After nearly thirteen hours in the air, the contestants' flight finally touched down at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco.

It was already morning, the sun was bright, and the sound of the plane engines slowly faded as people started to stand and move out.

"Bro, wake up. We're here already," Min-Jae said, nudging Dayo's shoulder.

Dayo opened his eyes slowly, rubbing them. "Ah, finally," he said with a tired smile. "I thought we'd never get here."

He stretched a little, picked up his bag, and followed the others as they got off the plane. The moment he stepped out, the warm Moroccan breeze hit his face. He smiled. This was Morocco — a country he had been to twice this year. The first time was when he came to perform at the Football World Cup, and now, he was back again for the Global Competition.

Dayo smiled. "This country is my good luck charm."

After all, this was where he first got in touch with the person who helped him reach number one on the wildcard, and this was the country where he gained his national artist level, so indeed he believed it was his good luck charm.

Youssef had told him earlier that some local fans might be waiting at the airport. He even hinted that a few music bloggers would show up to take pictures and post about it. Dayo had been excited about it all through the flight.

As they walked toward the arrival gate, he could already hear noise coming from outside — cheers, shouts, and camera flashes. His smile grew wider. "Guess they're here already," he muttered, excited to meet his new fans in Morocco.

But the moment they stepped through the doors, something felt off. He could feel it, but he didn't know exactly what it was.

Then, all of a sudden, reporters rushed forward, cameras flashing everywhere. Microphones were pushed close to his face.

They started throwing questions at him without giving him any time to process what was going on.

"Dayo! Is it true you hit your ex-girlfriend?"

"Did you really abuse Vivian?"

"She said you used her! Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Are you being dropped from the show because of this scandal?"

"Did you really get physical with her?"

Dayo froze. His smile disappeared.

"What… what are you talking about?" he asked, confused. He looked around — the other contestants had stopped too, all staring at him. Some fans were whispering, wondering what was happening.

Then, security and a few of the Global Stage staff rushed toward them and pulled them toward the bus. The airport was now full of noise — fans trying to understand, reporters shouting, cameras everywhere.

One of the staff members grabbed Dayo's arm gently. "Please, this way," the man said quickly. Within seconds, more staff formed a barrier, blocking the reporters. They guided Dayo and the rest of the contestants toward the bus outside.

Normally, they would wave at fans, take a few pictures, maybe even sign some autographs, and talk with them before leaving. But not this time. Everyone looked serious. The staff barely spoke. Dayo's heart was beating fast — everything was happening too quickly. He tried to calm his nerves, but they felt like they were about to burst.

Inside the bus, no one said a word at first. The other contestants just looked at him, confused. Some slowly brought out their phones, scrolling to see what was going on. It was clear that Dayo was in trouble — or so it seemed.

Min-Jae turned to him. "Bro… I think you need to see this."

He handed him his phone. Dayo hesitated for a moment, then looked at the screen.

There she was. Vivian on live camera. Crying.

With the caption that read: "Vivian tells her truth about Dayo, popularly known as JD"

Dayo's eyes widened. His chest felt tight. For a few seconds, he couldn't even blink.

He just stared at the video as her voice played.

"…he used me. He hit me. He made me feel worthless. I just want people to know who he really is…"

Dayo's hand slowly dropped to his lap. His mind went completely blank.

He didn't even notice that the bus had started moving. Everyone was quiet, and the eyes that once looked at him with respect and admiration now showed disgust and distrust.

Most contestants started whispering among themselves, believing the accusations being thrown at him.

Dayo just sat there, lost in thought. He had signed an agreement with Urich that Vivian would forget the incident, and it would never come to light again. He was thrown into a state of confusion.

"Why now, of all times, when I'm at the peak of my popularity… damn," Dayo muttered under his breath.

He knew this was a stain on his clean name that would never fully wash away, even if he was proven innocent. That was the way of the industry. He felt terrible because he was just building his reputation, and it was too early for something like this to happen.

Different thoughts were going through his head, and he didn't even notice when they reached their assigned hotel. As expected, news outlets and media houses were already there — and in huge numbers.

That was the industry for you. Once the media smelled a scandal, they came running like sharks that smelled blood.

Dayo felt angry and confused. He knew he had to call Urich to make Vivian debunk the story — not because he didn't have evidence, but because it would be more effective if she cleared it herself.

He sighed in his mind. "For now, let's try to deal with these hungry wolves out for blood."

Meanwhile, at UCL Label

Urich was seated in his office, watching the whole scene unfold. He looked beyond disturbed.

"Sir, I would've liked a heads-up about something like this. We both know how the industry works," Urich said.

The man sitting opposite him smirked. "A heads-up? Urich, it seems you've forgotten who you work for."

Urich looked stunned and tried to respond, but the words got stuck in his mouth. "You're right, sir. I was only looking out for the company — and your son."

The man leaned back slightly. "How so?"

Urich looked at him with quiet contempt. "The person your son is trying to bring down is on someone very, very powerful's radar. That's why I'm reacting this way."

The man's face stiffened a little, though he tried to hide it. "Oh? And who might that be?"

Urich saw the smirk on his face and decided not to say. "That's all I'll say. But I hope you tell your son to reconsider and stop all actions against JD."

"And why would I do that?" the man said sharply. "He insulted my son, which means he insulted me too."

Urich sighed. He had always thought the man was wise, but he became blind whenever it came to his son.

"Very well then," Urich said quietly. "I just wanted you to know — he was the one who revived Luna and could be of help to her and others under us. That's why I hoped we'd keep a good relationship with him."

"He's not the only one who can do that. Just cut it off — that's all I'll say."

With that, the man stood up and walked out.

Urich sighed deeply. "What a headache this is going to be."

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