( you can skip this chapter if you like to go back to Ava side is still chapter 29 but I will advise you not too as you will miss a lot of interesting scenes and information and later on in the story you will confuse yourself as this character might be or might not be important and also some Ava and Luis scene are here )
Meanwhile, on the second floor.
Inside the boss's office.
Drew's uncle sat across from the company owner.
His expression was unusually serious.
The boss raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"You look like someone died."
He laughed and leaned back in his chair.
"You know you're practically half the owner of this company."
"If not for your investment and your help recruiting workers, this place wouldn't even exist."
"I'm not as well-connected as you, but if there's a problem, I'll help."
Drew's uncle smiled.
"You flatter me It's nothing major It's about one of the employees."
The boss immediately frowned.
"Who?"
"Prim."
The boss paused.
Then his expression became strange.
"Prim?"
"Did that kid cause trouble?"
Before Drew's uncle could answer, the boss shook his head.
"No, that's impossible."
"That kid is one of the best employees I've ever hired."
"He takes extra shifts."
"He helps everyone with their workload."
"He even volunteers for overnight work when we're short-staffed."
The boss clicked his tongue.
"If every employee were like Prim, I'd retire ten years early."
Drew's uncle's eyes narrowed slightly.
Seeing the boss defend Prim so quickly made him realize something.
Getting rid of the boy might not be as easy as he originally thought but when it involves money and power your character or good personality is trash .
"I know."
Drew's uncle sighed heavily and shook his head.
"That's why it's such a pity."
The boss frowned.
"A pity?"
Drew's uncle nodded.
"That boy has been corrupted."
He looked genuinely disappointed.
"Such a pure and hardworking child."
"Who would've thought he'd hide such thoughts?"
The boss sat up straighter.
"What happened exactly?"
Drew's uncle pulled out his phone.
"You know my nephew, Drew."
The boss nodded.
"Drew and Prim used to write music scripts together for fun At least that's what Prim claimed but it was mostly drew you know he is skilled and all that especially graduated from a good school not public like prim."
The boss's expression became curious.
Drew's uncle slid the phone across the desk.
The boss lowered his head and looked at the screen.
A moment later, his eyes widened.
"The Realm?"
The boss immediately recognized the name.
His breathing became heavier.
"You know it?"
Drew's uncle asked.
The boss laughed bitterly.
"Know it?"
"People in our circle can only dream about knowing it."
He handed the phone back carefully.
"The Realm was founded by several billionaire second generation kid as a side project."
"At least that's what the public says."
"But unlike other entertainment companies, that place is different."
His eyes were filled with envy.
"And mysterious I don't know much either."
"My level isn't high enough to access that information."
The boss lowered his voice.
"But I've heard rumors."
"One of their major partners owns part of a Virtual World project."
Drew's uncle nodded silently.
The boss clicked his tongue.
"Do you know what that means?"
"A Virtual World."
"Not virtual reality."
"An actual Virtual World."
"The amount of money required to build something like that is enough to bankrupt entire corporations."
The boss's eyes flashed with greed and admiration.
"The people behind it are monsters."
"If someone can get connected to them, their future is guaranteed."
Drew's uncle leaned back.
"Exactly They're signing Drew today."
The boss froze.
"What?"
"Drew already received the invitation."
"Tomorrow he'll be meeting them personally."
The boss immediately stood up.
"Are you serious?"
Drew's uncle smiled modestly.
"Would I joke about something like this?"
The boss's breathing quickened.
His eyes were practically glowing.
A direct connection to people from that level.
Forget becoming rich.
Even gaining a tiny fraction of their favor would be enough to change someone's life.
The office suddenly felt much smaller.
"So where's the problem?"
The boss asked.
"If Drew already got selected, shouldn't this be good news?"
Drew's uncle's smile slowly disappeared.
"It should be."
He paused.
Then sighed.
"But Prim is involved."
Prim sat quietly at his desk.
Completely unaware that upstairs, someone was already preparing a story for him.
A story in which he would become the villain.
The boss slowly returned the phone to Drew's uncle.
"Wait a minute."
His expression suddenly changed.
"Prim is currently talking to a client a big client."
He frowned.
"Well, big by our standards."
"But compared to what Drew has achieved, that client is nothing."
The boss's eyes widened.
"That client is a songwriter he buys music scripts from Prim."
The office suddenly became quiet.
Then the boss drew in a cold breath.
"Don't tell me..."
"The music scripts Prim has been selling actually belong to Drew?"
Drew's uncle sneered inwardly.
Prim really was useless.
The boy could write songs capable of attracting people from The Realm, yet he sold them for pocket change.
What a waste.
Such talent should belong in the hands of people who knew its value.
Outwardly, however, his expression remained calm.
"Who knows?"
He sighed heavily.
"Maybe Prim couldn't resist the temptation."
"Maybe he thought nobody would find out."
The boss's face darkened.
Drew's uncle continued speaking slowly.
"Fortunately, Drew discovered it early."
"He recognized his own work."
"Otherwise, who knows how many more songs would've been sold."
The boss clenched his fists.
"Damn it."
Drew's uncle shook his head.
"The real victim here is Drew."
"He worked hard to create those songs."
"And now he has to worry about someone else profiting from them."
The boss immediately nodded.
"You're right."
"Drew is too kind."
"If it were me, I would've sued already."
Drew's uncle sighed again.
"I had to spend a long time calming him down."
"Drew even wanted to sue Prim."
"The company too."
The boss's expression instantly changed.
"What?"
"Us too?"
Drew's uncle nodded.
"Think about it."
"Prim sold those songs while working here."
"If things get serious, outsiders won't care who is responsible."
"They'll only see this company."
"And if The Realm gets involved..."
He purposely left the sentence unfinished.
The boss immediately broke out in cold sweat.
The Realm.
That name alone was enough.
A studio backed by billionaire children and connected to powerful figures.
If they decided to crush a small company like theirs, they wouldn't even need to try.
The boss slowly sat back down.
His face was pale.
Drew's uncle observed everything silently.
The fish had taken the bait.
"Don't worry."
"Drew is a reasonable child."
"As long as the problem is handled properly, he won't pursue the matter."
The boss nodded repeatedly.
"Of course."
"Of course."
Drew's uncle stood up.
"I'll leave it to you then."
The boss immediately rose to escort him out.
By the time they reached the first floor, many employees were still working.
Drew glanced up.
Their eyes met.
The young man immediately understood.
Success.
Everything was going according to plan.
Drew lowered his head and smiled.
Meanwhile, Prim remained focused on his work.
Completely unaware.
Drew's uncle casually walked toward him.
The office staff watched curiously.
Stopping beside Prim's desk, he pulled out a black business card and placed it on the table.
Prim looked up.
"Sir?"
Drew's uncle smiled warmly.
A kind and trustworthy smile.
The kind adults used when they wanted something.
"If you ever need help."
"Call me."
He tapped the card lightly.
Then he turned and left without explaining further.
Prim stared at the card for a moment.
Then politely put it away.
Across the room, Drew almost laughed.
His uncle's eyes briefly swept over Prim's face.
Such a good-looking boy.
Beautiful enough to attract attention anywhere.
After Prim lost his job, there would still be value left to squeeze from him.
Drew's uncle knew many people.
People who liked pretty things.
People willing to spend a lot of money.
In his eyes, he was already doing Prim a favor.
After all a person without money, connections, or power should be grateful whenever someone offered them a path to survive.
Even if that path led straight into a cage.
The boss sat back down in his chair.
His eyes were red with anger.
After taking a few deep breaths, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Who is this?"
A young man's irritated voice came through the speaker.
"I'm busy."
The boss straightened his back.
"Am I speaking to Songwriter Dragon?"
There was a brief pause.
"Yes."
The irritation in the other party's voice lessened slightly.
"What is it?"
The boss smiled bitterly.
"I mean no harm I'm actually calling to help you."The other side went silent.
The boss lowered his voice.
"You've heard the saying before."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"This matter concerns your future."
Songwriter Dragon frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
The boss took a deep breath.
"The music scripts you've been receiving..."
He paused.
"...are involved in a plagiarism case."
The line instantly became quiet.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Songwriter Dragon's voice turned cold.
The boss continued.
"Can you bear the consequences of plagiarism? A stolen song especially when the original owner has powerful backing."
Songwriter Dragon immediately laughed.
A dangerous laugh.
"How does that have anything to do with me?"I signed a legal contract with your company I purchased the scripts legally."
"If there is a problem, that's your responsibility."
His voice became colder.
"And if you're threatening me, I can sue your company into bankruptcy."
The boss hurriedly waved his hand despite the other party being unable to see him.
"No No,That's exactly why I'm calling."
"This matter isn't simple."
His voice became serious.
"Can you handle being blacklisted by The Realm Studio?"
The other side instantly fell silent.
Complete silence.
The boss smiled darkly.
As expected.
Everyone knew what The Realm represented.
A studio backed by people nobody wanted to offend.
"I thought so Listen carefully The real owner of those songs is Drew."The boss leaned back "The same Drew who has already received a contract from The Realm."
Songwriter Dragon's breathing became heavier.
The boss continued.
"The person who sold you those songs..."
"...stole them."
"He copied Drew's work and secretly sold it."
"Drew discovered everything."
"And now he wants to take legal action."
The boss deliberately omitted several important details.
"What proof?"
Songwriter Dragon asked immediately.
"Drew has evidence the music is his ."
The boss answered without hesitation.
"Enough evidence to prove ownership."
The line fell silent again.
The boss knew the man was thinking.
Thinking about whether he could somehow benefit from this situation.
So he immediately cut off that possibility.
"And don't even think about contacting the releam directly."
His tone became stern.
"If you think you can use this opportunity to replace drew and gain favor, give up now. The Realm already chose him."
The boss's words instantly shattered several thoughts forming in Songwriter Dragon's mind.
"Damn it."
The songwriter cursed.
"What exactly are we supposed to do now?"
"This is completely unprofessional."
The boss nodded despite being alone.
"That's why I'm helping you."
"The company will terminate Prim immediately."
"He violated company regulations."
"He breached the contract."
"He will be personally liable."
The boss's eyes grew colder.
"He'll owe you eight million Zens in damages."
"He'll owe the company another five million."
"And he'll be prohibited from selling or publishing music for two years."
"Everything will be handled quietly."
"No scandals."
"No publicity."
"No one finding out."
Songwriter Dragon remained silent.
The boss continued.
"As compensation for your inconvenience..."
"I'll personally arrange fifty thousand CU Dollars for you."
Another silence followed.
Finally
"Fine."
Songwriter Dragon exhaled.
"I'll let my lawyer handle the paperwork."
The boss smiled.
"Excellent."
The call ended.
The office became quiet once more.
The boss slowly lowered his phone.
A moment later, he sent a single message to Drew's uncle.
Done.
Then he leaned back in his chair.
His expression dark.
His eyes cold.
Downstairs, Prim was still working diligently.
Answering client questions.
Editing profiles.
Helping customers.
Completely unaware that his future had already been decided by people who never once asked for his side of the story.
The boss looked through the glass wall toward the first floor.
Toward the young man who was still smiling while helping others.
For some reason, that smile irritated him.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
If not for the trouble it would cause, he genuinely wanted to drag Prim upstairs and demand an explanation.
How dare a mere employee create such a disaster?
How dare someone like him threaten the future of the company?
The boss closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, all sympathy was gone.
Only anger remained.
Tomorrow.
Everything would be dealt with tomorrow .
Downstairs, Prim stood up from his desk.
He quietly shut down his computer before packing his belongings into his bag.
Without attracting much attention, he walked toward the printer and inserted a flash drive.
The machine immediately began printing one single documents.
Drew noticed and walked over.
"What are you doing?"
Prim looked up.
"Printing something."
Drew rolled his eyes.
"I can see that."
He crossed his arms.
"You still haven't told me what you thought about the food."
At the mention of lunch, Drew felt pleased again.
He could still remember the scene from earlier.
Eighteen delivery robots arriving one after another.
The shocked expressions on everyone's faces.
The admiration.
The envy.
Even several female coworkers had spent the entire afternoon trying to talk to him.
Thinking about it made his mood improve.
Prim smiled.
"I haven't tried it yet."
Drew blinked.
"What?"
"I want to take it home."
Prim pointed toward the neatly packed meal beside his desk.
Drew stared at him for a few seconds.
Then laughed.
"Seriously?"
"Come on, Prim."
"Why are you acting like a pauper?"
His voice carried a trace of mockery.
"You want to bring it home just to brag that you ate food from Skyland Kitchen?"
"You really need to see more of the world."
Drew smirked.
"Why don't you become my lackey?"
The nearby employees immediately perked up their ears.
Prim thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline I'm still a student."He smiled apologetically."I need to focus on my studies l'm not as free as Brother Drew."
"As for being a pauper..."It's not every day someone gets to eat food this good."Prim glanced at the meal."If not for Brother Drew's generosity, most of us probably wouldn't have the chance to taste something from Skyland Kitchen.
"Brother Drew really is on another level." He added with a thumbs up.
The office immediately turned quite.
Drew almost choked.
His smile froze.
For some reason, Prim's words sounded wrong.
Very wrong.
On the surface, he was praising him.
Yet somehow it also sounded like he was calling everyone else poor.
If not for Prim's sincere expression, Drew would've thought he was deliberately digging a hole for him.
Drew forced a smile.
"Right..."
Then his eyes landed on Prim's packed bag.
"I see you're already packing your things."
His voice suddenly became louder.
"Trying to slack off and dump your work on everyone else before leaving?"That's not very nice."
Several people looked over.
Prim blinked.
Then smiled.
"I'm resigning."
The office instantly fell silent again this time even the sound of keyboards stopped.
Drew's expression became priceless.
"What?"
A woman nearby stood up.
"Resigning?"
"Why?"
Others immediately looked interested.
After all, Prim was one of the most hardworking employees in the company.
Prim scratched his cheek.
"I need to focus on my studies."
He sighed helplessly.
"I'm still a final-year high school student."
"I only came here to gain experience and earn some extra spending money."
Several employees suddenly remembered his age.
Eighteen.
Still in high school.
Meanwhile, most of them were already in their twenties yet he did 75 percent of the work .
The realization felt somewhat embarrassing.
Prim continued.
"Actually, I was thinking of treating everyone to dinner before leaving."
The room instantly became excited.
"But..."
Prim looked toward Drew.
"I didn't want to put Brother Drew in an awkward position."
The excitement froze.
Drew suddenly had a bad feeling.
Prim smiled brightly.
"Brother Drew already said he was taking everyone out."
"And with Brother Drew's generosity..."
His eyes filled with admiration.
"The restaurant you choose will definitely be at least three times more expensive than Skyland Kitchen, right?"
The office instantly became quiet.
Then everyone's eyes slowly turned toward Drew.
One pair.
Two pairs.
Ten pairs.
Thirty pairs.
Drew's scalp went numb.
Prim looked completely sincere.
"Brother Drew won't forget me, right?"
He smiled cheerfully.
After all Brother Drew was such a generous person.
How could a generous person possibly refuse?