THE MASK OF POWER

Nick was on his way home, whistling softly as he walked past the corner bakery. He paused, smiled to himself, and walked in. "Man, Bella's gonna lose it," he said to himself, placing an order. “She loves this cake.” As he waited for the order, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then answered. “Hey, what’s up?” A voice responded urgently, “We found Gorden.” Nick’s eyes darkened. “Alright, I’m coming.” He hung up the phone, took the cake with him, and walked in the opposite direction from home. At a downtown bar, Payton Gorden sat in a private booth with two women clinging to him, giggling as they ran their fingers across his chest. His collar was stained with lipstick, and his breath reeked of whiskey. “Last time was a lot of fun,” he said with a devilish grin, kissing one of the women sloppily. “Remember my name?” one asked, playfully. “I missed you,” he muttered lazily. “I like the sound of that.” Suddenly, the door opened, and Nick walked in, heading straight for Gorden’s table. He sat down directly across from them, his face unreadable. Gorden’s eyes flicked up, and his mood immediately soured. “Who the hell are you?” he barked. “Get out of here! This isn’t a show.” Nick’s tone was calm. “Looks like you’ve got quite the party going on here.” “I’m not in the mood for uninvited guests,” Gorden growled. “I could blow your brains out right now.” One of the women gasped, “Oh no, please. I don’t like blood.” Gorden smiled cruelly. “Sweetheart, you’re afraid of a little mess? Okay. No blood. We’ll scoop his eyes out instead. Serve them in a wine glass.” He and the women laughed as if it was a joke. Nick didn’t flinch. “That’s very creative,” Nick replied coolly. “But fortunately for you, Gorden, I don’t think prison food is five-star dining.” “Me? Prison?” Gorden laughed louder. “That’s for nobodies like you. I am Payton Gorden, head of the Gorden family. My money builds hospitals in every corner of the globe.” Nick’s eyes hardened. “You think some petty law applies to me?” Gorden stood up, towering over the table. “You’re just a speck of dirt under my shoe. Nobody would even notice if you disappeared.” Nick calmly set his drink down. “You ever thought about where your wealth comes from? What I give, I could just as easily take back.” That made Gorden pause, but only for a second. “Don’t make me laugh,” he snapped. “I’ve got the supreme leader of the Holy Parliament in my corner.” Nick gave him a small, chilling smile. “Do you?” Enraged, Gorden grabbed Nick’s collar and turned to his bodyguard. “Finish him.” The bodyguard stepped forward, muscles tensing, ready to strike… But the bar doors burst open. Shaun Greenwood strode in with his own guards. “Shaun Greenwood, head of the Greenwood family,” he announced. He looked directly at Nick and bowed slightly. “At your service, Mr. Supreme Leader.” Gorden froze. Nick stood and accepted the mask handed to him. He slipped it on, letting the weight of his true identity settle over the room like a thunderclap. Gorden’s jaw dropped. “Y-Your supreme leader?” he stammered, stumbling back in surprise. Gorden panicked and dropped to his knees. His voice trembled as he pleaded, “Forgive me, Supreme Leader.” Nick stood tall, cold and unreadable. His sharp eyes locked onto the trembling man. “Did you just threaten to scoop my eyeballs out… with a spoon?” The room fell deadly silent. Every breath stilled. The women sitting beside Gorden shifted in shock, but none dared to speak again. Gorden’s head bowed low, desperation in his voice. “I-I only just became the head of my family. I didn’t recognize you, Mr. Supreme Leader. I swear I didn’t know. Please, have mercy. Consider the contributions my family has made to the Holy Parliament. We’ve served for generations.” One of the women tried to whisper, “Supreme Leader? He’s just a billionaire, Gorden. What’s wrong with you? Get someone to…” “Shut up!” Gorden roared at her, his voice cracking. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Then, his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper, his eyes darting around the lavish chamber. “The eight wealthiest and most powerful families in the world, all of them answer to the Holy Parliament. Whenever there's war, a financial collapse, or global chaos, it’s the Parliament that intervenes, that restores order. And the one who leads them…” He slowly looked up at Nick. “...is standing right in front of us.” Nick tilted his head slightly, his voice cold and precise. “Gorden. Do you know why I came here today?” Gorden blinked, his throat dry. “No... no, sir.” Nick’s tone darkened. “The Parliament entrusted your family with billions. Funds meant to build a health care system across Africa. It never got there.” Nick’s words echoed in the room like a verdict. “Where did it go, Gorden?” Gorden’s hands trembled as he clasped them together. “I-I don’t know. Maybe some of it was misallocated, I wasn’t in charge…” “It went straight into your pocket,” Nick interrupted, voice sharp like a blade. “I’ll return it!” Gorden cried. “Every penny. I swear!” Nick remained quiet, his expression unreadable. That silence frightened Gorden more than any threat. “No, wait!” Gorden stammered. “I’ll add another twenty billion to the Parliament’s funds. Just please… have mercy. Don’t erase my family’s name. Don’t destroy us. We’ve served loyally.” Nick chuckled, slow, menacing. “Mercy?” He stepped closer, towering over Gorden. “You and your family’s lives are safe. That’s enough mercy. But from this day forward… you’re out.” Gorden’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?” “No seat. No rights. The Gorden family is finished in the Holy Parliament.” Nick’s voice was final, like a judge sealing fate. Gorden swallowed hard. He slowly rose to his feet, his pride in shambles but his life intact. “Keeping my family alive is good enough.” He bowed deeply. Two of Nick’s guards stepped forward and quietly led Gorden away. Silence returned to the room. One of the aides asked cautiously, “Sir, now that the Gorden family is gone… who will take their place?” Nick turned his head slowly, and for the first time that evening, a faint smile touched his lips. “My wife.” Nick removed a piece of metal from his pocket, His gaze darkened with emotion as he whispered, “Bella Phoenix.”