Looking at the result board glowing under the faint light, honestly, the outcome wasn't all that terrible.
Gabrielle and Rose had nearly the same number of votes in the end, with Rose barely edging her out by just a few.
"Yes!" Rose practically exploded with excitement, her voice cutting through the heavy air like a whip. It was as if that narrow win was worth everything. "I won! You lost! I've got higher votes than you!"
Gabrielle, though, didn't even bother to look at her. She just kept staring at the numbers on the board, her eyes locked and unmoving with her shoulders tense like they were holding back something heavy.
Now that I looked closer, I could see it clear as day... the frustration hiding behind those normally sharp, unshakable eyes. And honestly? I got it.
All the long nights, all the stubborn effort she'd put in, the speeches she'd practiced until she lost her voice… it must've felt like it all turned to dust in the end.
