The three old friends of C?u D?ng froze for a few seconds, unable to believe what they had just heard. The immense wealth and prosperity they had admired for years turned out to be stolen property — while the rightful heir had been forced to live in poverty, scorned and mistreated by society.

  Professor Charles clenched his fists, his voice trembling slightly:

  – “I’m just a friend of Deep’s. At first, I only wanted to study the strange phenomena in Mr. D?ng’s mansion. But I never expected to uncover such a shocking truth…”

  Mr. Nhan looked straight into Charles’s eyes, his gaze carrying years of experience and pain:

  – “This is only a small part of it. There are deeper, darker truths out there… darker than the void of the universe itself — truths humanity wouldn’t dare to imagine even in their dreams.”

  Mr. Phúc spoke up, his tone steady and low:

  – “So, Professor, what exactly have you discovered so far?”

  Professor Charles slowly shook his head, his expression heavy:

  – “I found references in an ancient manuscript describing demonic entities. According to it, that icy substance was created from ‘black fire’ — a paradoxical flame that burns at negative temperatures, defying every law of physics.”

  – “For now, I still can’t determine its mechanism. The strange thing is — the higher the surrounding temperature rises, the thicker the frost grows, and the colder it becomes.”

  Ti?n took a sip of coffee, worry darkening his eyes:

  – “This morning, right above the mansion, the sky itself turned into a cosmic void… Who knows what it’ll transform into next?”

  Mr. Phúc smirked, his eyes sharp as glass:

  – “You’re overthinking it. Maybe it’s just a hidden force punishing that immoral family.”

  Mr. Nhan turned back to Charles, his gaze probing:

  – “Tell me honestly… Professor, would you fear demons — if one day you saw them with your own eyes?”

  Professor Charles smiled calmly:

  – “I’ve studied supernatural phenomena for decades. Fear? No. On the contrary… I would be fascinated to meet them.”

  Deep nodded, his tone firm and cold:

  – “People like D?ng’s family — humans living in deceit and cruelty — are far worse than demons.”

  Tu?n added, his voice burning with anger:

  – “Exactly! Everyone fears demons, but it’s the monsters walking among us that are truly terrifying.”

  Mr. Nhan nodded slowly, his eyes glinting with meaning:

  – “You’re beginning to understand. Demons, like humans, can be good or evil. In this case… it’s the demons who are helping Miss Trang reclaim justice.”

  After hearing Mr. Nhan’s words, the four men sitting across from him froze in bewilderment. Deep stammered, his voice trembling slightly:

  – “You mean… the demons are helping Miss Trang reclaim justice? I… I don’t understand.”

  Mr. Nhan’s eyes drifted into the distance, carrying the weight of hidden memories. His tone was calm and measured:

  – “It’s a long story. Tell me… do any of you still have photos of Miss Trang?”

  Deep responded instantly, almost without thinking:

  – “Of course! The three of us took quite a few pictures during Mr. D?ng’s eldest daughter’s wedding. Miss Trang was in some of them.”

  At once, Ti?n and Tu?n quickly pulled out their phones, scrolling through the wedding photos. Professor Charles furrowed his brow and interjected:

  – “Earlier, I asked Ti?n to show me those photos as well. And there was… something strange about them.”

  Mr. Nhan lowered his gaze toward his cup of coffee, his voice steady:

  – “What exactly did you find strange, Professor?”

  Charles leaned closer, staring at Ti?n’s screen as he explained clearly:

  – “In every photo where Miss Trang appears, there’s a faint dark shadow right behind her. At first, I thought it was just a camera glitch…”

  Deep immediately reached into his backpack, pulling out his laptop and setting it on the table:

  – “Let’s see it in higher resolution.”

  With a click, the photos appeared on the screen — each image from the wedding flickering under the dim café lights. When they reached the one showing Trang, the dark blur behind her became unmistakably clearer. Deep zoomed in and suddenly froze, his expression grave:

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  – “That shadow… it has the shape of a person — and horns on its head!”

  Tu?n pointed directly at the center of the photo, his eyes narrowing:

  – “And that sharp thing in the middle of its head… what is that?”

  Professor Charles squinted, his voice laced with disbelief:

  – “It looks like… a crown.”

  Ti?n frowned deeply, confusion filling his tone:

  – “A crown? So the dark figure behind her has horns — and a crown? What does that even mean?”

  Mr. Nhan chuckled softly, his eyes deep and mysterious:

  – “It means she has a guardian spirit — one that follows her everywhere, protecting her from all harm.”

  Ti?n’s hands trembled slightly as goosebumps spread down his arms:

  – “I’m… I’m getting chills, guys. Don’t tell me… Miss Trang is actually connected to some hidden power?”

  Mr. Phúc took a sip of coffee, then smiled knowingly:

  – “Perhaps she is… or perhaps — she is that hidden power.”

  Mr. Nhan glanced around cautiously, his tone low and deliberate:

  – “We should find a more private place to talk.”

  Charles immediately nodded:

  – “Then let’s head to a restaurant. I’ll reserve a private room.”

  Mr. Nhan smiled faintly:

  – “No need. The boarding house across the street will do. Miss Trang and I lived there for five years. I’m sure the old neighbors still remember us.”

  Mr. Nhan and Mr. Phúc quickly crossed the road toward the row of small rented rooms, with the others following close behind. As they reached the rusted iron gate, an elderly woman hobbled out, bowing respectfully:

  – “Welcome back, Mr. Nhan. It’s been such a long time since you last visited.”

  In that moment, Mr. Nhan’s demeanor shifted entirely — his voice carried an authority that left no room for question:

  – “I have matters to attend to. No one is to disturb us.”

  The old woman bowed deeper, her tone reverent:

  – “Understood.”

  Everyone followed Mr. Nhan into the first room of the boarding house.

  Meanwhile, at the small coffee cart they had visited earlier, the owner rinsed his cups and smiled knowingly:

  – “The Lord has revealed Himself. Those involved… will soon be served on a silver platter.”

  Across the street, the woman running the convenience stand gave a quick glance toward a young man repairing his motorbike:

  – “Keep a close watch. The Lord has given His order — no one is to disturb Him.”

  The young man lifted his head, his eyes briefly glinting with a faint golden hue. He spoke softly to the soy milk vendor beside him:

  – “Let’s hope that family gets punished soon. I could really use a break… maybe even a date.”

  The soy milk vendor chuckled teasingly:

  – “A date with me, huh? But if two secret agents fall in love, won’t the Grand Mistress punish us for it?”

  Laughter rippled through the nearby vendors—the scene warm, casual, and oddly peaceful, filled with the easy camaraderie of “neighbors who all knew a secret.”

  Inside the small rented room — though old and worn — it was spotless and neatly arranged. Every item seemed to have its place. Mr. Nhan reached into his backpack and pulled out a faded notebook, its pages yellowed and fragile with age. Tucked between them were a few old photographs, their edges curled and discolored by time.

  He carefully drew out one photo showing a wrecked car at the foot of a mountain pass:

  – “This is the scene of the accident that killed Trang’s parents twenty-five years ago,” he said quietly.

  – “It was captured by a photographer who happened to be there — just moments before the car burst into flames.”

  Tu?n frowned:

  – “You said… a photographer?”

  Mr. Nhan nodded:

  – “Yes. He was down at the base of the Cù M?ng Pass, trying to capture the sunset. Then suddenly — boom! — a deafening crash echoed through the mountains. His camera was still pointed at the road, and by chance, it recorded the moment the car veered off the edge. When he ran toward the sound, he saw the front of the vehicle already engulfed in flames. Inside were the unmoving bodies of a man and a woman… and not far away, a little girl screaming in terror.”

  – “He rushed to pick her up and called for help. But before anyone could get close enough, the car exploded again, flames roaring higher into the sky.”

  Ti?n studied the photo intently:

  – “The car looks mangled, but… I don’t see anything particularly strange.”

  Mr. Phúc leaned in slightly:

  – “Take a look at the license plate.”

  Everyone leaned closer to the image. Tu?n suddenly exclaimed:

  – “That’s a ??ng Nai plate!”

  Ti?n’s brows furrowed:

  – “But Mr. D?ng’s family was registered in Saigon — and so was Mr. Qu?c’s. Why would they be driving a car from ??ng Nai? They were successful businesspeople — surely they didn’t rent it?”

  Tu?n’s eyes widened as a realization hit him. He muttered under his breath, staring at the ceiling:

  – “Wait a minute… Linh’s hometown is ??ng Nai. Don’t tell me that car belonged to her.”

  Mr. Nhan burst out laughing:

  – “Exactly. You already know that besides the couple who died, Mr. D?ng and his wife were there too.”

  Professor Charles adjusted his glasses, his expression grave:

  – “Then why didn’t Trang’s parents drive their own car? Why take the one belonging to Mr. D?ng’s wife?”

  Mr. Nhan gave a slow, knowing nod:

  – “Keep thinking, gentlemen. You’re getting close to the truth.”

  Tu?n stared intently at the photo of the wrecked car from the accident, then suddenly exclaimed:

  – “That’s it — that’s her car! It belonged to Linh.”

  Deep thought for a moment, then nodded firmly:

  – “Exactly. I remember seeing that same car in Mr. D?ng and Mrs. Linh’s wedding album. It was a gift from Mrs. Linh’s parents — their family’s from ??ng Nai.”

  Professor Charles fell silent, his brows furrowing as his gaze hardened:

  – “This doesn’t look like a random accident to me. The victims were wealthy entrepreneurs — if they died, their young daughter would naturally be placed under the care of her uncle. As the legal guardian, he’d control all the assets until she turned eighteen.”

  Ti?n added grimly:

  – “So Mr. D?ng used the guardianship as a pretext to seize control of the entire estate.”

  Deep clenched his fists:

  – “And after taking everything, they framed Trang for stealing that diamond ring — just to get rid of her completely.”

  Mr. Nhan looked straight at Deep, his tone sharp:

  – “They intended for the little girl to die in that crash. But she survived. They’ve been trying to finish the job ever since.”

  Mr. Phúc spoke slowly, his voice low and cold:

  – “If she had died that day, Mr. D?ng and his wife would still have inherited everything through the family line.”

  Professor Charles ground his teeth:

  – “They’re monsters… to harm their own flesh and blood.”

  Mr. Nhan placed his phone on the table:

  – “Here. This is the recording of their confession. And believe me — this isn’t the only secret I have about them.”

  Everyone fell silent. A distorted, hoarse voice came from the phone’s speaker, sending chills down their spines:

  – “Please… please spare me… it wasn’t… it wasn’t my idea…”

  A few seconds later came another voice:

  – “It was her! She told me to sabotage their car… forced them to borrow ours… she made me cut the brakes!”

  Then a third voice, trembling with rage:

  – “Oh, now you’re blaming me? You’re the one who said that couple had too much money — and no real heirs! You said they adopted a stray girl and didn’t deserve it! You told me to kill them and take everything! Now you’re washing your hands of it?”

  The recording suddenly cut off, leaving a haunting silence in the room.

  Mr. Nhan’s eyes swept across each face. His voice dropped, calm but cold:

  – “That’s all you need to know. Behind that polished, generous image of D?ng and his wife lies filth — hidden crimes that still haven’t seen the light of day.”

  A heavy stillness fell over the group. In each of their minds, the same thought echoed:

  The D?ng couple — who had always appeared warm, kind, and devoted — were, in truth, the ones who had orchestrated it all. Greed had driven them to murder their own blood.