#Chapter 173: The Call

Richard We were on our way to report what we’d heard, David's voice still sharp in my ears, the full scope of sabotage laid bare, every word of it enough to destroy the legitimacy of the vote, but the moment we stepped into the hallway, everything fractured. The space outside the command room was absolute chaos. Radios screamed updates in overlapping static, people shouted names and numbers, trying to confirm what no one could fully believe, and dozens of footsteps pounded the marble, echoing up the stairwells. It didn’t feel like victory. It felt like containment had failed. Someone caught my jacket sleeve. "Richard—" Another voice cut across theirs. "They’re calling it!" A third voice cut in, louder now, nearly stumbling over itself. "The northern territories just finalized. You're ahead." "What?" I said, not trusting what I was hearing. Nathan stepped closer, his voice low and steady. "Richard... you won." Amelia's hand tightened around mine. We both paused as if the