[Lost the Vote] Isabella threatens the delegates.

Isabella's gaze now swept over the crowd, searching briefly for the clusters of electoral delegates, arranged neatly by order of their districts. She allowed the silence to stretch, heavy and deliberate, before her voice cut through the stillness like a blade.

"To the delegates of Montesoro, I stand before you as the embodiment of this nation’s will. You, the chosen few, have been entrusted with the immense responsibility of shaping our nation’s future. My father believed in your wisdom, your judgment, and your loyalty. Today, I ask you to prove that his trust was not misplaced.”

Her words lingered, a moment of hollow praise, before her expression shifted—her smile fading into something colder, her dark eyes glinting with quiet menace. “It was not an easy choice, I am sure. To entrust the legacy of this nation to one so young, to place your faith in someone untested. Yet here I stand, your trust well-placed, your decision vindicated.”

Her gaze swept across the muted crowd of powerbrokers, her words deliberately slow and measured. “I know the weight of the decision before you. In twelve months, you will cast your votes, deciding who will lead Montesoro. It is a grave responsibility, one that demands clarity, foresight, and strength. I trust that you will choose wisely. Stand with me, and you will share in the legacy we are building. Stand against me, and you will find that the tide of history is not easily swayed. "

Her voice dropped, her tone turning icy. “But understand this: loyalty is not optional. My father once taught me loyalty isn’t given—it’s bought, borrowed, or stolen. I offer you a choice now - how you offer your loyalty to me is up to you. Those who waver, those who forget the hand that has fed them, will find themselves as isolated as a leaf in the wind. I will not tolerate betrayal. My father did not, and neither will I.”

Her words hung in the air like the toll of a distant bell, now unmistakably threatening. The delegates in the crowd shifted, some lowering their eyes, others forcing themselves to meet her gaze.