Chapter 9 — The 12th-Floor Kitchen Contract

The family meeting at the end of the month was held at Mrs. Cam's villa, with the full attendance of the entire board of directors of the Cam Luong restaurant chain, along with many family members that Diem Tram had never met before. This is considered an unofficial but important evaluation session, where council members will observe and comment on the seriousness of Khang's upcoming marriage before giving an official opinion on the inheritance.

"Are you ready?" Khang asked as the two stood in front of the villa gate, adjusting his tie in a rare gesture that showed his concern.

"I'm ready," Diem Tram replied, holding his hand tightly to reassure them both. "We will get through this."

The party took place in a solemn atmosphere, with conversations mixed between business and delicate questions about the couple's private life. Diem Tram had to constantly use her ingenuity to answer difficult questions from board members, who were clearly instructed by Mr. Phat to find loopholes in their love story.

***

"How long have you worked at the restaurant?" an elderly council member asked, his eyes as sharp as Mr. Phat's.

"I started collaborating with the restaurant about two months ago, as a dessert consultant," Diem Tram replied, keeping her voice confident. "But I knew Viet Khang before, through the business of my own bakery."

“Two months,” the man repeated, his eyes filled with disbelief. "That's a pretty short amount of time to get married, don't you think?"

Before Diem Tram could answer, Khang spoke up, his voice calm but determined. "Love doesn't always need a long time to prove sincerity," he said. "I believe, it is the decisiveness in love that is valuable, not the time of acquaintance."

That tactful answer silenced the council member, although his eyes still held a hint of suspicion. Diem Tram glanced at Khang with grateful eyes, feeling the sincere protection he gave her in that awkward situation.

***

In the middle of the party, Mrs. Cam pulled Diem Tram to a private corner, her eyes full of delicate observation. "You seem nervous," she commented. "Don't let their questions make you lose your confidence. I've observed how you and Viet Khang treated each other all evening, and I believe it's not something that can be faked."

Diem Tram felt her heart tighten at that comment, not knowing whether to be happy because she trusted her, or worried because the feeling of guilt was growing in her heart. "Thank you," was all she could reply, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I want to ask you something," Mrs. Cam continued, her voice becoming more serious. "If one day, Viet Khang no longer needs to inherit the restaurant, do you still want to be with it?"

That unexpected question made Diem Tram stunned for a moment. She looked towards Khang standing and chatting with his business partners in the distance, recalling all the sincere moments the two had experienced together since the contract began. "I think," she replied slowly, surprised by the sincerity of her answer, "I would still want to be with him, no matter how circumstances changed."

Mrs. Cam smiled, a warm, satisfied smile. "That's the answer I expected," she said softly, holding Diem Tram's hand with sincere affection.

***

On the way back from the party, Khang couldn't hide his relief. "I think this evening went pretty well," he said, glancing at Diem Tram with eyes full of appreciation. "Thank you, for handling every situation so skillfully."

"Your grandmother asked me a rather special question," Diem Tram shared, still thinking about the recent conversation. "She asked, if you don't need to inherit the restaurant anymore, do I still want to be with you?"

Khang glanced at her, his eyes were curious and nervous. "How did you answer?"

Diem Tram was silent for a moment, considering whether to reveal her true answer or not. "I said, I would still want to be with you," she finally replied, her voice quiet but sincere.

Khang held the steering wheel tightly, his eyes revealing an emotion that he did not try to hide. "Is that an honest answer?" he asked softly, his voice holding a hope he had never allowed himself to express before.

Diem Tram turned to look at him, her eyes were steady even though her heart was pounding. "That's right," she replied. "That's the honest answer."

The moment of silence after that confession contained more meaning than any words could express, when both realized that the final line between contract and true love had officially been erased, even though neither of them dared to fully utter it out loud.

***

When the car stopped in front of the Zenith building, instead of rushing in as usual, Khang turned off the car engine and turned completely to look at Diem Tram. “I wanted to ask you something,” he said, his voice holding a rare tremor. "If I said, I no longer want to see this as just a contract, what would you think?"

Diem Tram's heart throbbed at that direct question. She looked into his eyes under the dim streetlight, trying to find certainty in her own feelings before answering. "I think," she replied slowly, "I'm not sure I can keep pretending that this is just work anymore."

A gentle, sincere smile appeared on Khang's lips, a smile that Diem Tram had rarely witnessed so completely. "So where are we in this?" he asked softly, his eyes filled with hope.

"I don't know," Diem Tram replied honestly, a confused but happy smile flashing across her face. "But I think, maybe we don't need to rush to find the answer right now. We can let things happen naturally, see where it takes us."

Khang nodded, reaching out to gently touch her cheek in an unprecedented gentle gesture. "I like that idea," he said quietly. "As long as you allow me to accompany you on that path."

***

They sat in the car for a while longer, not in a hurry to enter the building, enjoying the rare private moment between the two of them, where there were no camera lenses, no judgmental eyes of the family or the board of directors, just two hearts gradually finding each other amidst the chaos of a contract that initially seemed to be purely calculated.

"We should go in," Diem Tram finally said, even though inside she didn't want this moment to end. "There's still a lot to do tomorrow."

"Yes," Khang replied, but still lingered a little longer, his eyes never leaving her. "Thank you, for tonight. For everything."

When they both entered the building, their hands unconsciously found each other, their fingers naturally intertwined as if they had known each other for a long time. It was no longer a gesture staged for outsiders to see, but a genuine, silent but solid connection, signaling a new chapter opening in the story between them - a chapter written not by contractual terms, but by the true vibrations of the heart.

In the elevator up to the apartment, the two stood next to each other in silence, but it was a warm, comfortable silence, completely different from the awkward silence of the first days. Diem Tram glanced at the reflection of the two in the elevator mirror, and couldn't help but be surprised at the great change that had taken place in just a few short weeks - from two strangers bound by a cold contract, to two hearts gradually harmonizing together in the most natural way.

When the elevator door opened on the apartment floor, Khang gently squeezed her hand one more time before letting go. "Good night, Diem Tram," he said, his eyes filled with a new gentleness. "See you tomorrow morning."

"Good night, Viet Khang," she replied, calling his full name for the first time with a natural affection that she had never allowed herself to show before. Entering her private room, Diem Tram sat down on the bed, her heart still pounding, realizing that, although the road ahead was still uncertain, she was ready to accept whatever would come, as long as it was associated with the man who had just taken an important step into her heart.