Their cries grew louder, and then one of the women, overcome with despair, stepped onto the front steps and raised her voice in a dramatic plea. “If this is what we are worth to you, then I don’t deserve to live!” She moved to the edge of the steps, her intent clear.Gasps filled the air as the crowd froze. Lucas went pale, panic flashing across his face. He darted toward her, his voice trembling. “Stop! Don’t do this! There’s no need for such measures!” The officials intervened quickly, pulling the woman back and calming her. Lucas, visibly shaken, turned to Henry, his voice low but urgent. “Fix this. Now. If this escalates further, we’re finished.” He knew if anything bad happened here, he's reputation as the Mayor would be destroyed, he might even be locked up.Henry, cornered and realizing there was no way out, bowed his head slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more genuine. “I’m sorry. Truly sorry. For everything we’ve done today. It was wrong.”The widows quiet
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