From A Producer To A Global Superstar

After dropping the call with Dayo, Urich sat down for a few minutes, thinking about their conversation.

He went over every word carefully and came to one clear conclusion — Dayo wasn't lying.

He had known Dayo for a long time and had studied how he behaved.

Dayo never liked drama. He always tried to solve problems quietly, just like the first time the issue with Vivian happened.

But Urich also knew that if Dayo was pushed too far, he would fight back — and hard.

With that in mind, Urich took out his phone and called Philip's father.

"Hello, Chris. I need to see you," he said.

Chris sounded impatient. "And what's this about?"

"The same issue we spoke about — your son and his girlfriend."

"URICH, I TOLD YOU TO CUT HIM—"

Before he could finish, Urich cut in sharply. "The person I told you was interested in JD is Michael."

There was silence from the other end. Urich could hear Chris breathing heavily.

Then, after a few seconds, Chris said, "Why didn't you say this earlier?"

Urich smirked slightly. "I did say someone very powerful was interested in him. You can confirm it yourself."

Chris just took a deep breath, said nothing, and ended the call.

"PHILIP, WHERE ARE YOU?" Chris shouted as he barged into his son's house, looking around the living room.

Philip came out quickly, shocked by his father's tone. Vivian followed behind him, looking confused.

"Dad, what's wrong? Why are you shouting?" Philip asked.

Chris glared at him. "Why am I shouting? You're asking me that?"

He took a step closer. "That boy, JD — did you know he's on Michael's radar?"

Philip froze. "…I… didn't know that."

Chris sighed loudly, his frustration clear. "How could you not know? And I told you before to stay away from that boy!"

Then he turned to Vivian. "And you! I thought you were smarter. Why didn't you stop him?"

Vivian looked down, unable to speak. She was confused herself, questioning why someone like Michael would be interested in Dayo.

After a few seconds, Chris calmed down and looked at both of them seriously.

"Sit down. Let me make a call. If I don't fix this, we're all finished."

He stepped outside with his phone and walked a few meters away before dialing Marco's number.

Marco was one of his oldest friends — someone who worked close to Michael and always knew what was going on behind the scenes.

After two rings, Marco picked up.

"Chris, what's happening? I've been hearing things about your son and that girl, Vivian."

Chris sighed. "Yeah… it's a mess. They were the ones who came up with that stupid plan — posting that story about Dayo. I warned them, but they didn't listen."

Marco stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "You're lucky, Chris. Really lucky."

Chris frowned. "Lucky? How?"

"Because if this had happened at any other time, you, your son, and your label would be in deep trouble," Marco said.

"But right now, Michael's actually interested in that boy — Dayo."

Chris blinked, pretending to act confused. "Interested? What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that," Marco replied. "Michael wants to sign him. But since Dayo's been stubborn and keeps refusing every offer, Michael's using this scandal to push him into a corner. He's trying to destroy Dayo's image, then step in later to 'save' him. That way, he'll have full control."

Chris was silent for a few seconds. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Of course," Marco said. "Michael's already working behind the scenes. He's got PR teams, news outlets — everyone. Why do you think the story blew up this fast?

So listen to me, Chris — keep your son and that girl quiet. Don't post anything, don't talk to anyone. Michael's protecting his own plan, and right now, that's the only thing keeping you safe."

Chris rubbed his forehead, feeling both relieved and scared. "I understand. Thank you, Marco. You really saved me. I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," Marco said. "Just keep your boy in check. This could've destroyed you."

Chris nodded even though Marco couldn't see him. "Got it. I'll handle it."

He ended the call and walked back inside. Philip and Vivian were sitting on the couch, tense and worried.

"Dad, what happened?" Philip asked.

Chris took a deep breath. "Listen carefully — no one says a word about this."

He looked directly at them. "Marco just told me Michael's behind everything. He's using this story to force a deal with Dayo. If we make any move now, we'll get crushed. So stay quiet. Do nothing."

Vivian swallowed hard. "So… what do we do?"

"Nothing," Chris repeated firmly. "You've both done enough damage already."

They nodded silently. Philip looked nervous, while Vivian's face showed a mix of relief and guilt.

They both felt lucky that Michael's attention had saved them for now — but deep down, they knew the peace wouldn't last.

If Michael wanted Dayo this badly, it meant Dayo was far too valuable to stay down for long.

Chris sighed and grabbed his car keys. "I'm going to see Urich," he said before leaving.

At UCL Label

Urich was seated at his desk when Chris walked in without knocking.

"Chris," Urich said, surprised. "What brings you here?"

Chris closed the door behind him. "We need to talk — it's about the Dayo issue."

Urich frowned. "What about it?"

"Michael's taking over," Chris said flatly. "He's using the story for his own plan. There's nothing we can do to stop it now."

Urich leaned forward, clearly worried. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Chris said. "Marco just confirmed it. Michael's pushing the story hard to crush Dayo's image, then he'll make a deal with him later. It's already in motion. We can't stop it."

Urich stayed silent for a moment before saying, "You know Dayo told me he has evidence, right? He said if this keeps going, he'll use it — and it could hurt all of us."

Chris smirked. "Forget the evidence. Once Michael's involved, nothing will stand. He controls the press, the narrative — everything. That's just how it is."

Urich sighed deeply. "This is dangerous, Chris. I hope you know what you're saying."

"I do," Chris said. "Let him handle it. There's nothing we can do."

He turned to leave. "I'll see you later, Urich."

After Chris walked out, Urich sat still for a while, staring at his phone. Then he picked it up and dialed Dayo's number.

"Hello?" Dayo's calm voice came through.

"Dayo, it's Urich," he said. "I just got word from Chris. Michael's the one behind all of this — he's using the story to break you down and make a deal later. There's nothing we can do. He's already taken control."

Dayo didn't reply immediately. He had already guessed someone powerful was behind it — now he had confirmation.

After a few seconds, his calm voice came through again. "Did you tell them I have evidence?"

"I did," Urich replied. "But they didn't care. They said since Michael's involved, you can't do anything."

There was silence for a few seconds, then Dayo let out a quiet, dry laugh — the kind that held meaning.

"They really think Michael can protect them…" Dayo muttered. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know."

"Dayo, please—" Urich started, but the line clicked before he could finish. Dayo had already ended the call.

Urich stared at the phone for a moment. He knew exactly what that silence meant.

When Dayo went quiet like that, it wasn't fear.

It was the calm before he made his move.

"So they think Michael's involvement will save them?" Urich muttered under his breath. "They just added more fuel to the fire that's going to consume them."

He dropped the phone beside him and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

The storm had already begun — but Dayo wasn't planning to hide from it.