lives. "I think, everything is going exactly as we expected," Diem Tram said, raising her glass of wine to gently touch Khang's glass.

"More than that," Khang replied, his eyes filled with contentment as he looked at the woman he would soon call his wife. "I never thought my life could be so complete, both in work and in love."

They raised their glasses, looking forward to a bright future that is gradually taking shape, with the upcoming wedding marking the official beginning of a new chapter in both of their lives, built on the solid foundation of sincere love, absolute trust, and the tireless efforts that they have built together throughout the past challenging journey.