Chapter 18 — The Heiress's Selection of a Husband

Chu Bach Dinh's plan to isolate Vinh Khang failed faster than he expected, when the media crisis was resolved overnight thanks to Anh Thu's unexpected intervention. Even worse for him, instead of making the family more suspicious of the mysterious maid, that event unintentionally strengthened both Vinh Bach and Vinh Khang's trust in her, turning her from a suspect into a trusted member of the very house whose dark secret he was trying to protect.

Bach Dinh understood that time was no longer on his side. There were less than two weeks left until the annual death anniversary of the Chu family, a grand event that brought together many family members, important business partners, and even some local officials. If Anh Thu intended to reveal the truth, this was the ideal time for her to do it in front of everyone.

He called Lam Vinh Phat, his voice filled with rare impatience. "Your plan to spread rumors did not have the expected effect. On the contrary, it made people in my family trust that girl more. We need to speed up the process, we can't wait until she collects enough evidence to turn the situation around."

"What do you want me to do next?" Lam Vinh Phat asked, his voice could not hide the impatience after the recent defeat.

"Prepare your people and legal documents, ready to appear at my family's death anniversary ceremony in the next two weeks. That will be the last chance for us to strike decisively, amidst a large number of witnesses, leaving her with no way back." Bach Dinh replied, his voice full of calculation. "But before that, I need to warn her once and see how she reacts, whether she will automatically retreat or not before we have to use strong measures."

He decided he could not wait any longer and had to directly issue a warning before things got out of control. One evening, when she learned that Anh Thu was alone watering the plants in the back garden of the mansion, a deserted place and out of sight from the main mansion, Bach Dinh quietly approached and stood blocking the path, startling her.

"Miss Thu, should I call you Ton Anh Thu?" He raised his voice, without any fake gentleness as usual, his cold eyes looked straight at her like a knife.

Anh Thu stood still, feeling like the blood in her body froze for a split second. She had expected this day to come, but she didn't expect it to come so early and so suddenly. She tried to keep her expression as calm as possible, even though her heart was beating wildly in her chest. "What are you talking about, I don't understand."

"Stop pretending to be innocent in front of me." Bach Dinh stepped closer, his voice lowered but full of menace. "I already know that you are the daughter of Ton Dac Nghia, who was accused of embezzling public funds twenty-five years ago. I also know that you are the missing heiress of Tan Phuc Company, the one who ran away from her wedding with Lam Vinh Phat. Do you think you can forever hide those secrets from me?"

Anh Thu had no way to deny the truth that had been completely exposed. She raised her head, her eyes were no longer afraid, but instead showed anger that had been pent up for many months. "So you are also the one who harmed my father, right? It was you who forged signatures and falsified documents to frame an innocent person, pushing my entire family into ruin."

Bach Dinh slightly curled his lips and smiled coldly, neither denying nor admitting directly. "Do you have any evidence to prove that? Or is it just the baseless speculations of an orphan trying to defame a respected family?"

"I have enough evidence to expose your crimes before the whole family." Anh Thu replied, her voice trembled but did not waver, even though in her heart she was not sure whether what she had was convincing enough or not.

"Then I advise you to think carefully before acting." Bach Dinh said, his voice suddenly became creepy and threatening. "I've lived through more troubles than you can imagine, and I won't let a brat like you ruin everything I've worked so hard to build over the past twenty-five years. If you still care about your own safety, and that of the people you love in this family, it's best for you to quietly leave Xuyen Giang city tonight and never come back again."

"Are you threatening me?" Anh Thu asked, her voice shaking with anger.

"I'm just giving you one last chance to save your life, both for you and for the person you're deeply in love with." Bach Dinh replied, his eyes glanced towards the main mansion, where Vinh Khang was working, a clear and unmistakable implication. "I have the ability to reasonably make anyone who stands in my way disappear, leaving no trace that can be traced back to me. You should understand that I've done it once before, and I can do it again if necessary."

She remembered the story Mrs. Lien once told, about how her father was in despair when the whole world turned his back on him, about the last years of his life living in frustration with no one willing to listen to his excuses. She understood that the man standing in front of her, with his fake calm appearance over the years, was completely capable of repeating the crime again if she was not wise and cautious enough in each next step.

That naked threat made Anh Thu's blood run cold, not because of fear for herself, but because of fear for the safety of Vinh Khang, the person she loved deeply. She clenched her hands into fists, trying not to let fear overcome her reason. "You will pay for every crime you have committed, no matter how long it takes."

"Then let's see who will pay the price first." Bach Dinh said, his voice was cold and chilling, then turned and walked away, leaving Anh Thu standing still in the middle of the dark garden, her whole body trembling because she had just experienced the scariest moment of direct confrontation since she set foot in this mansion.

That night, Anh Thu did not dare to hesitate any longer. She went to Vinh Khang's office and recounted the entire encounter that had just happened, her voice still shaking with fear. After Vinh Khang heard, his face darkened with anger, but he still tried to stay calm to think clearly.

"He has shown his face, which means he is really panicking and could act recklessly at any moment." Vinh Khang said, his voice serious. "We can't wait any longer. The upcoming death anniversary will be the only opportunity to confront the entire family. When there are enough witnesses, it will be difficult for him to deny or act as cruelly as he has threatened."

Anh Thu nodded, even though she was still worried. "But we need more solid evidence, and we need to find Mr. Dinh Van Tho as a witness before the ceremony takes place. Otherwise, your accusation will just be empty words before a person of status and prestige like Mr. Bach Dinh."

"I have found clues about Mr. Tho's current whereabouts." Vinh Khang said, opening a file on his desk. "He currently lives in a small town about two hours' drive from here. Tomorrow, we will go to see him and convince him to testify to the truth. We don't have much time left, we have to act now before Bach Dinh can act first."

"I also think I should tell Ut part of the truth." Anh Thu added, her voice was calmer after venting her worries to the person she trusted the most. "He has helped me a lot without even knowing it. I don't want him to be surprised or in danger because he accidentally got involved in this."

Vinh Khang nodded in agreement. "Yes, we will need her help in the upcoming death anniversary ceremony. The three of us working together, plus Mr. Tho's testimony if he agrees, will be enough to create a solid front in front of the whole family. I will arrange for us to meet privately with Phong tomorrow night, carefully discussing every detail before taking action."

Ms. Thu looked at Vinh Khang, filled with gratitude for his determination and thoughtfulness in every step of preparation. Although the road ahead was still full of dangers and uncertainties, she felt much more secure knowing that she no longer had to face the dangerous enemy that once destroyed her entire family.