Two days had passed since Dylan had inherited everything his uncle owned. The luxurious villa felt emptier now, haunted by silence and memories. Dylan, seated by the large glass window overlooking the city, reflected silently. His heart was cold. Fame had replaced the warmth he once found in friendship.
He stood up, grabbed his phone, and sent a message to Ryder, Daniella, and Andrea.
Dylan: "I need you to go visit your parents today. It's important."
No questions asked. They trusted him now, as the powerful producer he had become. They had no idea who he really was. Not anymore.
That afternoon, Ryder arrived at what used to be his home. But instead of a house, he found an empty lot with a "For Sale" sign covered in dust.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
He called his parents in panic. They met him in a small, cheap apartment in a rough part of town. His mother hugged him with tears in her eyes.
"We lost everything, Ryder," she sobbed. "The house was sold. We're unemployed now."
"Sold?! By who?"
"We don't know," his father added bitterly. "One day we were told the house belonged to someone else."
Confused and angry, Ryder left without another word.
Meanwhile, Daniella knocked on the door of her childhood home. A stranger opened.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked.
"I… I used to live here."
"You must be mistaken. This house has been ours for a month now."
Daniella walked away in disbelief. She called her mom. Andrea was going through the same thing. All three realized something was wrong.
Later that evening, they met at Dylan's studio.
"I don't understand," Andrea said, visibly shaken. "All our houses… gone?"
"I found my parents in a broken apartment!" Ryder snapped. "And no one knows who bought our homes."
Daniella turned to Dylan. "You said you'd help us reconnect with our families. Why did you send us there?"
Dylan, seated behind a massive desk, didn't flinch.
"I thought you deserved to know how they're doing."
Ryder stepped forward. "Dylan… who bought our houses?"
Dylan's eyes met Ryder's with chilling calm. "I did."
"What?" Daniella gasped.
"I bought them. Legally. The deeds were in your parents' names, but when they needed money for your dreams, they signed everything away. You're lucky I didn't throw them on the streets."
"You… you manipulated them?" Andrea whispered.
"No," Dylan replied coldly. "I gave them a choice. I gave you a future."
Ryder clenched his fists. "You used us."
"I invested in you."
"You took everything from our families!"
"And I made you stars!" Dylan snapped, rising. "You live in luxury while your parents live in shadows, yes. But you wouldn't be where you are without sacrifice."
Daniella's voice trembled. "You've changed."
"I evolved," Dylan said, stepping closer. "You have a choice now. Leave, and lose everything. Or stay and play the game."
Silence fell.
Ryder, trying to keep calm, asked, "Then let us play the game. Let us host a charity concert. We'll raise money for our parents."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "And the profits?"
"Ninety percent to you. Just… let us do something."
A long pause. Then Dylan nodded.
"Fine. I'll allow it. But don't forget who owns the stage now."
They left, each more broken than when they had entered. Outside, Daniella whispered, "This isn't the boy we used to know."
Ryder looked up at the sky. "That boy's gone."