23

On cue, the Town Council members return to the stage, and as one, the voices of the crowd fade to a taut, tense silence. It's a staring contest now—a thousand sharpened eyes watch the people on stage for the first sign of what might be to come.

Barely a second later, Dina clears her throat and looks out at the crowd, before saying in a calm, steady voice:

"Thank you all for waiting. Each of us has cast our votes—and the Town Council has reached a decision."

Your mouth is painfully dry, but you don't swallow. It's as if even that could shake apart this fragile moment.

Dina doesn't carry on straight away. Before she opens her mouth again, she lets her eyes flicker over the huddled audience one last time. You imagine her wanting to look each person in the face before delivering the final news.

"It is now my duty to inform you, the people of Silvertree," she proclaims without moving her gaze away from the crowd, "that in accordance with the result of the Town Council's vote, the Alberobello Developments will…"

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