fanmtl Chapter 552: Revenge
Chapter 552: Revenge
The next morning carried the kind of quiet that never really lasts in a house like this.
Breakfast was already underway when the first movement of departure began, plates half-finished, chairs pushed back slightly as people kept delaying the inevitable. The night before had stretched late, laughter still hanging in the corners of the mansion like it refused to leave with the guests. Now everything felt softer, slower, like the house was trying to hold on for a few extra minutes.
Nigerian artists were the first to start saying their goodbyes, moving in small groups, collecting phones, bags, and last-minute souvenirs from the party as they drifted toward the entrance. There were hugs that lasted longer than necessary, jokes thrown in to hide the fact that nobody really wanted to leave yet.
Min-Jae stayed the longest among the international guests, lingering near the kitchen doorway like he was waiting for a reason to delay his flight again. When he finally stepped forward, he shook Dayo’s hand firmly, then pulled him into a brief hug that felt more like respect than emotion.
"If you don’t answer calls again," Min-Jae said in his usual calm tone, "I will personally fly to Korea and drag you into a studio."
Dayo gave a tired smile, nodding once. "You always threaten distance like it’s an achievement."
"It works," Min-Jae replied, already turning away.
One of the executives, Shino, wasn’t even joking when he stepped in next. He adjusted his jacket, checked his phone, then pointed at Dayo like he had a long-standing complaint.
"If you disappear like that again, I’m coming myself. I don’t care where you are. Korea, island, space, whatever."
Dayo raised a brow. "You don’t even like flying."
"I’ll suffer for results."
That earned a quiet laugh from nearby, but it didn’t soften the fact that everyone was slowly leaving. Even the staff who had been moving around since the party began were starting to ease back into normal routine.
Jennifer was the one who noticed the shift first.
She stood near the living room couch, watching people collect their things. At first she didn’t say anything, just followed each movement with her eyes. Then Valerie crouched beside her, saying something soft that made her lips twitch. Still, the realization came anyway.
People were leaving.
One by one.
The energy that had filled the house was thinning out.
Jennifer didn’t cry immediately, but her hand tightened slightly around the edge of the couch cushion as she watched another person step out through the doors. When she finally looked at Dayo, it wasn’t dramatic. It was just that quiet confusion children get when something fun doesn’t stay long enough.
Dayo noticed instantly.
He knelt beside her, brushing a hand lightly over her hair. Before he could say anything, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him like she was anchoring herself.
The executives who were still around softened at the sight. Nobody rushed her. They just paused, letting her hold on.
Soon, spoiling started in small ways. Someone handed her a snack she wasn’t supposed to have before breakfast. Another promised a toy would be sent later. One of the artists lifted her briefly onto his shoulder, making her laugh again even though her eyes were still heavy with reluctance.
Little by little, the moment eased.
Goodbyes resumed.
And slowly, the house that had been full the night before started to empty again.
By the time the last vehicle pulled away, the mansion felt different.
Not empty.
Just quieter in a way that made everything echo slightly longer than before.
Dayo stood by the entrance for a moment after the final wave, watching the road until the cars disappeared completely. Jennifer was already back inside, held by Luna, who was speaking softly to her.
He didn’t linger too long.
There was work waiting.
And people who never really stopped working.
Monday morning arrived with traffic, movement, and noise that didn’t belong to the house anymore.
JD Records headquarters stood tall in its usual glass and steel confidence, but something about that morning felt different the moment Dayo’s car turned into the street.
He noticed it immediately.
Not because of chaos.
But because of presence.
A small crowd had gathered outside.
Not massive.
Not overwhelming.
But enough to be intentional.
Fifty, maybe a hundred people standing across the sidewalk, some holding handmade signs, others holding printed images from the viral birthday clips. A few waved as the car slowed down. Others were already singing fragments of the song he had performed that night, half-remembering lyrics, laughing when they got them wrong, trying again anyway.
"Release the song!"
Someone shouted it clearly enough for it to cut through the glass.
Another voice followed immediately.
"Happy birthday, Dayo!"
The driver slowed slightly, waiting for instruction.
Dayo looked out through the tinted window for a moment, studying them. Not in surprise. Just in quiet observation.
Then he lowered the window.
That single movement changed everything.
The noise outside rose instantly.
Phones lifted.
Hands waved.
People leaned forward like the distance between them had suddenly disappeared.
"Please don’t forget your birthday next year!" one fan shouted, half laughing, half serious.
Dayo actually laughed at that, shaking his head slightly. "That one is not in my control," he called back, before the window went back up.
Inside the car, the atmosphere softened again.
But outside, they were still smiling as the vehicle moved forward into the building.
The executive floor was already active when he arrived.
The weekly Monday meeting room was prepared in its usual clean, controlled way. Long table. Screens on standby. Documents already laid out. Everything in place for discussions that were supposed to be routine.
But the moment Dayo stepped inside, he noticed something immediately.
It wasn’t business as usual.
Valerie was already seated, too composed. Wayne was there, but he wasn’t scrolling like he normally did. Ulrich looked relaxed in a way that felt intentional. Felix sat slightly forward, like he was holding back excitement he hadn’t been authorized to express yet.
And the others.
Too quiet.
Too alert.
Too... satisfied.
Dayo took his seat slowly.
Looked around once.
Then leaned back slightly.
Nobody spoke for a few seconds longer than necessary.
That was unusual.
He tapped the table lightly. "Let’s start."
Valerie smiled faintly. "We will."
Something about that answer made him pause for half a second.
Wayne cleared his throat, still smiling. "We’ve got a presentation first."
Dayo looked at him. "Since when do Mondays start with presentations?"
"Since today," Ulrich replied.
That alone confirmed it.
Something was off.
The screen at the front of the room flickered to life.
A polished slide appeared.
Not charts yet.
Just a title.
ENGAGEMENT & GLOBAL IMPACT REVIEW.
Dayo narrowed his eyes slightly.
The next slide followed.
Then another.
And another.
Everything looked normal at first. Streaming data. Growth charts. Regional spikes. Social media traction. Fan activity breakdowns.
Then the numbers started shifting from analysis to obsession.
Fan demand metrics.
Search spikes.
Trend mapping.
Then clips.
Then reposts.
Then global mentions.
Then something that made it very clear what this was becoming.
A dedicated slide that simply showed:
RELEASE THE SONG.
The room went silent for half a second after that slide appeared.
Then someone started clapping.
Another followed.
And suddenly, like they had all agreed privately beforehand, the entire room began clapping with exaggerated seriousness, like they had just delivered a world-class business achievement.
Dayo stared at them.
Completely still.
No reaction.
Just eyes moving slowly across the room.
When the clapping finally died down, silence returned.
He leaned forward slightly.
"You people need hobbies."
The room exploded instantly.
Laughter. Groans. Someone nearly knocked their chair back.
Wayne was laughing the hardest. Valerie had her head slightly down but couldn’t hide her smile. Ulrich looked satisfied like he had just completed a successful mission.
Dayo shook his head slowly.
Then the energy shifted again.
Because they thought they had won.
The presentation ended.
The room settled.
Wayne leaned back confidently. Valerie exchanged a look with Ulrich. Felix looked proud of himself. Even the analysts seemed pleased.
Then Dayo reached down.
Opened his folder.
Took out a stack of documents.
And placed them calmly on the table.
One by one.
The room slowly quieted.
First confusion.
Then attention.
Then realization started creeping in.
Wayne squinted slightly. "What is that?"
Dayo didn’t answer immediately.
He simply slid the top document forward.
Recording schedule.
Then another.
Production timeline.
Then another.
Distribution plan.
Then marketing rollout.
Then final release authorization.
Everything neatly arranged.
Everything already signed.
Everything already approved.
Silence stretched.
Longer now.
He finally spoke.
"I already planned the release."
Nobody reacted at first.
Not because they didn’t hear him.
Because they were still processing it.
Valerie blinked slowly. "You... what?"
Dayo leaned back again. Calm. "Before the birthday ended."
Ulrich’s smile faded slightly. "You’re joking."
"No."
Wayne sat forward now. "You knew?"
"Yes."
All eyes shifted.
"The entire time?" Valerie asked.
"Yes."
Silence again.
Different this time.
He continued, voice steady. "I let you run the presentation because I wanted to see how far you’d go with it."
That landed harder than anything else in the room they have been player by Dayo.
Wayne stared at him. "We stayed up till three in the morning preparing this."
"I know," Dayo said.
"You let us do all this work?"
"I did."
"Why?"
Dayo looked around the room slowly.
Then shrugged slightly.
"Revenge."
That single word broke everything.
Wayne leaned back like he had been defeated. Ulrich covered his face briefly. Valerie laughed despite herself. Felix actually groaned.
"You’re evil," Wayne muttered.
Dayo nodded once with a satisfying smile on his face . "Thank you."
That made it worse. Because now they had no argument.Just realization that they had been played at their own game.
Then the mood shifted again.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Something closer to competitive revenge energy.
Valerie pointed at him. "This isn’t over."
Wayne nodded immediately. "Not even close."
Ulrich cracked his knuckles slightly. "We will get you back."
Felix joined in. "Absolutely."
Dayo watched them like it was entertainment.
Then, just as they started arguing about plans for retaliation, he leaned forward slightly.
"Studio A."
Nobody heard him.
"Book Studio A," he repeated.
Silence hit the room instantly.
Every head turned.
He stood slowly.
"We’re recording today."
For a second, nobody moved.
Then everything exploded again.
This time not presentation energy.
Real energy.
Wayne jumped up. Ulrich actually raised his voice. Valerie was already standing halfway. Felix looked like he was trying not to run out of the room.
Chaos returned, but different.
Focused.
Alive.
Dayo picked up his folder, watching them like they were overreacting.
He shook his head slightly.
"I don’t understand why you people are acting like this is new."
But nobody answered.
Because they were already moving.
And just like that, the meeting didn’t end.
It transformed.
Into something louder.
Faster.
Real.
Recording day had begun.