After dropping Nida off at her home, Dara returned to his own, exhausted. He gently placed a batch of lotus flowers before the shrine in the house, his movements reverent and deliberate.
After a brief moment of quiet reflection, he soon felt the pull to continue his search.
He began sifting through his mother's belongings, which he had collected from Monica: her wallet, bank ATM card, LKS insurance card, perfume, and makeup bag. Each item felt like a piece of her, yet it only deepened the mystery.
He returned to his mother's chat room, scrolling through the conversations once more. His mother's talk with his father had been nothing but business—his upcoming appointment at the company and the leaked video footage. It wasn't worth dwelling on at the moment. Dara let the conversation slide for now.
His attention was drawn to the messages between his mother and Monica again.
Something about their exchange piqued his interest—there was more to their conversation he thought so far, something hidden beneath the surface, even though he had seen it many times already. His mother and Monica had exchanged harsh words, far more intense than any casual conversation.
"Don't negotiate with me!" Monica had sent.
"That's your son's fault, and you blame me? What? Look, wake up..."
"Because of you! You're greedy. He isn't just your dad's fault..." Saroath sent.
"What's wrong with me?" Monica asked.
"You knew it!" Saroath replied.
"Take good care of your son... and mind your business. Stop bringing your problems to me..."
(Synchronization log or loss the context-1)
"What?"
"Do you think I'm the one who did that stupid f*cking video? Sh*t!"
"So who? You followed him!"
"Oh my God! You are accusing me!"
"Am I right?"
(Synchronization log or loss the context-2)
"Don't hurt my son, you bitch!"
"It's yours, you're fooling him around, and always blaming others."
"You seem overly confident, Monica... Let's see how far you can go..."
The words felt like a punch to his gut. Dara couldn't shake the feeling that these exchanges were far more than an argument. There was something deeper, something dangerous, lurking beneath their anger. He also believed his half-sister struggled to control her temper.
***
Dara had been waiting at Monica's office since the afternoon, his patience wearing thin. As Monica spotted him from the edge of the building, she paused, taking a deep breath before walking toward him.
"No work, no job, just fooling around, spending your mother's money?" she shot from a distance, her voice sharp.
Dara stood up, his gaze cold. "None of your business!"
Monica's eyes narrowed. "So, why are you here?"
"You said you had something to talk to me," Dara replied, his tone firm.
"Oh!" Monica exclaimed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"What's that? You wanted to confess your guilt?"
Monica 's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Guilt? Of what?"
"Of following me and intruding on my privacy!" Dara spat, his frustration clear.
Monica 's smile turned darker, an unsettling gleam in his eyes. "The f*ck?" She muttered, her voice wavering.
He didn't respond—just stood there, the silence between them heavy with tension, as his smile deepened.
Dara sat on the right front side of Monica in her office, the tension between them palpable.
Dara broke the silence, his voice calm but piercing. "Tell me, you always fought with my mother?"
Monica smirked, unbothered. "I fight with everyone."
Dara couldn't help but laugh out loud, the sound echoing in the quiet room. Monica didn't seem to mind at all, her expression unchanged.
"Don't ask stupid questions," she snapped after a moment. "And I know you know what your mother wanted from me."
Dara leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. "Know that you stopped my mom and him from making me their legal son?"
Monica's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "I never stopped them. You did that all on your own."
Dara's confusion deepened. "What? When? How?"
"Your lifestyle, dad hates it" Monica said, the words heavy with meaning.
Dara's anger flared. "What's wrong with that? Did it harm anyone or anything?"
Monica's expression darkened. "So what now?"
Dara's voice grew colder. "It's because of you!"
Monica blinked, not fully grasping what he meant. "…?"
"You followed me, set up cameras, recorded everything, and spread it on the internet to destroy me—to make sure I couldn't compete with you."
The silence that followed was shattered by the sharp sound of a slap. Monica's hand connected with Dara's face, the force of it sending a shock through him. He sat there, stunned and trembling.
"Idiot!" Monica hissed, her voice filled with fury.
She glared at him, her anger still simmering. "Is that the only thing you can think of?" she snapped.
Dara, still reeling from the slap, clenched his fists, his voice sharp. "Is that how your brain works?"
She shook her head, her frustration evident. "Oh my… You're trying to find justice for your mom and make whoever hurt her pay the price? Sh*t, I actually considered trusting you... but now I see I was wrong, am I?"
Dara's voice dropped, his eyes hardening. "You're good at acting cool, Monic! Or is what I said true?"
The lady gaze flickered, but she quickly masked it with a sneer. "You're delusional, Dara. You have no idea what you're talking about."
But there was a brief hesitation in her voice, a crack that didn't go unnoticed by Dara.
The door knocked softly. "Think carefully if you truly seek justice," she snapped. "Stop talking in circles and blaming everyone like your mother does. It's embarrassing. Be rational."
"Like my mom?"
"You saw the chat between us, didn't you?"
Dara was speechless.
"I have a meeting. Go now!" Monica snapped, her tone brusque.
"Last question!" Dara pressed, his tone sharp. "Did you meet my mom on the day she died?"
Monica tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "Why do you ask?"
"It's a yes or no question," Dara emphasized, his voice steady but firm.
A flicker of amusement crossed Monica's face. "Yes," she finally said.
"For what?"
"Money," she replied simply, her tone unbothered, as if the answer held no burden.
Dara didn't respond; he stood, turning on his heel and walking out. A male staff member in his mid-40s entered, holding a batch of documents.
The staff member, now seated across from Monica, handed her the documents. He paused for a moment, noticing her unusual expression.
"Here are our selection candidates," he said, placing the papers on the desk. "These are the top 5 architects. You can check them out... What's wrong?"
Monica touched her forehead, taking a deep breath. "Oh... I'm fine. OK, I'm fine."
The staff member, still concerned, asked, "Is that your brother?"
Monica nodded curtly. "Yes."
"—His mom just died…."
"You knew her, right? uncle Oudom?"
"Yes," he replied, his voice softening for a moment. "Now let's check these 5 CVs."
Monica shuffled through the papers, her face now neutral. "You have someone in mind?"
"I'm…yes!," the staff member answered, looking over the documents. "The head of construction already gave the scores."
"And you, as HRD? (Human Resources Department)" The CEO asked, her voice sharper now as she shifted focus back to business.
Mr. Oudom, the HRD head glanced through the resumes, then picked out two that seemed to stand out.
"I love these two," he said, handing them over to Monica. "Check this."
Monica took the CVs, her eyes scanning each one carefully.
Oudom continued, his tone thoughtful.
"His attitude and appearance, along with his ability to analyze answers during the interview process, are interesting..."
Monica glanced at him, her brow furrowed. "Both of them? Or which one? Kakada or Bunrong?"
"Bunrong, Sear Bunrong!" the HRD head confirmed.
Monica nodded, a slight smile forming. "Oh, okay."
After a brief pause, she nodded,
"Both have potential. Let's dig deeper into their backgrounds before making any decisions."
The HRD head nodded in agreement.
The CEO leaned back in her chair, looking over at the HRD head. "What about the secretary?" she asked.
Oudom hesitated for a moment before responding. "Not Marina?"
Monica shook her head. "She didn't want to work here, and we didn't plan to work with each other so far."
Oudom nodded. "I'll find one as soon as possible."
"Thank you!" Monica replied, her tone a little more relaxed now.
The HRD head raised an eyebrow asked.
"When will the policy be restructured so that the BOD no longer needs to sign every document?"
Monica, her tone steady, replied, "I'm in the process of addressing that. It's part of the broader adjustments I'm working on."
"And to get her resignation from the Chairman of Board too? Will your dad agree?"
Monica 's gaze hardened slightly. "I'll handle it soon. It will be finalized as part of the restructuring."