Valery sat in the meeting room with Wayne and the other department heads of JD Label. Everyone looked exhausted. Coffee cups sat half-empty on the table, and the room smelled faintly of stress and tension.

"So," Valery started, her tone calm but serious, "I'm sure you've all seen the scandal about Dayo."

They all nodded almost at the same time. There was no need to pretend otherwise. The issue had been all over the news for days. Each department had been trying to do damage control on their end — calling contacts, flagging fake stories, and begging Dayo to at least make a statement.

The head of the media department leaned forward, rubbing her forehead. "So… has he finally decided to say something? Because honestly, I haven't had a proper night's rest since this thing started."

Valery gave a small smile. "Oh, he did more than that."

The room went quiet immediately. Every head turned toward her. They all knew Dayo wasn't just smart — he was careful and strategic. If he finally said something, then it had to be something big.

Valery opened her laptop and turned it toward them. "Here," she said simply, and pressed play.

The short video played. Nobody said a word as they watched. Their faces changed with every passing second — from confusion, to shock, to disbelief. By the time it ended, the entire room was silent.

After a few seconds, Valery leaned back in her chair. "He also sent—"

Before she could finish, almost everyone in the room spoke at once.

"There's more?!"

Valery laughed softly. "Relax, relax, hold your horses."

They all leaned forward again, waiting.

She continued, "He sent me a song he's going to perform tonight on the Global Competition stage. It's connected to the evidence he has. He wants to use the performance as an emotional hook — something that'll hit people deeply, and then he'll use that moment to turn everything around."

The head of PR blinked in surprise. "Wait… so he's going to fight this thing on stage?"

"Exactly," Valery said with a proud smile. "He's using his own art as his weapon."

"Unbelievable…" someone whispered from across the table.

Valery nodded. "He also said he's working on his album while he's there. And this same song will be part of it. So basically, he's killing three birds with one stone — clearing his name, boosting his album, and taking control of the narrative."

The entire room fell quiet again. Then, one of the producers broke the silence. "This kid… he's something else."

"Yeah," another added. "He turned a scandal into an unimaginable opportunity. That's insane."

One of the older staff members, clearly amazed, shook his head. "How did he even get this evidence? It's too detailed to be luck."

Valery chuckled. "I asked him that too, and you won't believe what he told me."

"Come on, Valery," PR head said said impatiently. "Don't keep us hanging."

She smirked. "He said — and I quote — 'I knew she'd do something this stupid once I reached the top, so I planned ahead.'"

The whole room went silent for a moment.

"....."

"....."

"…He planned ahead?" someone muttered, stunned.

"At his age?" another added quietly.

They all exchanged glances, completely shocked. It wasn't anger. It was respect — mixed with disbelief.

Wayne exhaled slowly. "He's way smarter than people think."

Valery smiled. "That's what makes him dangerous. He thinks ahead, and he never reacts — he acts."

There was a pause. Then the head of PR spoke again. "So, when do we move?"

Valery leaned forward and said, "He told me everything will begin once the episode airs — that's tomorrow. So, everyone should get some rest tonight. Tomorrow's going to be one hell of a day."

A small smile crossed Wayne's face. "Yeah," he said quietly. "It really will."

****

After the thunderous applause died down, the stage fell into a deep silence. Everyone was still staring at Dayo — some in shock, others in awe. Even the judges seemed to need a moment to collect themselves.

One of the judges, a middle-aged man with glasses, adjusted his mic. "That was… something else, Dayo." He paused briefly. "Can you tell us, what made you write this song?"

Dayo took a slow breath, his eyes still a little red. "I didn't write it to defend myself," he said softly. "I wrote it because I was tired. Tired of everyone talking, tired of hearing lies about me. I just wanted to say things the way they happened — plain and simple. No noise, no fancy words. Just the truth."

The audience was silent again. The second judge, a woman who had been known for her strict tone, leaned forward. "So, everything you said in that song… it's real?"

Dayo looked at her and nodded slowly. "Every single word."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but stopped herself. Then the third judge — a younger man with a calm voice — spoke up. "You know, Dayo, there's something everyone here is thinking. After all that's happened, after being dragged like that online, how do you really feel standing here now?"

Dayo looked down for a few seconds before speaking. His voice was steady but heavy. "I feel… human," he said. "I learned that love from the crowd doesn't always last. One minute, they're cheering your name; the next, they're calling you a monster. I realized how fast people can change, how quick they are to believe what they see on a screen. But it's fine. Because the same crowd that turned away will also be the ones to see the truth."

You could hear a few sniffles from the audience. Even some of the contestants backstage watched in silence.

The first judge spoke again. "You've stayed quiet for a long time. Everyone's been waiting for you to say something. Why speak now?"

Dayo gave a faint smile. "Because silence only works for a while. But when it's time to speak, you make sure every word counts. I didn't want to argue on social media or make a long post that people would twist. I wanted to stand on this stage — the same place where I built my name — and say what I had to say in the only way I know how. Through music."

The second judge looked moved. "That was a brave choice."

"Not brave," Dayo said, shaking his head lightly. "Just necessary."

"And also I want to congratulate you ahead I think you actually did beat the record for the fastest rap."

The crowd clapped hard giving Dayo all their best most probably cause they felt guilty.

Dayo smiled in his mind this was just a icing to the cake.

"Thank you I guess I will also be a Guinness world record holder soon"

The crowd laughed at this still clapping.

Then came the final question — from the head judge. He leaned forward, his voice calm but curious. "If Vivian is watching this right now, what would you say to her?"

Dayo hesitated for a moment. You could see him take a deep breath. His jaw tightened slightly before he spoke. "I'd tell her… I hope she finds peace. Because I already found mine."

The crowd murmured softly. Some even started clapping again.

Dayo looked down and smiled faintly. For a brief moment, he covered his eyes with his hand, as if trying to hold himself together. The crowd saw it — a small show of emotion — and it broke the last wall between them.

One person started clapping, then another, then another. In seconds, the entire hall was on their feet again. Cheers, applause, even a few people shouting his name.

The same people who had booed him minutes ago were now standing for him.

Dayo lowered the mic and whispered to himself, almost unheard by anyone else, "That should do it."

He gave a small bow to the judges and walked off the stage slowly.

And as he walked further down the corridor, the faint sound of his name being chanted from the hall echoed behind him — proof that the storm was finally starting to turn.

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