SuperStar!

The boardroom at Universal Music Group was packed, and the energy in the room felt different—electric, almost palpable. As the top executives gathered around the polished glass table, the tension was thick. Lucian Grainge, the CEO, sat at the head of the table, a calm yet focused expression on his face. The room was filled with murmurs of anticipation, but Lucian's unexpected chuckle broke the silence.

"This is the first time we've had to meet three times in a single month to discuss the same artist," Lucian said, his voice light, though there was an undeniable pride in his tone. "But there's no denying it. Ethan Jones has sold out every single ticket for his shows. And the demand for more tickets is insane! This kid's not just breaking records—he's rewriting them."

He paused, looking around at the room full of executives, the pride in his eyes almost contagious. The faces around him shifted from satisfaction to curiosity, their expressions revealing just how big of a deal Ethan had become. But Lucian's tone soon turned serious, almost businesslike, as he continued.

"We've got a real star on our hands. And it's clear we're about to give him the biggest tour any artist has ever had," Lucian added, his fingers tapping the edge of his notes.

Across the table, Jack, one of the more cautious members of the team, wasn't laughing. He leaned forward, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Sir, this isn't something to laugh about," Jack said. "We've already increased Ethan's backend shares significantly, but if we start increasing production costs, we're looking at a substantial increase in the overall budget. Right now, we're already spending $45 million on this tour. If we go bigger, we'll need more merchandise, more production, and frankly, more of everything."

The room fell silent as Lucian's eyes shifted to Jack, his expression never wavering. The tension in the air grew heavier, but Lucian simply smiled.

"Won't all of that benefit us as well?" someone else asked from the other side of the room, trying to shift the conversation into a more optimistic direction. But Jack remained quiet, his unease palpable.

Lucian took a deep breath, his tone shifting from lighthearted to strategic as he steepled his fingers together.

"Maybe my thinking has been limited," Lucian admitted. "I've been saying we should go all out, but we've been holding ourselves back with these smaller venues. It's time to cancel the agreements we've made with these smaller stadiums. I want only the biggest and best stadiums in each state. I want Ethan's 'One of a Kind' tour to be more than just a show. I want it to be a phenomenon."

He looked at the room, his words lingering in the air. The room was silent, every executive processing the magnitude of what Lucian was proposing.

Lucian then leaned back in his chair, his gaze turning sharper. "And concerning Ethan... when are the Grammy nominations coming out?"

One of the executives quickly answered, "The 21st, sir. That's just 10 days away."

Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly, a look of intense focus sweeping across his face. "That's right. We need to make sure he's on their radar. I want Ethan in every conversation, every discussion. He's not just an artist. He's the artist. We need to lobby the Grammys and make sure he's in every spot he deserves to be."

Later that day, in his private office, Jack sat alone at his desk, his fingers tapping nervously on the surface. He couldn't shake the feeling that Lucian was taking things too far. The stakes were high, and the risks were growing with every decision. Jack muttered to himself, frustration lacing his voice.

"This madman… he's going to ruin us all. He's going to overextend and we'll be left scrambling. I better do something about this before it's too late."

Jack's mind raced with ways to slow down Lucian's ambitions. But as the wheels in his mind turned, he knew one thing for certain: Lucian was unstoppable when he set his mind to something. And right now, Ethan Jones was his obsession.

Meanwhile, across town in Lucian's office, the CEO was in a heated conversation with his assistant.

"Get me Jessica on the line," Lucian said, his voice commanding. "And don't keep me waiting."

His assistant nodded and stepped out of the office to make the call. But before she could return, Lucian's phone rang. The caller ID read, "Sean Combs," and Lucian's face instantly turned cold. He picked up the phone, his voice tightening as he answered.

"Sean," Lucian's voice was sharp, cutting through the air.

The unmistakable voice of Diddy came through, relaxed but persistent.

"Lucian, my man! Why are you doing this? I've been telling you for months now—link me up with that new artist of yours. Let him have a little Diddy in his life."

Lucian's expression darkened as he leaned back in his chair, the words hitting him with the force of a slap.

"Sean," Lucian said slowly, his voice lowering in a way that made the air feel heavy. "I know we've talked about this before. But the circumstances have changed. This kid—Ethan Jones—is going to be huge. Bigger than we could've ever imagined."

His tone shifted to something more ominous, colder.

"I need you to stay away from him, Sean. He's on a trajectory none of us can fully predict."

The line was silent for a beat, then Diddy's voice came through, tinged with something unspoken.

"Lucian, you're making a mistake. You've always known what's best. But this? This kid? He's mine."

Lucian's grip tightened on the phone as his tone turned icy. "Stay away, Sean. Do not interfere with this. Do you understand?"

Without waiting for a response, Lucian ended the call abruptly, throwing the phone down on his desk. He immediately looked toward his assistant.

"Get me Jessica on the line," Lucian repeated, his voice now steel-cold.

In the distance, the faint sound of a phone ringing echoed throughout the office, but Lucian wasn't paying attention to anything but the weight of his decisions. The future of Ethan Jones—his artist—was more important than anything else now. And with that, Lucian Grainge prepared to steer Ethan's fate, no matter the cost.