The moment Dayo completed the last part of the three songs, he collapsed almost instantly on the studio couch, looking like a zombie.

Wayne stared at him, completely baffled by how the young man managed to handle such pressure and still produce music that moved everyone in the room to tears.

"Dayo, I'm now convinced you're not from Earth," Wayne said, shaking his head. "You must be an alien or something. How did you pull this off?"

Just then, Valery entered the studio with coffee and snacks. She had clearly heard Wayne's last words.

"Haha, are you just realizing that now?" she said with a small laugh. "I knew it the moment he showed me the lyrics for Lo—"

She stopped herself quickly, not wanting to bring up Lois again.

Dayo shrugged lightly. "It's okay, Valery. There's no need. At least we've gained more than we lost, so don't worry too much about it."

Valery smiled faintly, admiring how calm and understanding Dayo was even after everything.

"Yeah," she said, changing the subject, "speaking of which, what are the numbers for the album now?"

Her face brightened as she opened her tablet. "Hehe, so without any signing events or tours, this is what we achieved in four weeks."

---

Updated Album Stats (After 4 Weeks)

Spotify: 183.4 million streams

Apple Music: 67.8 million streams

YouTube (album tracks + visuals): 188.9 million views

iTunes/Apple Store purchases: 307,000

Physical copies (vinyls & CDs): 312,000

Total equivalent units: ~1.14 million units sold

---

Chart Performance

Billboard 200: climbed from #179 → peaked at #26 in week 3, currently #38 in week 4

Billboard Global 200: rose from #102 → #33 peak

Top Song: H.E.R — Lois ft JD (now 91.2 million total streams, charted at #13 Global 200 Songs)

---

Dayo looked at the numbers and felt two things at once — happiness and a small ache in his chest.

He was proud they had managed to turn things around after Lois left, but it still hurt to think about how much higher the album could have gone if she had been there.

He sighed. When he bought the major share of the label, he had planned to offer new contracts to every artist. But his focus shifted when Luna entered the picture, and he completely forgot.

Now, he had learned his lesson — and he wasn't going to repeat that mistake.

"To avoid anything like this from happening again," Dayo said, looking at Valery, "we'll move forward with the new contracts. Anyone who wants to stay can sign. If they think it's too much, they can leave."

Valery nodded slowly. She had expected this. "Very well," she said. "Once you're done drafting it, send it to me. And don't worry — I'll remind you this time. You're not escaping it."

She said the last part seriously, but Wayne and Dayo burst out laughing.

"Ah, both of you— ugh!" Valery groaned, turning red. "Fine! I'm taking back my coffee and snacks."

Wayne and Dayo shouted at the same time, "AHH NOOO! SORRY! OUR BAD!"

The room filled with laughter again. It was rare to see a label this peaceful — no competition, no internal fights, just teamwork.

Dayo smiled quietly. Valery had built something good, something worth keeping.

After eating, Dayo waved goodbye. He told them he'd be back tomorrow since he needed to visit home — it had been two days since he last saw his family, and Janet hadn't stopped calling him.

---

When Dayo got home that evening, the sound of laughter filled the house.

"Hey, what's up, family?" he said, smiling as he dropped his bag by the door.

Janet turned immediately. "Bro! Finally! You're back!"

She ran up and hugged him tight.

Dayo laughed, hugging her back. "Why are you acting like a clingy little chucky?"

Janet rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I've missed you, okay?"

Their parents came out from the kitchen, both smiling warmly.

His mom said, "Welcome home, son. You look tired."

"I am," Dayo said with a grin. "But it feels good to be back."

Dinner that night was peaceful. They talked, joked, and laughed together.

For a while, it felt like everything was normal again — no cameras, no pressure, no noise. Just family.

After dinner, Dayo helped clear the table before heading to his room. He lay on his bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

When he woke up, the sun had already set. The room was dim, and the soft hum of traffic came from outside.

He stretched, grabbed his phone, and decided to call his friends from the competition.

He opened the group chat, smiled a little, and started a video call.

"Yo! What's up?" he said as the screen came alive.

Min-Jae appeared first, waving. "Hey, it's been ages!"

"Yeah, I missed seeing your face," Misha added, joining in.

Emily joined next, smiling tiredly. "Look who finally decided to call."

Dayo chuckled. "Guilty as charged."

They talked for a while, just catching up. Then Dayo asked, "So how's everything going? The production, interviews, finals?"

Min-Jae shrugged. "Busy as usual. But, uh, something weird happened."

Dayo raised an eyebrow. "Weird how?"

"You remember Alice? The production manager?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, I remember her," Dayo said slowly.

"She got laid off," Misha said. "Out of nowhere."

Dayo froze. "What? Alice?"

They all nodded.

"Yeah, we were shocked too," Emily said. "No one really knows why."

Min-Jae added, "Rumor says it's internal. But you know how secretive they are."

Dayo leaned back, his face calm. "That's… surprising."

"Tell me about it," Misha said. "Anyway, things are quiet now. They're focused on the grand finals."

"Oh right," Dayo said. "How's the preparation going?"

Min-Jae smiled. "Crazy intense. They gave us two weeks to rest and prep. Everyone's working hard."

"That's good," Dayo said. "Well, may the best man or lady win."

Emily laughed. "You and your calm confidence."

"What can I say?" Dayo replied, grinning. "Old habits."

They all laughed again before saying their goodbyes.

When the call ended, Dayo sat still for a moment.

He looked out the window, his thoughts quiet.

Alice.

He knew now that she was the one who had sent the video.

And though a small part of him felt guilty, he also understood something —

She had done what she believed was right.

And he had to do the same.

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