Chapter 20 — The Secret Pages of Room Seven

A figure stepped out from the darkness of the western tunnel. It was not a uniformed police officer like Mạc Vĩnh Điền and Chu Bảo Hạnh expected to surrender in a controlled manner, but a middle-aged man in plain clothes, holding aloft his economic police badge.

"Đỗ Bách Khiêm, economic investigation agency," he said, his voice sharp. "You two are surrounded. Surrender now."

Mạc Vĩnh Điền stepped back, his eyes roamed around looking for a way out, but behind was Mrs. Tram and a group of patients blocking the way, in front was Đỗ Bách Khiêm, and on both sides of the narrow hallway there were no other turns.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Chu Bảo Hạnh asked, her voice trembled, she could no longer maintain any composure.

"Doctor Nguyen informed me three days ago that there might be action this week. I have people on standby around the hospital area," Đỗ Bách Khiêm replied, his eyes scanning the entire scene. "Ms. Nhã Vân's video call was just the last straw for me to decide to act immediately, without waiting for an official search warrant, because this is clearly an emergency situation with the risk of dispersing evidence and fleeing."

Mạc Vĩnh Điền stood dumbfounded, realizing that his entire escape plan had been calculated many steps in advance. He turned to look at Nhã Vân, his eyes filled with the bitterness of a loser.

"You've been planning this for a long time, right?" He asked, his voice filled with bitterness.

"From the day I stepped foot here with the name Lam," Nhã Vân replied, her voice did not waver. "Since the day I saw my sister lying motionless behind frosted glass, being injected with drugs every day just to keep your crimes silent."

"Everything I do, is just to protect this family," Mạc Vĩnh Điền said, his voice full of justification. "If that debt is exposed, the whole corporation will collapse, my mother will lose everything, and me and Diệu Kỳ will also lose everything."

"You didn't protect this family," Nhã Vân interrupted, her voice cold. "You were only protecting yourself. If you really thought about your family, you would have confessed your mistake from the beginning, accepted the consequences, instead of making my sister a sacrifice for your greed," Chu Bảo Hạnh, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, her voice filled with pent-up resentment. "Do you think I want to do this, Nhã Vân? I have helped your family for many years, and I also have my own difficulties."

"What difficulties can justify detaining Ms. Tram for three years, Ms. Thanh Hà for two years, and countless others in Room Seven?" Nhã Vân turned to look straight at her, her voice full of disappointment and anger. "I used to see you as a relative, Ms. Chu. But I was wrong."

Đỗ Bách Khiêm signaled his team to advance, handcuffing both Mạc Vĩnh Điền and Chu Bảo Hạnh, while Tưởng Nhã Kỳ and two men in black suits were also controlled in turn.

"You will have to answer before the law for money laundering, illegal arrest, and falsifying medical records to hide crimes," Đỗ Bách Khiêm said, his voice serious. "All the evidence from Room Seven, along with the testimony of the witnesses here, is enough to prosecute the case."

As Mạc Vĩnh Điền was being led past, he stopped for a moment and looked at Nhã Vân one last time. "If you weren't so greedy that day, maybe things would have been different."

"It's too late for ifs, sir," Nhã Vân replied, her voice no longer had any anger left, only a deep fatigue remained. "You should spend that time thinking about the people you hurt, instead of feeling sorry for yourself."

When the escort group left, the red and blue lights of the police car began to illuminate the entire hospital campus through the window at the end of the hallway. Nhã Vân allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief, her knees seemed to be about to buckle because the pent-up tension over the past several weeks was finally relieved.

Bách Nguyên supported her, his eyes full of gentleness. "It's done. We did it."

Nhã Vân turned to look for Diệu Kỳ and saw her sister being hugged and comforted by Mrs. Tram. Although Diệu Kỳ's face was still haggard and tired from what she had just experienced, her eyes shone with an unprecedented relief since the night of the incident.

"Hey, sister." Diệu Kỳ ran to hug her, tears rolling down her eyes. "Is everything really over?"

"It's over, Kỳ." Nhã Vân hugged her sister tightly, her voice was equally choked. "You're safe. We're all safe."

Mrs. Tram stood watching the two sisters hug each other, her eyes also filled with tears, thinking of the moment when she could see her husband and children again after three long years buried in darkness. Ms. Thanh Hà, the shy witness that Nhã Vân had never had the opportunity to meet in person, was also brought out from another room in the quarantine area, her face full of surprise at the freedom that she had not dared to dream of for so many years.

That night, when the dawn began to shine over the horizon, dispelling the darkness that had covered An Tâm Clinic for many years, Nhã Vân stood in the middle of the hospital yard, watching the police convoy gradually leave, taking with them those who had caused so much suffering to her family and many other families. She knew that this was just the beginning of a long road ahead — a journey of healing, rebuilding, and turning this place once again into a place of healing like her father's original wishes.

But at least tonight, the truth was finally exposed to the light.

While Đỗ Bách Khiêm's investigation team sealed off the entire area of Room Number Seven and the special quarantine area, another group was sent to inspect the villa in the northern suburbs at the address provided by Ngọc Diễm. Just a few hours later, confirmation news came back: there, they found a secret office with full modern communication equipment, along with a computer containing a series of financial transaction documents that Mạc Vĩnh Điền used to continue operating the money laundering network during his "dead" time, confirming the entire hypothesis that Nhã Vân and Bách Nguyên had worked hard to build.

Đỗ Bách Khiêm, after completing the initial work at the scene, went to Nhã Vân to get an official statement. "Ms. Nhã Vân, I have to be honest, without the evidence and testimony you and Dr. Nguyen collected, we would hardly have had enough grounds to act so quickly. This is one of the most complicated cases I have ever handled, not only because of its financial scale, but because of the way it took advantage of the medical system itself to hide the crime."

"We only do what is necessary to protect our loved ones," Nhã Vân replied, her voice was much calmer than the initial tension. "But I hope that through this case, there will be a more comprehensive review of private medical facilities, so that no one else will have to suffer the same fate as Ms. Tram, like Ms. Thanh Hà, or like my sister."

"We will recommend it to higher authorities." Đỗ Bách Khiêm nodded. "And I believe, with what you have done, you will be the most suitable person to oversee this reform process from the group's side."

Nhã Vân was silent, not daring to think that far at this moment, when her emotions were still mixed between the joy of reuniting with her sister and the pain of betrayal by those who were once close. But she knew, Đỗ Bách Khiêm's words had planted a new seed of responsibility in her heart, a path forward that she would have to face when all the dust of tonight had settled.

Bách Nguyên stood next to her, his hand found hers, squeezing gently as a silent encouragement. They both looked towards the horizon, where the sunlight was gradually tearing through the layer of fog remaining on the tiled roof of An Tâm Clinic, like a promise of a new beginning, even though there was still a lot of work to do on the road ahead.

Diệu Kỳ, standing next to Mrs. Tram, looked up at her sister and the doctor who had silently saved her over the past weeks, smiling slightly through tears that had not yet dried. She knew that tonight was not only the night she was vindicated, but also the night she saw her sister, who always appeared strong and aloof due to the burden of responsibility of an heiress, for the first time fully reveal the love and recklessness she had for her family. It's a lesson Diệu Kỳ knew she will carry with her for the rest of her life, even though the road to recovery ahead will certainly not be easy. But at least, from now on, she no longer had to walk alone in the darkness of injustice, but had a whole family, a dedicated doctor, and witnesses who had been in the same situation by her side.