After handling the meeting, Dayo took his leave. He tightened the file in his hands as he sped down the street, thoughts swirling faster than his car's wheels. He had made peace with what was coming. The idea that he might not be able to do what he loved most—music—burned deep inside him, but when he looked at what was at stake, he took a long, steady breath and kept driving.

He soon arrived at Michael's label—an unmistakable structure that could be seen from over five kilometers away. The bold MM logo gleamed proudly at the top of the towering building. At one glance, anyone could tell it was a place with history, wealth, and power.

Dayo parked and stepped out, fixing his collar as he walked toward the glass doors. Inside, the reception area took his breath away. White marble floors, polished walls that shimmered under bright lights, and a reception desk nearly eight meters wide—it all screamed luxury and dominance. The aura alone could humble anyone walking in for the first time.

Dayo approached the desk.

"Hello, good afternoon."

The young woman at the desk looked up—and froze. "Good afte—wait, oh my God, you… You're JD, right?"

"Oh, you know me?" Dayo asked, genuinely surprised—or maybe just pretending to be.

"Know you? I'm a huge fan! I've had your album on repeat since release!" she said, almost breathless.

Dayo chuckled softly. "Wow, I'm honored to have a fan as beautiful as you."

The receptionist blushed. "Oh, JD, stop. You're such a flirt."

"Oh, really? And I haven't even tried yet."

"Haha, nice try," she said, composing herself. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I came to see Michael."

"Oh, okay. Is he expecting you?"

"No. But I'm sure he'd want to meet me," Dayo said with quiet confidence.

"Uh… well, it doesn't really work like that."

"Oh…" Dayo feigned disappointment.

She hesitated, then smiled. "But… I can help you."

"That's lovely of you, Zara. Thank you."

"No problem. Just have a seat, I'll get back to you."

Dayo smiled and took a seat on one of the sleek white couches. After a moment, Zara returned with a small tray—two bottles of water and a pack of cookies.

"I figured you might be thirsty," she said kindly. "You've been out there in the sun."

Dayo smiled, a bit taken aback. "Wow, thank you. That's… thoughtful."

Zara shrugged, smiling. "It's nothing. You look like you needed it."

Dayo chuckled and took the water. "You're a rare one, Zara."

She laughed lightly and went back to her desk.

---

Meanwhile, Zara picked up the phone. "Hello, Clara."

"Zara! How are you?" came the voice on the other end.

"I'm good. So, uh… JD's here. He wants to meet Mr. Michael."

Clara's tone changed instantly. "JD? He's there right now?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Alright. I'll get back to you soon."

---

Moments later, Clara knocked on Michael's door.

"Come in," his voice commanded.

Clara stepped inside. "Sir, Dayo is downstairs. He said he wants to speak with you."

"Dayo?" Michael leaned back, a faint smirk curling at his lips. "How… interesting. Now that we're about to take action."

"I don't know, sir. Should I call him up?"

Michael thought for a moment, eyes narrowing. "No. Let him wait."

Clara hesitated. "Okay, sir."

---

She went back out and called the reception desk. "Zara, Mr. Michael says Dayo will have to wait a bit."

Zara sighed softly. "Alright. I know what to do."

She hung up, then waved at Dayo. "Uh, JD, Mr. Michael's currently in a meeting. You'll have to wait a bit."

Dayo could read people easily. Her tone, her eyes—he already knew what was happening. But he smiled politely. "No problem."

Minutes turned into an hour. Then an hour and a half.

Dayo's patience finally ran out.

He stood, walked to the desk, and said calmly, "Zara, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," she said quickly.

He handed her the file. "Please give this to Mr. Michael. It might speed things up. I'll be in my car."

Zara blinked, flustered. "O-okay." She watched him leave, a small pang of guilt in her chest.

Moments later, she called Clara. "Dayo dropped something off… and, uh, thanks for making me the villain."

"How?" Clara asked.

"He found out. He said, 'This should hasten Mr. Michael,' and left. He's waiting in his car."

Clara's tone changed immediately. "He said that?"

"Yeah. He did."

"Give me the document. We'll talk later." Clara hung up, grabbed the file, and hurried back to Michael's office.

"What is it, Clara?"

"Sir, Dayo dropped this and left."

"Huh. Let me see." Michael took the file and began reading. Within seconds, his relaxed posture stiffened. His face darkened as he flipped through the pages.

He slammed his fist on the desk. "Go and find Dayo—NOW!"

Clara jumped at his tone. "Y-yes, sir!"

---

Clara rushed out, her heels echoing across the marble floor. She spotted Dayo's car parked outside and hurried toward it, breathless.

"Da—Dayo!" she panted. "Mr. Michael will see you now."

Dayo turned his head slowly, his expression unreadable. "You can tell him to meet me here," he said flatly. "After all, I waited close to two hours. He can do the same."

He rolled up the window before she could reply.

Clara knocked gently on the glass, hoping he'd respond, but he didn't even look at her. With no other choice, she went back inside.

When she reached the reception, Zara noticed her expression immediately. "What happened? He didn't come?"

Clara sighed. "No. He said he won't."

Zara muttered under her breath, "Power struggle…"

"What?" Clara asked, raising a brow.

"Nothing," Zara said, then straightened. "Why don't I go talk to him? He seems like a nice person."

Clara hesitated. "Are you sure? You don't have to get involved."

"There's no harm in trying," Zara replied softly. "Who knows? Maybe he'll listen."

Clara nodded reluctantly. "Alright. Thank you in advance."

Zara smiled faintly. "Don't thank me. We're friends."

---

Zara walked outside alone. She approached the car and knocked gently on the window. Dayo looked up, saw her face, and sighed—then rolled the glass down.

"Zara," he said calmly. "What's up?"

"I know you know why I came," she said with a small smile.

"I don't want to go," Dayo replied simply.

Zara nodded. "I get it. But… please. Clara can be hard sometimes, but she's not a bad person. It's just… the way things work here. Situations make people act differently."

Dayo studied her for a moment. Her sincerity was clear. Then he smiled faintly. "Fine. But only because of you—not anyone else."

Zara exhaled, smiling brightly. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

"Hold up," Dayo said, reaching into the back seat. He pulled out a signed copy of his album and handed it to her. "You've been kind to me since I walked in. You deserve it."

Zara's eyes widened. "Oh my God… thank you so much! This means everything."

Dayo smiled. "Nah, thank you for being decent."

Zara grinned. "You're welcome… JD."

Dayo chuckled, then stepped out of the car. As he passed the reception, he gave Clara a simple nod. No words.

Clara swallowed, feeling both relief and guilt. She fell into step behind him as they walked toward Michael's office.

And as he reached the door, a silence heavier than steel settled around him.

Dayo took a deep breath and entered the office.

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