Chapter 25 — Unclosed Profile

The day of sentencing finally arrived, the courtroom was filled with attendees, a tense atmosphere filled the space as everyone waited for the final verdict for a case that had dragged on and shocked public opinion for many months. Thao Vy sat between her mother and Bao Nam, her hand holding both of their hands tightly, her heart pounding in the moment of nervous waiting.

The judge entered, and the entire courtroom stood up in solemn silence. After everyone sat down, he began reading the verdict, his voice was solemn and each word was clear.

"Considering that defendant Cao Thi Yen committed serious acts of corruption, directed the concealment of property embezzlement, and indirectly caused the deaths of many victims through hiring criminal organizations to commit acts of intimidation and murder to cover up clues, the court sentenced defendant Cao Thi Yen to twenty years in prison."

Ms. Yen sat silently, no longer reacting at all to the harsh sentence, her eyes looked down, not daring to face anyone in the courtroom.

"Considering that defendant Pham Anh Tuan directly committed the act of murder, despite mitigating circumstances due to his sincere confession and active cooperation with the investigation agency, the court sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment."

Hearing this, Thao Vy felt a surge of complex emotions - justice had been served, but the heavy sentence for someone who had truly repented and repented still made her feel sad.

"Considering that defendant Luong Duc Thinh committed serious acts of bribery and corruption, and at the same time hired a criminal organization to conceal the crime, the court sentenced the defendant to fifteen years in prison and confiscated all assets obtained from the crime."

"Considering that defendant Hoang Anh Kiet is the leader of a criminal organization, directly directed many murders, threatened witnesses over the years, and did not show any remorse before the court, the court sentenced the defendant to death."

The whole courtroom was buzzing before the harshest sentence for the leader of the criminal organization. Hoang Anh Kiet stood there, his face still cold, not showing any emotion before the verdict that determined his own fate.

For other accomplices, including Dang Quoc Cuong, the court also imposed sentences commensurate with their level of participation in criminal organizations, ranging from five to fifteen years in prison.

When the judge announced the end of the trial, Thao Vy could not hold back her tears, tears of relief, of justice finally being fully served after twelve long years of waiting. Mrs. Hoa hugged her daughter tightly, both mother and daughter cried in happiness and extreme emotion.

"We did it, dad," Thao Vy whispered, looking up as if she were talking directly to her father. "Justice has been served."

Bao Nam sat next to her, holding her hand tightly, his eyes also shining with emotion. "You have done something that very few people have the perseverance to pursue to the end," he said, his voice deep and full of pride. "Twelve years, and finally, the truth has won."

Leaving the courtroom, the whole group — Thao Vy, Ms. Hoa, Bao Nam, Minh Duc, Mr. Sau, Mr. Hai — walked out together, where a large number of reporters were waiting to record their reactions. response to this historic trial.

"Miss Vy, how do you feel after hearing the verdict?" a reporter asked, pointing the microphone at her.

Thao Vy stopped, took a deep breath before answering, her voice was both emotional and determined. "I feel relieved, because finally, the truth has been revealed, justice has been served for my father and all the other victims. But I also want to emphasize that this is not just my victory, but the result of the tireless efforts of the entire investigation team, of the brave witnesses who dared to speak up, and of the entire legal system that has operated fairly and strictly."

Prosecutor Mai, standing nearby, also shared with the press the meaning of this verdict. "This is a strong wake-up call for anyone who intends to take advantage of power and money to hide crimes. Justice, although it may be delayed, will always be served in the end."

Lieutenant Colonel Trung was also present and spoke briefly to the press. "This is a big victory for the People's Public Security force in the fight against crime and corruption. We will continue to investigate and strictly handle all other cases discovered through the data collected in this project."

After the reporters gradually left, the group went to a quiet cafe nearby to look back on the entire journey together. Mr. Hai raised his glass of water, his voice filled with emotion. "I want to toast everyone, especially Ms. Vy. Without your perseverance, perhaps this truth would have been buried forever."

"Thank you, and thank you everyone," Thao Vy replied, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes again. "I could not have done this without the help and support of all of you."

Mr. Sau also contributed, a familiar gentle smile on his lips. "At my age, seeing justice triumph like this, I feel like my life is much more meaningful."

Minh Duc, with his familiar humorous style, raised his glass jokingly to ease the heavy atmosphere after the stressful trial. "I think, after this case, I deserve a long leave to recover from my eyes that have been looking at the computer screen too much over the past few months."

The whole group laughed at that joke, the atmosphere became lighter and warmer after many stressful days. Mrs. Hoa looked around at the faces that had accompanied her daughter throughout the long journey, her heart filled with deep gratitude.

"Thank you all, guys," she said, her voice choked up. "Thanks to everyone, my family has finally found the peace that has been lost for the past twelve years."

In the afternoon, when everyone gradually left, only Thao Vy and Bao Nam were left sitting at the cafe, enjoying a rare quiet moment after a long, emotional day. "Do you feel relieved?" Bao Nam asked, his eyes gently looking at her.

"Yes, but there's also a bit of emptiness," Thao Vy admitted, her voice thoughtful. "For the past twelve years, this journey to find the truth has become an indispensable part of my life. Now that it has ended, I feel like something is missing."

"That's completely understandable," Bao Nam said, holding her hand tightly to comfort her. "But I believe, you will soon find the items New goals, new meanings for your life. And I hope I can be a part of that new journey."

Thao Vy smiled, her eyes filled with warmth as she looked at him. "I believe so," she replied, "and I hope, that new journey will be much less turbulent than the last one."

They both laughed at that statement, enjoying the rare moment of peace and happiness amid the recent tumultuous days, marking the complete end of a long, arduous but also extremely meaningful journey.

That evening, when Bao Nam took Thao Vy home, they both stopped in front of her house for a long time, neither of them wanted to rush to say goodbye after such a meaningful day. "Thank you," Thao Vy said, her voice filled with affection, "for accompanying me throughout this journey, from those first confusing days to today's perfect moment."

"Thank you, for believing in me, and for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this meaningful journey of seeking justice," Bao Nam replied, his eyes filled with deep appreciation.

The two of them stood there under the gentle streetlight, enjoying a peaceful moment after a long and turbulent journey. "I think," Thao Vy said, her voice gentle, "this is probably the first time in twelve years that I feel like I can really let go of the burden of the past, and move fully forward."

"And I'm so excited to be part of that future," Bao Nam said, gently holding her hand. The two stood quietly together for a moment, enjoying this rare complete peace, before Thao Vy entered the house, carrying with her a relieved heart, full of hope for the happy new chapters waiting ahead, chapters that she believes she will continue to write with the man who has accompanied and protected her all along the way.