Assessed for fit, outright rejected

So i was rejected from a corporate relations manager role wt this midsized company a week after my interview.

HR told me they will decide my fit only after the interview, not committed to corporate relations manager that I applied to.

During the interview with the ceo and executive team, I expressed my interest in corporate strategy and planning. But they outright rejected me instead of referring me to another department or role.

They didn't really dig deeper into my resume during the interview.

Does this mean they don't like me as a candidate at all? As in they don't see me as someone competent or "authoritative" enough? Because if they liked me enough they would have retained me and referred me to a different role as HR has mentioned? Esp because it was the ceo and the executive team who interviewed me.

It feels like a hard blow because it feels personal.