Michael sat in his office, quietly watching the video his assistant had just shown him.

He didn't speak for a while. Then he turned slowly toward her.

"What do you think?" he asked calmly.

The assistant hesitated. "Sir, it's probably a lie. The timing is too sudden. But… I also found this."

She handed him a file. "It was buried deep, almost like someone wanted to hide it."

Michael opened it. It was an old article — the same story of when Vivian accused Dayo back before his fame.

A/N: This was before Dayo transmigrated and cleared the issue.

"Hmm," Michael muttered. "Seems like it."

"So, what should we do, sir? Should we stop the news from spreading? Maybe try to kill the source?" she asked carefully.

Michael smirked. "Why should we do that?"

The assistant frowned. "Huh… because we're trying to sign him?"

"Oh," Michael said, leaning back in his chair. "You think that's a reason to help him?"

She nodded slowly.

Michael's smirk widened. "But he doesn't want to be signed. You could already tell from all the encounters we had with him, he had refused every olive branch I had extended to him, even knowing who I am. He's proud, stubborn. So, let's use this to humble him."

Confused, the assistant asked, "How, sir ?"

"Spread the scandal. Make it trend everywhere. When it starts destroying him and he can't take it, then we'll step in. We'll be the savior. That way, when negotiations come, we'll have all the power. He won't be able to refuse."

The assistant looked at Michael and felt her scalp go numb. She had been working with Michael for more than three years, and each time he came up with a scheme, she was happy that she worked for him, not on the other side, because many never saw his moves coming and just got consumed by it.

"Okay, sir," she said quietly. "I'll set everything in motion."

"Good," Michael said.

The assistant bowed and left the office.

"It's only a matter of time before you become mine, Dayo… just a little bit of time."

He leaned back in his chair, smiling faintly.

***

Dayo was pacing around his hotel room, his thoughts spinning in every direction. He hadn't eaten since he came off the plane.

He had to call Valery and Wayne to hold forth and try to understand what was going on, because the heat wasn't meant to be this hot, and they should try to cool it down so he could think.

What annoyed him the most was that everywhere he turned, it felt like eyes were on him.

When he walked through the hallway earlier, the contestant who normally greeted and tried to get to know him better had looked away. Some whispered as he passed. Others avoided him completely.

He felt it — that cold, fake silence.

Only a few people still talked to him normally — Misha, Emily, and Min-Jae, who didn't believe the rumors. But the rest had changed almost instantly.

And that's when it hit him: they were never all on his side. They were just waiting for something to go wrong.

Maybe they were jealous of his growth, his fame, how he'd always been on top. Now that the scandal broke out, they didn't have to pretend anymore.

It hurt, but he understood. The industry was like that. Dog eat Dog, they prey on the weak and respect the strong. The same people who cheered for you today would bounce on you tomorrow if given the chance.

He knew what he had to do to make everything calm, but he needed time to do it. Time was not on his side at this rate; the scandal was growing, and he might be kicked out of the competition.

"This can't go on," he muttered.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Urich's number. It rang… and rang… until finally, Urich picked up.

"Dayo?" Urich's voice sounded tired.

"What's going on, Urich?" Dayo said sharply. "I thought we had an agreement. Why is Vivian out there lying and saying I abused her? We already agreed to seal this matter!"

Urich went silent for a few seconds before answering. "Listen, Dayo… calm down. I swear, I didn't know about this. This is news to me."

"Don't play dumb," Dayo snapped. "You and I both know we signed a non-disclosure agreement — she wasn't supposed to bring it up again, and it was your idea, so what the F is going on?"

"I know, I know," Urich said quickly. "But this wasn't her idea alone. Philip's behind it. He convinced her. My hands are tied, Dayo. You know his dad is a major shareholder in the label. There's only so much I can do."

Dayo clenched his jaw. "Philip again. Of course."

"I'm sorry," Urich said softly. "It's out of my control this time."

"This won't end well for either of us," Dayo said quietly.

Urich frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's not a threat," Dayo replied. "But I have evidence that you don't know about not like the last time. Evidence that could hurt your label if it goes public. You know I don't bluff, Urich."

There was a pause. The line went silent for a few seconds. Then Urich sighed.

He knew that Dayo was more than what the eyes meet as someone this young, he liked him, so he didn't want to take any risk.

"Alright," he said. "I'll try to talk to her first and the board later to tell her to clear things up."

"No," Dayo said firmly. "You won't try. You'll make her do it. Because if she doesn't, the fallout won't just be on me — it'll hit all of you too."

Urich hesitated again. "Understood."

"Good," Dayo said. "Urich, I see you as a friend, and that's why I am doing this. Otherwise, I would have just put out the evidence there, but you helped me, so I would help you back. I'm not asking for favors. I just want the truth out there and be done with this."

He hung up before Urich could respond.

For a long time, he just sat there, breathing heavily, his phone still in his hand.

He sat there for about thirty minutes thinking of contingency plans in case Urich was unable to make it go and an idea came into mind. He smiled and dialed a number.

"Hello Valery, I would send you something, and I want you to follow my instructions step by step."

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