One Man Band System

Not long after, Caleb and Avery arrived. Naturally, Eric gave them the full tour as well, starting from the ground floor all the way up to his residence at the top. Caleb looked so stunned that he squeezed Avery’s hand, almost making her yell out in pain. Afterward, they headed back into the boardroom. Inside, Emma, Priya, Monica, Chloe, Heidi, and Laura were sitting on the right side along with Ruby, Jade, and Tania, while Mike and Katie sat across from them.

"Whoa... it’s a full house?" Caleb asked, surprised.

"Wow... everybody’s here," Avery added, resting a hand on her stomach.

Jade stood up and walked over to Avery to give her a hug, then gently touched Avery’s belly,

"You’re due next month, right, Avery?" Jade asked, stepping closer to her.

"That’s the plan," Avery answered cheerfully.

"Aww... when the time comes, make sure to let us know!" Emma said, coming over.

"Yeah, don’t leave us hanging!" Priya added, following right behind her.

"Hehe... thanks, guys," Avery replied happily.

One by one, the six girls took turns hugging Avery, with Ruby coming in last. After breaking the embrace,

"You’re... Ruby, right? Eric’s sister?" asked Avery, who was meeting Ruby for the first time and had only heard about her through Caleb.

"Yup, that’s me! And you’re Caleb’s wife... Avery, right?" Ruby asked cheerfully.

"Hmm... technically fiancée. We couldn’t really pull off a big wedding with my huge belly, but we did get officially married at the courthouse," Avery corrected with a smile.

"Ah, same difference!" Ruby replied.

The girls then pulled Avery aside to chat, while Caleb took a seat next to Mike, flanked by Eric. Once they sat down, Eric turned and placed a hand on Caleb’s shoulder,

"Alright, so what do you think about my offer from earlier?" Eric asked.

The room immediately fell silent. Caleb, who had looked cheerful a moment ago, suddenly grew dead serious. He looked over at Mike, then at Katie beside Mike, and finally at Tania across from him. That was when it hit him, this wasn’t a joke. He turned back to face Eric,

"You’re offering me this for real? You’re not pulling my leg?" Caleb asked.

"Come on... when do I ever joke around like that?" Eric asked back.

"If he becomes the CEO, I’m all for it. Just make sure you keep the COO in check later," Tania interjected sharply.

"Yup... actually a solid idea, bro," Mike said, placing a hand on Caleb’s shoulder from the other side and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I’ll go ahead and draft up the paperwork," Katie said, adjusting her glasses.

Hearing the conversation pivot toward something so monumental, Caleb started feeling the heat, his face looking visibly more exhausted by the second. But before he could even open his mouth,

"Relax, I live upstairs, so you won’t be running this place alone," Eric said, pointing toward the ceiling.

"Crazy... this is absolute madness... You’re really backing me into a corner here," Caleb said, running a hand over his face.

"For real. But this plan is still going to take time to set in motion. Let me lay it all out for you," Eric said.

Eric then went back to break everything down from start to finish regarding his partnership with Trinity Entertainment. They were setting up as an independent spin-off branch, sharing royalties and management responsibilities. The logic behind it was that since Eric held a 5% stake in Trinity, running his own venture was far better than trying to learn the ropes inside their corporate hierarchy. On paper, Eric’s outfit and Trinity would look like rivals, but in reality, they weren’t, since their core focus was completely different. Eric’s company was strictly serving as a production house for music and music videos, while also developing a subscription-based streaming platform.

Listening to Eric’s breakdown, Caleb was completely blown away. He was seeing Eric in a whole new light, almost like he was meeting him for the very first time,

"So that’s how it is... And that’s why you offered this to me?" Caleb asked.

"Because you’re sharp when it comes to systems and fine details. You’re already the head of IT at your current company, plus you’re someone I can actually trust," Eric answered.

"Why not just do it yourself? You’re living upstairs anyway, wouldn’t that be way easier?" Caleb asked.

"I want to focus on writing songs, doing concerts, and building up their careers alongside other future groups," Eric said, pointing toward the girls with a smile.

"But... what if the deal falls through?" Caleb asked.

"That is virtually impossible. Just before you arrived, the daughter of Trinity Entertainment’s CEO was here alongside their prospective COO, one of their own executives slated to be stationed here. They’ve already inspected the entire premises, which signals they are fully committed. All that remains is for them to draft the formal agreement. That is precisely why I am here: to ensure everything is mutually beneficial and legally sound," Katie explained.

"Oh... I see," Caleb said.

"This is real deal stuff, bro, not just empty talk. Eric renovated the whole building and they already came down to inspect it. That means the wheels are already turning—it’s way past just casual talk and handshakes," Mike added, grabbing Caleb’s shoulder.

"Which is exactly why I said earlier to keep that COO in check. He’s an idiot," Tania chimed in sharply.

"Give it a rest, Tania. What is your deal with Anthony anyway? Can’t you just let the past go instead of bringing it up every five minutes?" Mike asked, getting visibly annoyed.

"Whatever, stay out of it, Mike," Tania shot back, crossing her arms over her chest and whipping her head away so hard her twintails spun through the air, her face twisted into a heavy pout.

"Sigh... fine... just try not to embarrass the family," Mike said, keeping his cool with a resigned tone.

Taking all of this in, Caleb fell quiet again. He slowly looked over at Avery, who was busy chatting with the girls, including Jade and Ruby. Then he lowered his gaze back to the thick, polished wooden boardroom table in front of him,

"So, what’s the verdict?" Eric asked.

"Sigh... you’re absolute nuts, man. My heart is still pounding, but I’ll consider it. Give me some time—I need to talk things over with Avery first and think this through carefully," Caleb answered.

"Sure... no problem," Eric replied, clapping Caleb on the back cheerfully.

"Though if I do say yes, I’ll definitely need time to put in my notice at my current job," Caleb noted.

"Which is why it’d be best if you didn’t take too long deliberating. Tomorrow Anthony and Sarah, the CEO’s daughter, will present to the board alongside her father. They’ll certainly be negotiating the specific terms and the structure of the partnership, which typically doesn’t take very long," Katie explained.

"Right on, bro. Try to give us a heads-up by tomorrow," Mike said, placing a hand on Caleb’s shoulder again.

"Good grief... now you’re putting the screws on me," Caleb said with a groan.

"Oh, one more thing, man, if you end up taking the CEO gig, try to dress a little sharper, get a haircut, and trim that beard," Mike added.

"Hey... what’s wrong with the way I look? Don’t go messing with my signature style," Caleb said, annoyed.

"Hmm... is there any work for me?"

Everyone immediately turned their heads toward the door, including Avery and the girls at the far end of the room, who instantly stood up and backed away. Eric stood up, and Katie and Mike rose to their feet as well. Standing before them was a gorgeous woman with hair partially veiling her face, her arm resting in a sling as she leaned on a walking cane.

"Melissa? How the hell did you get in here?" Eric asked.

At the sound of Melissa’s name, the girls ushered Avery over toward Eric, Caleb, and the others. Meanwhile, Jade and Ruby, who clearly knew exactly who Melissa was, stepped up to stand right beside Eric. Naturally, Melissa spotted Ruby and Jade standing in front of her, a wide, mocking smirk spreading across her face.

"Well, well... the little princess and the flirty cousin who jumped right on board with throwing me out over a simple lie... turns out you’re both here. Looks like you took them right back, Eric," Melissa sneered, taunting Jade and Ruby.

"Shut your mouth, Melissa!" Jade yelled, pointing a finger at her.

"You’re the one who shouldn’t be here. Get out!" Ruby shouted.

"Melissa, please leave. Don’t come in here looking to start trouble," Caleb said, stepping forward.

"Sorry... my bad... I just wanted to take a look around my little brother’s new office," Melissa said with a smile.

"You knew this was my building?" Eric asked, stunned.

"Of course. I’ve been keeping tabs on you ever since that incident back at CJR," Melissa said.

"Please leave, Melissa," Chloe suddenly said, stepping up.

"Well, if it isn’t CEO Chloe. My apologies, I had no idea you were here too," Melissa said.

"Enough. Let’s take this outside," Eric said.

"Eric..."

"All of you stay put," Eric instructed.

Everyone went dead silent, including Jade and Ruby. Eric walked out, exiting the boardroom right behind Melissa.