Chapter 19 — The Family That Accused Me Now Wants Me Back

The courtroom was silent. White light shone down on a row of long wooden tables. Gia Han sat next to Bach Tuong, back straight, hands on the file, heart pounding.

In the back row of spectators, Mr. Thanh and To Dieu Khanh sat quietly. They both asked for a day off to be there to support her on the most important day of the past six years. Gia Han turned to look at them briefly before the trial began, meeting Dieu Khanh's encouraging eyes, a slight nod from Mr. Thanh, enough for her to feel that she was not alone in this moment, even though her only blood relative was sitting on the opposite side.

On the opposite side, Mr. Ninh Chan Vu sat with Ms. Chu Bao Tram and Kha Ai, their three faces tensed under the eyes of the audience. Lang Dac Nhan sat next to them, files neatly arranged, looking unwaveringly calm.

Judge Ha Khac Nguyen stepped in and announced the opening of the review session of the administrative handling decision against Ninh Gia Han. His voice was steady, firm, and unbiased.

"This is a review session following the request of the requesting party," he said. "Both sides will present evidence. All claims must be substantiated. Let's begin."

Bach Tuong stood up first. He briefly explained: the night of the accident, Gia Han was not present at the scene; The phone's location data, although the family once denied it because of weak signal, has now been verified through the network, showing that the phone was fixed in one location throughout the night, matching Gia Han's home address.

Dac Nhan stood up and immediately objected. "A device's location data does not prove where the person using that device is. The phone may be left behind while the owner leaves the location."

"Yes," Bach Tuong replied, without hesitation. "So we don't stop there."

He called the first witness: Pham Dac Vinh.

Mr. Dac Vinh walked in, his body shaking slightly but his eyes steadfast. He clearly presented the expenses that were corrected in the books, the direct orders from Mr. Chan Vu, and the handwritten notes he kept for six years.

Dac Nhan stood up, his voice sharp. "Mr. Vinh, you quit your job at Ninh Phat Group under unpleasant circumstances. Are you taking advantage of this opportunity for personal revenge?"

"I have nothing to avenge," Mr. Vinh replied, his voice firm. "I have a document to tell the truth. As for my motives, you can judge for yourself after hearing it all."

"You may have falsified this document," Dac Nhan said, his voice more harsh. "You're an accountant, you know how to create a document that looks real."

"If the court wants," Bach Tuong interjected, his voice calm, "we are ready for an independent expert to verify the age of the paper and ink on the original. We believe in that result."

Dac Nhan was silent for a second, then sat down. He knew that a request for independent appraisal, if accepted, would only further clarify the authenticity of the documents, which would be disadvantageous for his side.

Judge Ha Khac Nguyen took notes and nodded. "Motion noted. Continue."

Bach Tuong called the second witness: Ve Thi Ngoc Lan.

She walked in, her figure was small but her back was straight. She recounted, word for word, the night Kha Ai returned with blood on her sleeve, and the conversation she heard the next morning between Mr. Chan Vu and Ms. Bao Tram.

The whole courtroom was silent. Ms. Bao Tram bowed her head and clasped her hands together.

Dac Nhan stood up, his voice still trying to remain calm. "Mrs. Ngoc Lan, under what circumstances did you quit your job at the Ninh family?"

"I asked myself to leave," she replied. "No one fired me."

"Are you dissatisfied with the Ninh family?"

"I have," she said, her voice shaking but not backing down. "Because I have been silent for too long in the face of an injustice I witnessed with my own eyes. That was dissatisfaction with myself, not with anyone else."

Dac Nhan couldn't find any loopholes to exploit further, so he sat down, his face showing a bit of confusion for the first time.

At recess, the atmosphere in the courtroom was as tense as a string. Gia Han walked out into the hallway, leaned against the wall, took a deep breath. Bach Tuong stood next to her, saying nothing, just placing his hand on her shoulder, a gesture enough to steady her.

A few minutes later, Kha Ai separated from her parents and walked to where Gia Han stood, her voice low and urgent. "Sister, can I talk for a moment?"

Bach Tuong looked at Gia Han. She nodded slightly, signaling that he could take a few steps back, but still within observation.

"Please stop," Kha Ai said, her voice shaking, her eyes red. "I beg you. If this continues, I will lose everything. My parents will go to jail. I will have nothing left."

Gia Han looked straight at her sister, her voice was cold but no longer angry, only a profound fatigue. "Six years ago, when I was taken away, you stood there, just as trembling as you are now. Did you think then that I would lose everything?"

Kha Ai was speechless, unable to answer.

"I didn't come here to take anything away from you," Gia Han continued, her voice slow. "I came here to take back what was taken from me. If you are truly sorry, the only way to redeem it is to tell the truth, not to keep asking me for silence again."

Kha Ai stood still, tears rolling down her eyes, but couldn't say another word before Mrs. Bao Tram quickly came and pulled her back to the other side of the hallway, her worried eyes glancing at Gia Han warily.

When the trial continued, Dac Nhan stood up, pulled out a new set of documents, his voice sharp. "Your Honor, we have evidence that the plaintiff's real motive is not simply to clear her name. Ms. Ninh Gia Han is on the list of heirs according to Mr. Ninh Bach Dat's will, with the confirmation deadline about to expire. We believe that this entire lawsuit is just a trick to put pressure on, to gain assets."

Murmurs arose in the courtroom. Gia Han clenched her hands under the table, feeling the judgmental eyes on her.

Judge Ha Khac Nguyen lightly tapped his gavel. "Does the plaintiff have any response?"

Bach Tuong stood up, his voice calm but firm. "Your Honor, my client never knew of the existence of this will until we ourselves discovered an anomaly in the shareholder structure of Ninh Phat Group, during the investigation of the case. The existence of an inheritance interest does not change the nature of the truth: my client was not present at the scene of the accident six years ago."

"But it shows motive," Dac Nhan interrupted. "A clear financial motive."

"If the court allows it," Bach Tuong said, turning to look directly at Gia Han for a moment, then turning back to the judge, "my client has a statement to make."

Gia Han stood up, her hands shaking slightly but her voice echoed clearly throughout the courtroom. "Your Honor, I declare that I renounce all inheritance rights related to my grandfather's will, from this moment, until the end of this trial. I do not need property. I only need the truth to be recognized, that I was not the person who caused the accident that left another person disabled for life."

The whispers arose again, but this time they had a different tone, one of surprise mixed with admiration. Dac Nhan stood still for a second, realizing that the tactic of attacking financial motives had just been completely neutralized with just a short statement.

Judge Ha Khac Nguyen looked at Gia Han for a long time, then nodded and took notes. "The statement was recorded in the record. The court will continue to consider the remaining evidence after the lunch break."

The hammer fell. The trial was adjourned.

Mr. Chan Vu sat quietly, watching Gia Han walk out of the courtroom with Bach Tuong, his face pale. Next to him, Kha Ai trembled, her hands clasped tightly together, her panicked eyes looking at the back of the sister she betrayed six years ago.

"Dad," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "I didn't think she was this prepared."

Mr. Chan Vu did not respond. He knew that the remaining afternoon of the trial would truly be the decisive battle, and he was no longer sure whether he still held any cards strong enough to turn the situation around.

Dac Nhan sat down next to him, his voice lowered so only two people could hear. "We have one last option, Mr. Chairman. This afternoon, I will ask the court to summon Ms. Kha Ai as a witness on our side, so that she can reaffirm the version of events recorded in the original file. If she maintains her original testimony in court, it could still be a weighty testimony, enough to create reasonable doubt."

Mr. Chan Vu turned to look at his daughter, his eyes filled with concern. He knew that this was the last card, but it was also the most fragile card, because he was no longer sure whether the trembling daughter next to him had the strength to maintain the lie that had followed her for the past six years, especially after what had just happened in the hallway.