Chapter 17 — The Photograph Without a Third Person

Two days before the hearing, Tran Dat changed tactics. Instead of continuing with indirect threats, he convened a surprise press conference, declaring that the Phan Group was "the victim of an organized smear plot", alleging that the man claiming to be Phan Gia Bao was actually just an impostor aiming to profit from the family's reputation.

Ha watched the press conference video on the news and felt a surge of anger when she heard Tran Dat speak with fake confidence in front of dozens of reporters. "We conducted verification and discovered that this person does not have any blood relationship with the Phan family," he said, his tone full of authority. "This is clearly an elaborately orchestrated extortion plot, and we will pursue this case through legal avenues."

"He's trying to pre-empt the hearing," Minh Tuan said when Ha called to report the news, his voice still calm and professional even though he clearly sensed the seriousness of the situation. "If he can sow doubt in public opinion before the official hearing takes place, that could put indirect pressure on the jury."

"But we already have preliminary DNA test results, right?" Ha asked, recalling the identity verification process that the court ordered last week.

"That's right, and the results completely confirm the blood relationship between Gia Bao and Mrs. Kim Oanh, as well as the twin relationship with Gia Huy," Minh Tuan replied. "But the official results are only announced at the hearing, according to the legal process. Tran Dat is trying to take advantage of this information gap to cause chaos."

Immediately, Minh Tuan drafted an official response statement, not revealing details of the evidence but affirming that "the entire identity verification process is being conducted in accordance with the law, and the truth will be clarified at the upcoming hearing." He also sent a written warning to press agencies about the risk of violating regulations on reporting affecting a case currently under trial.

Meanwhile, Gia Bao, upon hearing about the press conference, became unusually quiet. Ha went to the car repair shop that afternoon and saw him sitting quietly in the corner, not working, just staring at the space in front of him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

“He called me an impostor,” Gia Bao said, his voice filled with deep pain. "After everything I've been through, he dares to deny my true existence again."

"It's just a desperate tactic of a scared man," Ha said, taking his hand. "The DNA results will prove everything. He cannot deny science."

"I know," Gia Bao replied, but his voice was still heavy. "But there's a part of me that still feels scared, as if no matter how much evidence there is, the world still won't believe me, will still see me as a ghost with no right to exist."

Ha knelt down in front of him, looking straight into his eyes with all the sincerity she could convey. "Mr. Bao, I believe in you. Your mother believes in you. Minh Tuan, Dieu Thao, even Khanh Vy — we all believe in you, and will stand by your side no matter what happens. You no longer have to prove your existence to the world alone anymore."

Gia Bao looked at her, his eyes filled with tears, then he pulled her into a tight hug, as if trying to find stability from her warmth amid the surrounding storm.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair. "For never letting me feel like a ghost."

***

That night, when Ha was on her way home after leaving the car repair shop, a black car suddenly approached the curb, blocking her path. The car door opened, and Tran Dat himself stepped out, no longer a fake polite look, but a cold face, full of dangerous calculations.

"Miss Ha," he said, his voice low and threatening. "I think it's time for us to talk frankly, without lawyers, without recordings."

Ha felt her heart pounding with fear, but she tried to maintain a calm appearance. "I have nothing to say to you in private, Mr. Dat."

"Then listen to me," he continued, taking a step closer. "You think you're doing the right thing, but you don't understand the consequences of bringing down an entire corporation. Thousands of employees will lose their jobs, hundreds of families will be affected, just because you wanted to pursue an innocent love story with someone who died four years ago."

"You're trying to blame me for the consequences of your own actions," Ha responded, her voice shaking but remaining steadfast. "If you were truly worried about your employees and their families, you should have thought about that before deciding to cover up a potentially fatal accident, before deciding to stage the fake death of a young engineer just because you didn't want to be responsible."

Tran Dat's eyes flashed with anger, but he quickly regained his cold composure. "You have two days left to think it over, Ms. Ha. After that, all negotiating doors will be closed forever."

He turned around, got back into the car, and then disappeared into the night. Ha stood there for a long time, her whole body trembling because she had just gone through a stressful and dangerous confrontation. She quickly called the private security guard who was watching nearby, then called Minh Tuan and told the whole incident.

"He is boldly approaching you directly, without going through an intermediary," Minh Tuan said, his voice filled with worry. "That shows he is truly panicking. We need to increase your security immediately, and I will report this incident to the police as additional evidence of witness intimidation."

Ha nodded, even though her hands were still shaking. Only two days left. Two more days, and the truth will officially come to light — but she knows, the final hours before reaching your destination are often the most dangerous.

As soon as she got home, she called Gia Bao and recounted the entire encounter with Tran Dat, although at first she intended to hide it from him so as not to make him more worried. But she quickly realized that, after everything they had been through together, hiding it would only make things worse.

"He dares to come to your place and threaten you directly?" Gia Bao asked, his voice filled with anger and worry. "I will come now."

"No need," Ha quickly stopped him. "I'm fine, and I have security following me. I just wanted you to know, so we can both be more careful in the next two days."

Gia Bao was silent for a moment, then sighed heavily. "I hate this feeling — the feeling of not being able to protect someone you care about, even though just because I exist, you're dragged into all this danger."

"I'm not dragging you into anything," Ha replied, her voice steady. "I chose this path myself, from the moment I saw you in the photo. And I would choose it a hundred times more if I could, because I know I'm doing the right thing."

The conversation continued for a while, the two reassuring each other over the phone until they both felt somewhat calmer. Before hanging up the phone, Gia Bao said softly: "Tomorrow, I will go see my mother. She is also very worried about both of us. Maybe we should stay closer to each other more in these last days, so that no one has to face their fears alone."

The next morning, Minh Tuan announced that he had filed an emergency application with the court, requesting to apply witness protection measures for Ha, Gia Bao and Ms. Kim Oanh in the remaining days before the hearing, based on evidence of Tran Dat's direct threatening behavior.

"The court has approved the request," he announced at noon. "From now on, there will be official police escorts for all three people, not just private security. This is an important step forward, as it also means that the court is taking this case with a high level of seriousness."

That news gave Ha a somewhat safer feeling, although the worry about what Tran Dat might still do had not completely disappeared. She looked at the calendar, counting down the remaining hours before the hearing, clearly feeling that they were very close to the finish line of a long, arduous, but never more dangerous journey than now.

That afternoon, the police officer assigned to escort Ha introduced himself as Lieutenant Hoai, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and a calm, experienced demeanor. "Don't worry too much," she said as she started her shift. "I've handled more complicated cases than this. Just follow basic safety instructions, and everything will be fine."

With Lieutenant Hoai's presence, Ha felt more secure to focus on the final preparations for the hearing. She and Dieu Thao reviewed the entire set of presented photos one last time, ensuring every detail was accurate and could withstand the harshest questioning from the opposing lawyer.

Late that night, before Lieutenant Hoai finished his shift, she gave Ha one last warning. "Tomorrow and the day after, please limit traveling alone as much as possible. We will be fully present at the hearing to ensure the safety of all witnesses."

Ha nodded, thanked her, then looked out the window where night had completely fallen. She thought about everything that had happened during her long journey — from a strange photo, to an unexpected love that blossomed amid danger, to a tough legal battle that was about to come to an end. Although there are still many uncertainties ahead, she feels a strange peace in her heart, because she knows she has done everything she can to protect the truth and the people she loves.