Love at Novel 2232
Love at the Wrong Table
Chapter 2232 The Comeback Begins
The entire nation was glued to the screen.
It wasnât just Mackenzieâs allies keeping a close eye on the electionâpower players like Ezra, Mason, and Catherine were watching just as intently.
They all understood that this vote would shape Chanaeaâs future, and once the final count was in, they would need to adjust their strategies accordingly.
Despite Teddyâs commanding lead early on, no one was rushing to declare him the winner just yet.
Watching alone, Gautier clenched his jaw. His mind raced, already calculating his next move in case Teddy
lost.
Teddy leaned toward Mackenzie, his voice laced with false humility. âMs. Quillen, congratulations! Two votesâjust like my past competitors. Youâre quite remarkable.â
He didnât need to say the restâMackenzie knew precisely what he meant. Every âremarkableâ competitor before she had vanishedâand he was implying that she would be next.
Teddy was always careful with his words, never saying anything outright incriminating. His threats were always buried beneath charm and diplomacy.
Mackenzie didnât flinch. Instead, she met his gaze with a smile. âI appreciate the compliment, Mr. Tanner. Soon, youâll seeâIâm not like them.â
Teddyâs eyes darkened for the briefest moment before his usual smirk returned. âI look forward to it, Ms. Quillen. Iâm eager to see what makes you different.â
She didnât bother responding. The real battle wasnât in wordsâit was in the votes.
Then, it began.
âNuthanaâs representative, Ronnie Silverbane, votes for Mackenzie Quillen!â
âWest Endâs representative, Pippa Dinan, votes for Mackenzie Quillen!â
âArendelleâs representative, Lorcan MacSanly, votes for Mackenzie Quillen!â
One after another, the tide turned.
Mackenzieâs two votes had skyrocketed to 29 in just a few minutes, nearly closing the gap with Teddyâs 31.
For the first time, Teddy looked unsettled.
The expected votes from Nuthana and West End werenât what bothered himâthose were predictable.
The problem was that the neutral delegate from Arendelle voted for Mackenzie.
One neutral vote could be dismissed as an anomaly.
Two in a row? That was a shift.
Teddyâs mind raced. He knew moderates leaning toward Mackenzie was dangerous. If this continued, it
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Chapter 2232 The Comeback Begins
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Mackenzie didnât miss a beat. She turned toward him, eyes gleaming. âMr. Tannerâoh, I mean, Mr. Tanner, the score is tied. Looks like you might finally get that retirement after all.â
She didnât hold back.
This wasnât a polite competition. This was a warâwhere the winner would take everything, and the loser would be erased.
Teddyâs mask cracked, just for a moment.
His charming facade slipped, replaced with something far colder. âDonât celebrate too soon, Ms. Quillen. This game isnât over yet.â
The cracks in his act were starting to show.
The moment his power was truly at risk, the real Teddy was beginning to emerge.
Mackenzie just smirked, perfectly calm.
She already knew how this would end.
She pondered, Ansel has flipped! Teddy must have gone too far with him. After years of being compelled to manipulate votes, capitulating to threats, and constantly looking over his shoulder, heâs finally cracking.
Haha! Disgust has triumphed over fear.
Rather than manipulating the vote as Teddy
referred, he allows the results to unfold naturally while discreetly steering
a few votes Teddyâs wayâsufficient to maintain some suspicion.
Smart move.
Out of the five neutral votes, Mackenzie had already secured three. Teddy? Only two.
For the first time, she was pulling ahead where it mattered most.
The moderates werenât just watching anymore. They were shifting.
Teddyâs camp took noticeâand they didnât like it.
âMr. Morrison, why are most of the recent votes from Nuthana and West End?!â
âYeah! This isnât random at all!â
It was the usual disruption strategyâloud accusations meant to plant doubt and make Mackenzieâs comeback look suspicious.
Stanley laughed out loud, jumping in before Mackenzieâs camp could even react. âOh, Now you have a problem with the voting order? Where was this energy when the first 30 votes all came from the Onza and Zovince? Didnât seem to bother you then.â
His words drew chuckles from Nuthana and West End delegates, some of whom had already noticed the hypocrisy themselves.
Teddyâs lackeys werenât done yet.
âThatâs exactly why weâre questioning it! Doesnât seem fair at all!â
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Ansel remained composed, his voice firm and steady. âThe voting order is randomized. What happens, happens. The order doesnât dictate anyoneâs choice.â
His gaze swept over the room, sharp and unyielding. âThis is a formal election. Conduct yourselves accordingly. Anyone causing a disturbance will be escorted out.â
The room fell silent for a beatâbecause Ansel had a point.
Teddy stood. Projecting his voice across the hall, he spoke, âAs chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, I have to agree with Mr. Morrisonâheâs absolutely right. The order of voting does not dictate the outcome.â
He paused. Then came the real message. âThatâs why I encourage everyone to take their time. Think carefully before casting your vote. Make sure you donât make a mistake.â
The threat was clear.
Teddy wasnât hiding anymore. The charming mask had fallen away, exposing the cold and ruthless power broker beneath.
âIâll repeat itâthink carefully before casting your vote. Make sure you donât make a mistake. Thank you.â His gaze locked onto the Arendelle delegates, the ones most likely to waver.
The unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.
Unlike the other factions, where loyalties were already set in stone, the Arendelle delegates had no such certainty. They werenât just undecided votersâthey were vulnerable ones.
Seeing Teddyâs cold, calculated stare, unease settled over them.
They understood exactly what he meant.
There were consequences for defying Teddy.
He had made examples out of people before. Those who stood against him in the past? They were no longer around.
No one wanted to be next.
Waiting for Teddy to sit down, Ansel wasted no time and declared, âAlright, letâs resume the voting.â
The momentum had shifted, and with the chaos unfolding in the election hall, all eyesâinside and outside -were locked onto the outcome.
Ansel knew his part was over. He had done what he could.
Everything he had orchestrated up to this point was his way of repaying Mackenzie for saving his family. That debt had been settled.
It was time to step back and let the process play out.
Playing it safe, Ansel truly randomized the remaining votesâno more interference.
âZovinceâs representative, Nadia Raferty, votes for Teddy Tanner!â
âArendelleâs representative, Theo Kerrane, votes for Teddy Tanner!â
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Chapter 2232 The Comeback Begins
The numbers began stacking up for Teddy again, just as expected,
Before long, the tally hit 89 to 65 in his favorâa 24âvote lead over Mackenzie.
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The halfway mark had come and gone. Instead of closing the gap, it was widening once more.
Sensing the shift back in his favor, Teddy smugly leaned back in his chair. He patted his back as if dusting off the last bit of worry and mocked, âMs. Quillen, it looks like fate has spoken. It seems Iâm not retiring just yet.â
Mackenzieâs fists tightened slightly, and worry flicked across her face.
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