Chapter 2234 A Crucial Vote
“No way! How can this be?”
Finished
Standing beside Gautier, Aora was stunned at the sight of Ken and Anthony and cried out in disbelief.
He had witnessed their deaths firsthand, and he had been the one to end their lives. Now, astonishingly, they stood before him, alive.
Gautier, however, remained completely unfazed.
Playing tricks like Cercopes was Magnus and Hattie’s specialty!
When it came to crafting fake faces, no one was better than Hattic. With the right facial data, she could create a flawless disguise in less than a day.
It was nearly impossible to distinguish between real and fake, especially in the chaos of the battle. Aora had barely managed to escape with his life, leaving him no chance to verify the truth.
Meanwhile, as Ken and Anthony finally made their appearance, Magnus and Hattie exchanged a look of satisfaction, one laced with both pride and complexity.
When Ken called Mackenzie, she had indeed instructed Hattie to deliver a package to him the next morning, which was a fake face, allowing him to find a scapegoat.
However, they hadn’t accounted for Anthony’s disguise, which meant the real Anthony had truly died.
The person standing here now wasn’t Anthony. It was just a body double wearing his mask.
As long as the votes were cast, who cared if Anthony was dead or alive?
“Hattie, it’s almost time for me to go on. I’m leaving soon!”
At that moment, Magnus adjusted his glasses, a hint of pride flashing across his face.
“Magnus!”
Before he left, Hattie made sure to say, “I support Mackenzie. She’s my best and only friend!”
Magnus smiled again, waved, and walked away.
“That’s it!”
At the venue, Teddy had lost his patience. Frustrated, he asserted his authority, shouting, “If you’re here to vote, then get inside! If not, leave immediately! Supervisors, make sure to verify every voter’s eligibility!”
He couldn’t help but doubt it. Ken and Anthony were supposed to be dead, yet here they stood.
Security guards and inspectors, all under Teddy’s command, scanned the two men with electronic devices and even tugged at their faces–real, living people.
“Get lost! Have you had enough fun?” Ken snapped, his voice laced with intimidation. “You’re embarrassing yourselves! What you’re doing is a violation of my personal safety!”
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Chapter 2234 A Crucial Vote
Finished
Faced with his outburst, the guards hesitated, turning to Teddy and shaking their heads. The two men were indeed real.
Teddy, momentarily thrown off, waved them through for verification. “Fine! Let the voting continue!”
Without hesitation, Ansel resumed overseeing the process.
And then, as if fate had planned it, a dramatic twist unfolded.
The next two names drawn were Ken and Anthony.
Without hesitation, both cast their votes for Mackenzie.
Ken seized the moment to rally the others, his voice booming across the hall. “For those who seek justice, for those who genuinely want to create a thriving business environment in Chanaca, for those who wish to contribute to their homeland–cast your sacred vote like I did!”
“Enough! Throw them out!” Teddy was furious, his calm demeanor from earlier completely gone.
Ansel, however, wasn’t concerned. Their votes had already been cast. Whether they remained in the room or not was irrelevant.
As the voting continued, the tides began to shift. The tally was now 131 to 132–an incredibly tight race.
For the first time in years, not a single abstention had been cast.
“The next vote belongs to the Zovince representative–Bernett!”
As Ansel announced the name, Mackenzie’s gaze followed the man stepping onto the stage, a sinking feeling settling in her chest.
“We’re doomed… Absolutely doomed!” Beatrix clenched her hands tightly, sweat pooling in her palms from the sheer tension of the moment. Every single vote now carried immense weight.
One wrong move could change everything.
Frederick and Shane knew why she was so tense–Bernett was Hannah’s lover. The bad blood between him and the Quillen family in Nuthana ran deep.
Of all the people in that room, he was the least likely to vote for Mackenzie. If he voted against her, the already narrow margin would widen by two votes.
Mackenzie’s chances were slipping away.
Before submitting his ballot, Bernett glanced at her, smirking coldly.
She remained silent, her expression unreadable. With so many people had placed their hopes on her, she was under immense pressure, making the thought of failure unbearable.
“The Zovince representative, Bernett, votes for Mackenzie!”
What?!
As Ansel announced the vote. the entire room was shocked including Teddv. He thought Bernett’s vote was
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Chapter 2234 A Crucial Vote
in the bag. How could this happen?
Mackenzie herself was stunned. Had he made a mistake?
“Is this… real?”
Finished
Outside, Beatrix stood frozen, her mouth agape in disbelief. She even turned to Frederick, asking, “Pinch me–tell me I’m not dreaming!”
“Ms. Beatrix, it’s real! It really happened!”
Frederick didn’t pinch her. Instead, he grabbed her shoulders, excitement radiating from him. “Ms. Quillen just got an unexpected vote!”
Excitement filled the room as laughter and cheers broke out.
That single vote held more weight than it seemed–before, it had been counted as a sure vote for Teddy. Now, the gap had been closed, essentially turning one vote into two.
And at such a critical moment, it could change everything.
“Dad!”
A voice suddenly rang out from behind Terence.
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.
It was Hannah. Her eyes glistened with hesitation, lips slightly parted. Finally, her voice trembling, she spoke, “Can I… Can I come home?”
The room fell silent.
No one spoke, but their faces said everything.
All eyes turned to Terence.
A slow smile formed on his lips. “Of course. As long as you remember that you’re a Quillen, you will always have a place here.”
Bernett’s vote had done more than just sway the election. It had mended old wounds.
“Aunt Hannah!” Overwhelmed with emotion, Beatrix rushed forward, embracing her.
“Beatrix!” Tears welled up in Hannah’s eyes as she hugged Beatrix tightly.
Only after leaving the Quillen family did she realize how precious family truly was. A daughter without her family was akin to a ship without an anchor. No matter how much wealth or success she had, its true value would still be lost.
And now, returning home, she had a chance to gain even more.
She and Bernett had planned this in advance, but there was always the risk that Mackenzie had already won -or lost beyond saving–making this vote insignificant.
Thankfully, fate intervened. At the most critical moment, Bernett cast the tie–breaking vote, giving her the courage to step forward,
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Chapter 2234 A Crucial Vote
“Thank you, Dad.”
Finished
As she pulled away from Beatrix, Hannah turned to Terence, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry… I’m truly sorry,” she whispered. “I was reckless before. A daughter should never betray her parents… or turn her back on her family.”
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