Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 87: Tempting Offer

<🎧 Song Recommendation: EMOTIONS by WENDY, Alec Benjamin>

The last part of Marcus’s statement left Von feeling incredibly wary. A surprise guest at a corporate celebration rarely meant anything good.

However, considering the massive check Vanguard had just cut him and the success they were currently riding, he couldn’t exactly reject the introduction.

Von gave a slow nod. "Alright, Marcus. I’d love to see her."

With his affirmation, Marcus pulled out his phone, tapping a quick message. It only took a minute before the heavy glass doors slid open.

A woman walked onto the balcony, instantly commanding the space. She had striking white hair that looked deliberately dyed and perfectly styled.

She was dressed in a provocative, high-end red dress that contrasted sharply with the dark New York night. Slung over her shoulder was a designer handbag that cost as much as a car. Every step she took radiated pure, unfiltered authority. It was clear from a single glance that she was an absolute big shot.

Marcus smiled warmly at her, stepping forward to exchange a brief, half-hug. He then turned and pointed over to where Von and Emily stood by the railing.

"Diana, meet Von, and his manager, Emily," Marcus introduced smoothly. "Von, this is Diana. She has something to discuss with you."

Von stepped forward and accepted her slender fingers, offering a bright, polite smile. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Diana."

Marcus saw they were settling in well. He gave Von a small, encouraging pat on the back. "I’ll leave you to it," he said, slipping back through the glass doors and leaving the balcony entirely to them.

Shortly after Marcus left, a heavy silence fell over the balcony.

Von stood there, wondering why neither of the women had said anything yet. The air was incredibly tense. A quick glance at Emily told him all he needed to know. The two ladies were locked in a tense, unblinking staring contest.

Emily was the first to break the silence.

"Diana," Emily said, her voice dropping to a cold, guarded whisper.

"Hello, Emily," the woman replied smoothly. She offered a small, polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "It has been quite a while. You look well. A bit tired, perhaps, but well."

Von glanced between the two of them, his eyes narrowing slightly. He didn’t need any help to read the massive history hanging in the air.

"Von," Emily said, stepping slightly in front of him. Her protective instincts flared immediately, shielding him like a bodyguard. "This is Diana Sterling. She is the CEO of Circle Media. They are the biggest management and entertainment conglomerate on the East Coast."

Von didn’t know everything about record labels yet, but with the specific, heavy way Emily mentioned the name, it was crystal clear how big they were. They were the apex predators of the music industry.

"It’s a pleasure, Von," Diana said. She completely ignored Emily’s defensive stance and uncalled explanation, stepping around her to extend a hand to Von once again.

"I have to admit," Diana continued, "watching you dismantle Julian West over the last month has been the most entertaining thing to happen in this industry in years. You are a remarkably talented young man."

"Appreciate it. So, what does Circle Media want with an indie kid?"

Diana withdrew her hand and looked directly at Emily. "Emily, dear. You have done an admirable job getting him this far. Truly. But I need to speak with Von alone for a moment. Business regarding his long-term future."

Emily’s eyes flashed with pure anger. "I am his manager, Diana. Anything you have to say to my client, you can say to me."

"This isn’t a negotiation for a brand deal, Emily," Diana said softly. The polite veneer finally dropped just a fraction, revealing the ruthless shark underneath. "This is a conversation about the ceiling of his career. Please. Five minutes."

Emily opened her mouth to argue, ready to tear into the executive, but Von placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It’s okay, Em," Von said calmly. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before meeting Diana’s eyes with a hard gaze. "I can’t hold any conversation with you in the absence of my agent. If it’s not possible to speak with her here, then we’ll take our leave." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Von’s blunt comment seemed to make Diana frown. The refusal clearly annoyed her, but she masked it quickly. She smiled at the end and began walking over to the edge of the balcony, looking out over the glittering city lights.

"Interesting," Diana suddenly said, turning her head slightly to look at Emily. "You’re fiercely loyal to him. That is unlike you, Emily. But loyalty doesn’t pay for stadium tours, Von."

"What do you mean?" Von took the initiative to ask, already knowing deep down where this conversation was heading.

Diana turned around to face him fully, the city lights reflecting in her eyes. "I mean... it must be hard on you. Carrying all the burden by yourself. There’s only so much you two can do."

Von recognized the threat immediately. It was wrapped in fake sympathy, but it was a threat nonetheless. Before he could respond, Emily stepped forward.

"We’re doing alright. Top three on the charts as of today. A quarter-million-dollar Vanguard deal. I think we’re doing beautifully."

"You are," Diana agreed. She kept her attention focused entirely on Von, deliberately ignoring Emily’s defense.

"You executed a brilliant guerrilla marketing campaign. You weaponized your fanbase. It was a beautiful stunt. But Von... that’s all it was. A stunt. You caught lightning in a bottle with Masquerade."

Diana finally turned her gaze to Emily.

"What happens next? What happens when you need to drop an entire album? An album requires a lot of money in studio time, elite producers, global distribution networks, and radio syndication. You can’t crowdfund a Grammy-winning album on a SubVerse forum... I’m sorry to say this, Von, but you’ve hit the ceiling of what an independent artist can achieve in the modern era."

Von remained silent. Internally, however, he hated how much sense she was making. She was hitting the nail right on the head. He was currently broke on liquid cash.

Even when his streaming payouts arrived, he still had major debts to pay off. He had promises to fulfill for Naomi and Zack. It simply wasn’t realistic to experiment with creating ten more high-quality songs anytime soon.

"Julian West is backed by West World Records," Diana continued softly, sensing his hesitation. "He has an infinite war chest. You gave him a bloody nose, yes. But he isn’t dead. When his album drops, his label will buy up every radio station in the country to bury you."

"So what’s the pitch?" Von asked, cutting straight to the chase. He was tired of the industry games.

"Circle Media wants to acquire you, Von," Diana stated with a now serious, commanding voice. "We want to bring you in-house. A joint-venture record deal and global management."

"If you sign with us, I will write you a five-million-dollar advance check tomorrow morning. We will pair you with the best producers in the world. We will fund your debut album, and we will build a promotional machine behind it that will make Vanguard look like a lemonade stand. We will ensure that Julian West never sees the top of a chart again."