Chapter 22 — The Finish Line of Years Gone By

Son went straight to Khang Vinh's office without prior notice, something he had never done since the day he met Khue again. The receptionist, recognizing him from previous visits, called to inform him, and a few minutes later, Son was led into Khue's office.

She was sitting in front of the table, her face still showing signs of fatigue, her eyes slightly surprised when she saw him suddenly appear.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice still distant from the tense morning call.

"I came to apologize, and to suggest another solution," Son said, standing neatly in front of her desk, not avoiding her eyes like he had done many times in the past. "I was wrong to decide to withdraw without consulting you. I'm sorry for that."

Khue was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I propose that, instead of withdrawing, Bạt Phong Club will hold a joint press conference with Khang Vinh, publicizing the entire bidding documents, selection criteria, and the true story of the relationship between you and me - not to hide it, but to prove that even though we knew each other before, this decision to cooperate is still completely based on real professional capacity," he said, his voice decisive. "I think transparency is the best way to quell all doubts, instead of hiding."

Khue looked at him, clearly feeling the change in his attitude compared to the morning, and in her heart, the anger gradually disappeared, giving way to a deep appreciation for that sincere effort to correct the mistake.

"I agree with that proposal," she said, her voice softening. "But I also want to say, I was a bit too harsh this morning. I'm sorry for using the word 'run away', it's a strong word, unfair to you."

"No, you're right." Son shook his head and sat down in the chair opposite her. "I'm used to deciding everything myself and bearing it myself, because since I was young I've lived in a family where I had to solve all difficulties myself, with no one to rely on. That habit is so ingrained that, even when I love someone, I still unconsciously want to protect them by shouldering it alone, instead of trusting and sharing." Khue nodded, listening with deep understanding.

"And there's one more thing I need to tell you, so things are really clear between us," Son continued, his voice becoming more serious. "I received the investigation file of my father's accident from the club's lawyer, who I asked to contact in parallel with your request. I have read it all carefully."

"And what do you think?" Khue asked, waiting anxiously.

"The records are completely transparent, just like you said," Son replied, his voice completely relieved. "There was a technical error from the subcontractor, there was an independent inspection record, and there was an administrative sanction against the construction unit that did not follow the correct procedure. My father even requested to terminate the contract with that subcontractor immediately after the incident, even though that caused the project to be delayed and incur significant additional costs."

"So you feel reassured now?" Khue asked, her eyes earnest.

"Completely reassured." Son nodded. "And I also realized that, for the past thirteen years, I have kept a vague doubt in my heart that has never been verified, letting it silently affect the way I view your company, and even the way I react to this morning's incident. I'm sorry for letting that doubt influence my decisions, instead of trusting you from the beginning."

Khue stood up, walked around the table, sat down next to him, and held his hand. "We all have our own scars from the past, Son. You have the fear of being taken advantage of, the fear of receiving favors. I have the fear of being judged based solely on your family name, the fear of not being recognized for your own abilities. Maybe, instead of trying to overcome those fears alone like we're used to doing, we should learn to face them together."

"You're right." Son squeezed her hand tightly, his eyes filled with sincerity. "And I thought, thirteen years ago, none of us were at fault. My father had an accident, no one wanted that to happen. My family had to move, no one intentionally pushed us away from each other. SIM cards were blocked, mail was lost, it was all just cruel circumstances, not betrayal or forgetfulness from anyone."

"No one is at fault," Khue repeated, her voice choked but relieved, as if those words had lifted a burden she had carried for thirteen years without ever daring to name it clearly. "It's just the circumstances, and we both did our best under the circumstances."

The two sat silently together for a long moment, without any need for another word, just letting that silence contain everything they had wanted to say to each other during the thirteen years they had been apart—not forgiveness, for there was nothing to be forgiven, but a complete understanding, deeper than any passionate confession of love.

"So now let's start preparing for the press conference," Khue spoke finally, her voice regained its familiar assertiveness, but her eyes still shone with new warmth. "We have three months to turn this crisis into an opportunity to prove to everyone, both our project and our own story."

Son smiled, stood up, and in that moment, he felt more clearly than ever that this relationship, despite going through many challenges, was now being rebuilt on a much stronger foundation than the pure but immature love of the age of seventeen - a foundation of understanding, trust, and willingness to face all the difficulties ahead together, instead of each person carrying it alone like they had done during the years of separation.

***

The joint press conference was held four days later, in the same hall where the sponsor announcement ceremony took place. Khue stood on the podium and presented the entire transparent bidding process and objective professional evaluation criteria, while Son, as a club representative, shared about the journey of building Bạt Phong from a small, anonymous club into a cradle for training promising marathon runners.

When a reporter asked a straightforward question about the personal relationship between the two, both Son and Khue did not shy away. They recounted, briefly but sincerely, about the student love from thirteen years ago, about the separation due to circumstances, and about the accidental reunion through this marathon project.

"We do not deny having a personal relationship in the past," Khue spoke in front of dozens of cameras, her voice was calm but full of confidence. "But we affirm that the decision to cooperate between Khang Vinh and Bạt Phong Club is completely based on professional capacity that has been verified through an independent, transparent evaluation process. If you have any doubts, we are ready to provide all records for comparison."

That straightforward, non-evasive answer, combined with clearly presented specific data, has gradually turned public opinion in a more positive direction. A few subsequent articles even exploited their love story overcoming the gap between rich and poor and the years of separation as a humanistic perspective, helping to increase public attention and sympathy for the Bình Minh International Marathon.

Mr. Uông Đắc Thành, after the press conference, no longer made any public statements, although internally, the power struggle between him and Khue still smoldered. But at least in the media, the storm had temporarily subsided, giving way to the final days of preparation before the official competition.

After the press conference, as the two walked out of the hall together, the late afternoon sunlight shining down on the road in front of the building, Khue turned to look at Son, her eyes filled with a relief that she had never felt so clearly during the past many stressful weeks.

"Thank you," she said. "Not just for today's press conference, but for coming back, for choosing to face rather than retreat."

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make things right," Son replied, holding her hand as the two walked among the people passing by on the sidewalk, no longer shy like the first time they met after thirteen years of separation. "From now on, I promise I will no longer make decisions for both of us."

Khue smiled, squeezed his hand, and they both strode into the sunset, heading forward, where the final three months of preparation for the Dawn International Marathon awaited, bringing with them not only the pressure of work, but also a renewed hope for the future that they were now ready to build together.