The small room was engulfed in thick darkness, with only the faint light from the night lamp spilling through the thin curtain. Ngoc Lam sat on the floor, her back against the cold wooden bed. She was gripping her phone tightly, her eyes glued to the terrifying video. The sounds of curses, screams, tearing fabric, pushing and shoving, and crashing furniture echoed in her head like a chaotic, frantic symphony. Her white dress was stained with coffee, and a few red streaks on her neck had blended into a dark red bloom, the remnants of the nails of that crazed woman. A message popped up, the white text on a black background cutting into her heart:

"Tomorrow morning, the whole company will see your true nature as a gold digger, you whore."

The phone rang. Ngoc Lam flinched, her breath uneven as she feared the strange numbers relentlessly sending her threatening, abusive messages. A familiar sound erupted, the ringtone she had set specifically for that man. The title "Beloved Husband" danced across the screen, tightening her heart. Her finger glided across the screen, and the warm voice on the other end broke through the cold darkness:

"Where are you?"

Ngoc Lam covered her mouth, tears streaming down her chin. She knew he was still standing outside his office door at this hour, where the cold glass wall reflected the image of a serious, authoritative man. Her voice caught in her throat, like a river trying to overflow but held back by a large dam:

"I... I'm home. My parents went back to the countryside, I have to watch the house..."

There was silence on the other end—just the sound of a deep sigh from him: "Is that so..."

Then there was a long beep. Ngoc Lam threw her phone onto the corner of the bed, clasping her head with both hands. The pain from the scratch on her wrist flared up, but it was nothing compared to the fear surrounding her.

"Does he know already? He will think I'm the terrible third party... He will kick me out of the company... He will look at me with contempt... will he break up with me?

"BOOM!"

A loud thunderclap rang outside the window. The rain poured down like a waterfall. Ngoc Lam jolted as the doorbell echoed loudly. She dragged her feet, her bare foot touching a shard of glass from the broken vase she had smashed in a panic. Blood soaked the sole of her foot, but she didn't even frown. Her heart ached too much to notice the physical pain.

The door opened. The man stood there, his shirt clinging wetly to his toned body, hair dripping with water, his dark eyes shining with a sharp glint. He took a deep breath when he saw her, looking like a small, wounded creature.

Ngoc Lam panicked, instinctively stepping back, wanting to close the door and block the gaze of the person in front of her. Her voice trembled as she stammered: "Please... don't look at me..."

Thanh said nothing; he blocked the door, slipped inside the room. The scent of rain mixed with the strong smell of blood filled the air. He reached out, touching the bruise on her wrist, and the scratch on Ngoc Lam's neck; the gentle yet cold touch made her shiver slightly.

His voice was hoarse: "Why didn't you call me?"

She lowered her head, tears streaming onto the tiled floor. Thanh furrowed his brow, gripping her wrist tightly. Ngoc Lam felt the pain but didn't dare to pull away; she bowed her head, biting her lip. He raised his phone, the screen displaying a message: "All data has been permanently deleted."

Ngoc Lam looked up in shock at the phone screen in his hand. Before she could utter a word, she was pulled into his wide embrace. The warmth from Thanh's body chased away the cold in hers. The faint scent of sandalwood perfume made her choke back tears.

Thanh whispered in her ear: "That woman sent the video to the entire HR department. But the company's security system... is under my control. Don't be afraid, there will be no malicious rumors in the company."

Ngoc Lam trembled, her hands gripping the hem of his shirt tightly. She choked out:

"I'm not having an affair with Tuan, I only wanted to help you get the contract, that's why I accepted his invitation..."

Thanh placed a finger on her lips, his eyes filled with an incomprehensible pain: "I know... you have sacrificed so much for me, for my company." She looked into his eyes – those icy places now seemed to contain a turbulent sea of love for her. Thành leaned down, kissing each bruise on her shoulder, the kisses fiery and tormented in the spots where she was hurt.

The man's voice gently captivated her soul.

"From now on, you don't have to hide anything from me. I will always trust you."

In the howling rain, Thành carried her to bed, carefully picking up the pieces of glass.

His hand glided over the bruise on Ngọc Lam's neck, the fiery kiss landing made her heart tighten.

As Ngọc Lam drifted off, Thành opened his phone, sending another video to the chairman of K&Cy. A cold smile spread across his lips.

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