The atmosphere in the living room was serious, yet maintained the polite tone of an important family meeting. Deep stood up, offering a light smile as he gestured toward the guests.

  – “Welcome, please have a seat.”

  Mr. Tín and Mrs. Nguy?t nodded courteously, settling onto the sofa with modest composure. Dì T? quickly brought over a tray of hot tea and a plate of pastries, her voice gentle:

  – “Please enjoy some tea, sir and madam.”

  M? Linh immediately adjusted her expression, a bright smile spreading across her face. Her tone was friendly, yet carried a subtle assertiveness:

  – “Please show me the nearest good date, brother and sister. Th? is pregnant, and I want the wedding to happen soon so she can feel at ease.”

  Mr. Tín nodded. His thin, weathered hands reached into his pocket to take out a small folded calendar, which he carefully handed to C?u D?ng.

  – “The fortune-teller said the earliest auspicious day is next Sunday. Would you be able to prepare in time, brother?”

  After a brief silence, C?u D?ng nodded firmly.

  – “Yes, we can. I still have a townhouse in Gò V?p; we’ll hold the ceremony there.”

  Sitting nearby, Tu?n spoke calmly, his voice thoughtful yet measured:

  – “As her uncle, I think the wedding should be simple — just family and close friends.”

  Deep nodded in agreement, his gaze serious.

  – “Exactly. Th? is pregnant — if the wedding is too lavish, it might affect her health and the baby’s as well.”

  At that, Ti?n interjected, his tone slightly sharp but deliberate:

  – “But the betrothal gifts must be complete — six trays, no less. After all, Mr. D?ng is a well-known businessman. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but everything must be proper.”

  Mr. Tín glanced at his wife, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes before speaking softly:

  – “My wife and I have already prepared everything. Nothing’s missing — just as your side requested.”

  Mrs. Nguy?t smiled gently, her voice soft and sincere:

  – “That’s very kind of you. A modest ceremony like this truly eases the burden on us.”

  Seated quietly, Charles set his teacup down, his deep, composed voice carrying warmth and refinement:

  – “Please don’t worry about the expenses. If there’s any shortage, I’ll help cover it. What matters most is that the two of them are happy.”

  The couple’s eyes gleamed with heartfelt gratitude.

  – “Thank you so much, Professor. After the wedding, we’ll make sure to repay your kindness.”

  The room grew lighter, the tension momentarily eased — yet beneath those polite smiles and courteous words, hidden calculations lingered. The rushed wedding, though seemingly peaceful, was about to become the trigger for the next wave of turmoil.

  At the villa in District 7, Anh Tú’s family was meeting with Din and Yin.

  Din looked at Anh Tú, a faint smile curling on his lips, his eyes glinting with a hint of cunning.

  – “The Lord already knows everything about your situation. Tell me, do you want to join us… to punish that D?ng family?”

  Anh Tú frowned, his tone heavy.

  – “What do you want me to do? Honestly, I’m sick of her… and that fake, disgusting family.”

  Yin smiled mysteriously.

  – “If it were only a divorce, that’d be too simple. That centipede spirit is about to marry into that house as a ‘beloved son-in-law,’ planning to seize their wealth. You’re the elder son-in-law — if you know how to use the wind to bend the bamboo…”

  At that moment, Anh Tú and his family understood her implication. Mr. ??c nodded slowly.

  – “The Lord truly deserves to be called a strategist of cosmic level. He sees further than anyone.”

  The housekeeper Anna smirked coldly, her tone dripping with venom.

  – “I’ve hated that family ever since I learned the truth. That girl, Anh ?ào, and her whole clan staged that ‘bedroom accident’ to trap the young master — forcing our family to take her in as a bride and gain access to our fortune. A mere divorce would be far too lenient.”

  Mrs. Tam scoffed, her voice sharp:

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  – “She probably wants a divorce herself — just so she can run off freely with another man.”

  Din nodded slightly, his voice dropping low:

  – “Then instead of divorcing her now, you should use your position as the elder son-in-law to control that centipede spirit — make her repay what she owes us. Once everything’s done, the divorce can wait. The lawyer already confirmed: all assets are under your parents’ names — that Anh ?ào girl won’t get a single coin.”

  Anh Tú’s expression shifted as realization dawned. He looked at his father:

  – “So what’s our next move?”

  Mr. ??c raised his eyes to the ceiling, his mind working quickly before he spoke with a faint smile:

  – “We wait until Erion withdraws his magic. Once that cursed villa returns to normal, you’ll go back there — and keep an eye on things.”

  Din nodded in agreement.

  – “Don’t worry. The General and Princess Trang are your neighbors there — you won’t be alone.”

  While C?u D?ng’s family and their guests were still discussing the wedding arrangements, the phone suddenly rang. C?u D?ng looked a bit surprised.

  – “It’s my in-law — Tú’s father. Haven’t heard from him in ages.”

  Mr. ??c’s voice came through the line, warm and friendly.

  – “Hello, brother-in-law. I’ve been busy lately, helping Tú take care of my wife, so I’m only now finding the time to call and ask how you all are doing.”

  C?u D?ng smiled politely.

  – “Ah, your wife hasn’t been feeling well. My wife and I regret that we haven’t had a chance to visit yet — we’ve been busy preparing for Anh ?ào’s younger sister’s wedding.”

  Mr. ??c sounded cheerful.

  – “So little Anh Th? is getting married soon? Congratulations to your family! We’ll make sure to attend on that day.”

  C?u D?ng replied with his usual cordial tone:

  – “Of course. We’ll send an invitation to your family soon. As for Tú, let him stay there to take care of your wife. He can come back later once she’s recovered.”

  After the call ended, M? Linh couldn’t hide her pride as she boasted, her tone dripping with vanity.

  – “Anh ?ào’s husband’s family runs a real estate corporation. Every word and gesture from them is refined — truly a family of high class.”

  A self-satisfied thought flickered in her mind:

  – “We should have married into a noble, powerful family — not one so ordinary and poor.”

  On the surface, C?u D?ng continued to smile politely, but deep inside, his thoughts were cold and venomous.

  – “Go ahead and play the role of ‘beloved son-in-law.’ You think you can use that pregnancy to seize our property? Keep dreaming — maybe you’ll succeed in your

  next life, but not this one.”

  After hanging up the phone, Mr. ??c lifted his gaze toward the sky, a calculating smile curling on his lips.

  – “So, they dared to set a trap for my son? Our family descends from a noble clan of elves — no matter how cunning those in-laws are, they’ll never see what’s coming.”

  Din took a slow sip of jasmine tea, a satisfied smirk crossing his face.

  – “The Lord was right. Vile creatures like them deserve to suffer — to rot away slowly, crushed under endless agony they can never escape.”

  Yin turned the Hetian jade ring on her thumb, her voice low and cold.

  – “And what about that girl My? I wonder how Trúc Di?n will handle her. A promiscuous woman like her dreaming of true love — how laughable.”

  Anna, the housekeeper, leaned her chin on one hand, her tone calm and composed.

  – “Let’s just wait and see. But this time, I doubt My will get away so easily. She’s provoked the beloved daughter of the Demon King himself — and when he strikes, she’ll wish for death long before it comes.”

  Mr. ??c turned to Anh Tú, a sharp gleam in his eyes.

  – “My son, this time you must play your role like an A-list actor — the image of a dutiful husband and a perfect son-in-law.”

  Anh Tú nodded, his eyes flickering with a faint violet glow.

  – “I know what I have to do. This isn’t just about our family — it’s about my sister Trang as well. I promised to reclaim justice for her. You can all rest easy.”

  ---

  At the Th?o ?i?n villa, inside a lavish bedroom, My paced back and forth restlessly. Her mind was in turmoil after discovering the true identities of Lita and Trúc Di?n. Compared to them, her own family was nothing but a grain of sand in a desert — how could she ever hope to win Trúc Di?n’s heart?

  Suddenly, her phone rang. Seeing Quang’s name on the screen, she picked up, her tone sharp and bitter.

  – “Do you have a plan or not? I’m not giving up that easily. I’ll confront that Lita girl myself.”

  Quang’s voice came through the line, weary and filled with dread.

  – “Haven’t you read their background reports? At first, I thought they were just wealthy businesspeople, but the investigation shows they’re of royal blood — elite magnates with their own firewalls and military systems, an actual global organization. If they wanted to, they could erase you with a snap of their fingers.”

  My clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing with fierce determination.

  – “I don’t care. Trúc Di?n must belong to me.”

  Quang’s voice trembled with fear.

  – “Please, My, let it go. I’m begging you. You don’t understand — these are high-level forces. I don’t want to get dragged into this.”

  My screamed into the phone, her frustration boiling over.

  – “You’re useless! You can’t do anything right!”

  She hung up and hurled the phone onto the bed. The burning desire to possess Trúc Di?n consumed her, but the distance between them — that untouchable line — left her heart suspended in chaos and desperation.

  Inside a luxury apartment, Quang and Quan were desperately trying to break through the military-grade firewalls of the Satanic Royal Family and the Serpent Clan, but every attempt failed miserably.

  Quan let out a long sigh, slapping his forehead in defeat.

  – “I give up, boss. I’m a real IT guy, but I’ve never seen anything like this — multilayered, multidimensional security on a whole different level.”

  Quang nodded, his expression grave.

  – “You’re right. I came from IT too, but this system… it’s strange. It doesn’t feel like something made by humans.”

  Quan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  – “Wait, are you saying… aliens or some kind of supernatural force? Come on, that stuff only happens in movies!”

  Just then, they heard clattering sounds and lively voices coming from outside the hallway. Curious, they opened the door and saw a family of four moving boxes into the apartment across from theirs.

  Quang stepped forward politely.

  – “You folks just moved in today, right?”

  A middle-aged man with a kind, approachable face smiled and came closer.

  – “Yes, we did. My family just moved in this morning. This is my wife and our two kids.”

  The woman gave a gentle nod, her voice calm and pleasant.

  – “Nice to meet you both. We were planning to drop by later to greet our new neighbors after we finish unpacking.”

  Quang smiled warmly:

  – “Pleasure’s ours. Since we’re neighbors now, if you need any help, feel free to call me.”

  The man nodded in return.

  – “Thank you. We’ll finish settling in first, and then please come over for tea.”

  Quang replied with a polite grin.

  – “Sure thing. We’ll get back to work now — see you soon.”

  After returning to their room, Quang sat back at his computer, resuming his attempts to bypass the mysterious firewall. The deeper he dug, the more unsettling it became. His brows furrowed as he turned to Quan.

  – “I’ve checked everything carefully — this isn’t ordinary tech. I’ll contact a friend of mine, another hacker, to see if he can breach these two systems.”

  Quan nodded immediately.

  – “Good idea, boss. We’ll need backup on this one. I still can’t wrap my head around it — who could’ve built such a next-level security system?”