The days continued to move forward, and with each passing morning, the election just drew closer.

Just a few weeks left until the big day. You could already feel that every person in the city was affected by it.

Even people who normally paid little attention to politics had started talking about it. News channels ran almost nonstop coverage about the candidates and how they were doing right now.

It was also the same on social media. You would see pictures of polling numbers, campaigns, and even pictures of the candidates doing charitable works. Everyone was doing the same thing in different fonts.

And then there was also real life. The thing that people could see just by simply walking. Campaign posters of the people were just everywhere. There were billboards hung across major streets with heavy foot traffic.

Each one was designed differently to attract people.

There’s also some volunteers who stand on busy sidewalks handing out pamphlets to people. Some wore bright shirts printed with campaign slogans on them, while others simply wore shirts with the face of who they were supporting.

That was why it was hard not to talk about politics when that was all people could see all day.

Aside from the people, the government itself had also begun preparing for the big day.

Election officials were already inspecting polling centers across the city. Schools, community halls, and gymnasiums were being designated as voting locations. Temporary signs had also started appearing in front of some buildings announcing that they would serve as polling stations on election day.

It was important to announce that early on so the people would know what’s closest to them.

They also started transporting machine and ballots to those buildings under careful supervision.

Aside from that, the security plans were also being finalized.

Police departments had begun coordinating with election officials to ensure that the voting day would remain peaceful and away from crime. Officers were already being assigned to different districts, ready to monitor polling stations and control crowds if necessary.

Meanwhile, the candidates themselves were entering the most intense stage of their campaigns. That was why everyone’s feed was now filled with public appearances of those candidates.

Some candidates visited markets, shaking hands with vendors and posing for pictures. Then there are some who visited schools and hospitals just like Alistair. Some were bold enough to just walk on the streets and talk to passersby.

"How is the paperwork with the attorney so far?" Just 2 weeks before the day, Gray has been growing constantly worried about their plan.

Mara looked up from her laptop when she heard the question. She had been typing for a while now, reviewing a long chain of emails that had been exchanged earlier that morning.

"The attorney is already doing his job," she replied calmly.

Gray leaned back slightly in his chair, though the faint crease on his forehead didn’t disappear.

"And?"

Mara turned her screen slightly so she could scroll through another email that they received.

"He said the documents are being finalized right now," she explained to him in a calm voice. "They’re organizing the evidence into a proper legal filing."

Gray nodded slowly before taking a deep sigh. Gathering evidence was one thing, but tuning it into a legal case that could actually hold up in court was something else entirely.

"The attorney said they’re preparing a formal complaint that will be filed with the city prosecutor’s office," Mara continued. "Once it’s submitted, the prosecutor will review the evidence and determine if there’s enough for criminal charges."

"And from there?" Gray stayed quiet so he could listen to her clearly.

"If the prosecutor agrees," Mara said, "they can request a warrant from a judge."

"Won’t that alarm Alistair?"

Mara looked up again to gaze at Gray. Her forehead creased, then slowly, she shook her head. "He might, but he would be too busy anyways."

"Well, you’re right." Gray took a deep breath again, "I guess I’m just being extra anxious right now."

"I know," Mara nodded before the corner of her lips rose to a small smile. "Go chill a little bit. We’ve already come this far. Just 2 weeks left, alright?"

"Yeah..."

"But the attorney also said something important," she added just a second after comforting Gray.

"What is it?" Now that made his heart skip a bit.

A soft chuckle appeared on Mara’s lips because of it. She knew Gray would react that way if she said it like that. When Gray realized what had happened, he quickly glared at her.

"Tss..." he looked away and pretended to be busy.

Mara chuckled before shaking her head. "Alright, alright, Mr. Gray." She said the last word in a teasing tone, prompting Gray to glare back at her. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Mara just playfully grinned.

"So what I’m trying to say is they have already started to file it so they can time it. The plan is to file everything right before the election day starts," she said. "The complaint, the evidence, all of it."

"Yeah I already knew that," Gray already understood where this was going. "So the moment voting begins..." he muttered.

"The information will become public," Mara finished.

"The attorney said that once the case is officially filed, their contacted reporters and media outlets will be able to access the public records. And they already have trusted journalists prepared to release the story."

"What time will they release it?"

"8 in the morning, exactly on the election day." Mara looked directly at him.

"That’s the exact time the polling stations open." Gray slowly smiled. That timing was really brutal.

People would be arriving at polling stations, ready to vote... and suddenly the news would break that one of the leading candidates was being accused of corruption, cruelty, and so many more things.

"What about the police? How will they make sure of it? We also talked about that, right?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, the attorney said they’re coordinating with trusted investigators," Mara replied. "If the judge signs the warrant quickly enough, law enforcement could move the same day."

"So while people are voting..." Gray smiled mischievously.

"Alistair could be getting arrested," Mara finished.

"Pft... Hahahaha." Gray couldn’t stop his laughter.