Chapter 8 — The 12th-Floor Kitchen Contract

On Monday morning, the atmosphere at Cam Luong restaurant became unusually tense when Khang received an urgent call from the finance department, informing him of an unexpected audit requested by Mr. Phat, citing the need to review the restaurant's entire operating costs in the past quarter.

"This is clearly a move to find loopholes to attack me," Khang told Kien in his private office, his voice unable to hide his frustration. "Uncle Phat is trying to prove that I am incompetent to manage, to have an excuse to challenge my inheritance before the board of directors."

"We need to carefully prepare all the documents and books," Kien replied, his voice serious. "Make sure not to leave any loopholes for him to take advantage of."

Diem Tram, sitting in the corner of the room reviewing the new dessert menu, couldn't help but worry about the tense situation going on. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"Just focus on your work," Khang replied, although his eyes briefly showed appreciation for her concern. "This is an internal matter, I will resolve it myself."

***

During that week, Khang spent almost all of his time working with the audit team, comparing every smallest expenditure to ensure there were no errors that could be exploited. The stress made him become less talkative, and cozy dinners with Diem Tram gradually became less frequent as he had to work until late every day.

"You need to rest a bit," Diem Tram said one evening, when she saw Khang still poring over a pile of papers at the dining table even though it was nearly midnight. "You can't work effectively if you keep staying up late like that."

"I have no other choice," Khang replied, his voice clearly tired. "If Uncle Phat finds any mistake, no matter how small, he will use it to make things difficult for the board of directors, threatening my entire inheritance plan."

Diem Tram sat down next to him, didn't say anything, just quietly made a cup of hot tea and placed it gently next to the stack of papers. “Then let me help you,” she said. "I don't understand much about finance, but I can help you organize and classify documents, so you can save more time."

Khang looked at her with eyes of surprise mixed with emotion. "You don't have to do that," he said, though his tone had no intention of refusing the help.

"I want to help," Diem Tram affirmed, her eyes determined. "We're in this together, right?"

***

The two spent the entire evening working together, Diem Tram carefully arranging each set of invoices in chronological order while Khang compared the numbers. The atmosphere between them, although tense due to work pressure, also became closer thanks to this quiet but sincere companionship.

"Thank you," Khang said when the two finally finished arranging all the necessary documents at nearly two o'clock in the morning. "I don't think I could have finished so quickly without your help."

"That's what I can do," Diem Tram replied, smiling tiredly but satisfied. "You should go get some sleep, there's a lot to do tomorrow."

When they both stood up, tired after a long night of work, Khang suddenly held Diem Tram's hand, his eyes filled with deep sincerity. "I'm really lucky to have you by my side during this difficult time," he said softly. "No matter how it started, I'm grateful for it."

Diem Tram felt the warmth from his hand, her heart pounded at that unexpected closeness. "Me too," she replied softly, not daring to look him straight in the eyes for fear of revealing the emotions that were rising strongly inside her.

That moment lasted just a few short seconds before they both awkwardly let go, each returning to their own room. But the echo of that closeness still lingers in the air, like a signal that the line between the contract and true feelings between them is becoming more and more fragile than ever.

***

Three days later, the audit team completed the review, and the final results showed that all of Cam Luong restaurant's books were transparent, without any significant errors. Khang breathed a sigh of relief when he received the official report, although he clearly knew that this was just one of many challenges that Mr. Phat would continue to present in the near future.

"Congratulations," Kien said as they both looked over the audit report in the office. "Uncle Phat will definitely not be satisfied with this result."

"This is just foreplay," Khang replied, his voice still wary. "I know he won't stop here."

As expected, just a few hours after the audit results were announced, Mr. Phat appeared at the restaurant, his expression unable to hide his disappointment even though he tried to hide it with a forced smile. “Congratulations on passing the audit,” he said, his tone laced with subtle sarcasm. "But I believe, this is just the beginning of your journey to prove your abilities before the board of directors."

"I will always be ready to prove my abilities, uncle," Khang replied, his voice calm but determined. "I have nothing to hide."

Mr. Phat looked at Khang for a long time, his eyes contained an unpredictable calculation, then turned to glance at Diem Tram standing nearby. "Your fiancee seems to be more and more attached to the restaurant's business," he commented, his tone containing a meaning that Diem Tram couldn't help but feel. "I wonder if that attachment really comes from love, or for other reasons."

***

That insinuation made the atmosphere in the room become visibly tense. Khang stepped forward, standing between Diem Tram and Mr. Phat, his voice became rare and tough. "You should be careful what you imply," he said. "Diem Tram has nothing to do with your business."

"I'm just expressing concern," Mr. Phat replied, raising his hands as if to clarify, but his eyes still did not leave Diem Tram with a calculating scrutiny. "Anyway, I wish you both happiness." He turned and left, leaving a heavy, anxious atmosphere covering the whole room.

When Mr. Phat was out of sight, Diem Tram felt an uneasy feeling rising in her heart. "He's suspicious of something, right?" she asked softly.

"Maybe so," Khang admitted, his voice thoughtful. "We need to be more careful from now on. I don't want to give him any chance to destroy what we have built."

Diem Tram nodded, but in her heart she couldn't help but worry, not only because of the risk of the contract being discovered, but also because of a deeper fear - the fear that the true feelings that were gradually blooming between her and Khang could be caught up in this dangerous spiral of power struggle, before both could find the true answer for their hearts.

***

That evening, after closing the restaurant, Khang and Diem Tram sat down in his private office to discuss the next steps to deal with the increasingly obvious threat from Mr. Phat. "I think, we need to prepare more carefully for upcoming events," Khang said, opening up the family's schedule of activities for the next month. "Especially the family meeting at the end of the month, when the entire board of directors will be present to reassess the situation before the inheritance deadline."

"I will try my best not to cause any loopholes," Diem Tram replied, her voice full of determination even though she couldn't help but worry under the increasing pressure.

"I know you will do well," Khang said, his eyes filled with absolute trust. "But I also want you to know, no matter what happens, I won't let Uncle Phat hurt you in any way. This is my responsibility, not yours."

That affirmation made Diem Tram feel a warmth spread in her heart, even though she was also clearly aware of the severity of the situation they were both facing. "We're in this together," she repeated the words she herself had once told him, "so the responsibility is also ours."

Khang looked at her in silence for a long time, his eyes filled with deep respect for her resilient spirit. "Thank you," he said softly, "for not giving up, even though things were becoming much more complicated than either of us had anticipated when we signed this contract."