Configure port forwarding for the VM.

Check networking.

In theory vm network should be configured to be bridge (I do not remember the exact wording)

Here is the similar problem to yours. (And solution)

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Pro/Access-VM-from-External-Source/td-p/2716366

I'm not 100% on your exact stack but it sounds to me like a job for a reverse proxy.

Thats not how it works.

You have a LAN and hopefully you have a firewall that shields your LAN from WAN. Your fw is probably handing out DHCP lease IP (like 192.168.x.y)

When you "bridge" your VM looks like an independant device on you LAN. Nothing at this point has allowed it to the public. Your dhcp can even give it an IP (but its probably better to set a static ip). In bridge mode, a "fake mac is spoofed alongside you nic's real mac, and only for said VM)

At that point the VM id accessible likr any other device on the LAN.

if you then want to use vpn, just connect to your LAN however that works(vpn to computer or vpn to firewall/vpn server) and access.

if you want to access from WAN without vpn, then you need to understand reverse proxying and youll need a full proper firewall\gateway device at the front of your network (like OPNsense).