Unraveling Him | A mafia Story

Chapter 59 - The Supreme Leader

"Il Capo Supremo è scelto,"
— The Supreme Leader is chosen.

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Nikolas's POV

We stood there, side by side, in the room of the higher table, a silent battleground of wills ongoing. The air hung heavy with the weight of centuries-old tradition, each member of the council held an air of authority, their eyes boring into us with scrutiny and expectation.

Isaac's stance was rigid with defiance, resisting against the inevitable. His refusal to relinquish his grip on power was palpable, a silent challenge that echoed through the room.

As the minutes stretched on, each second a whole eternity in the hushed chamber, I felt the tension coil tighter, anticipation thrumming through my veins like a relentless heartbeat. The ritual loomed before us, a passage of authority that demanded to be fulfilled.

"We are gathered here today," began the elder statesman, his voice resonating through the room, "To bear witness to the sacred passage of power, the transition of authority from one leader to the next."

One of the council's members, Giovanni was his name, an old associate who worked with my grandfather back in the day, focused all of his attention on me, "Nikolas, you were born and raised in this family," He spoke, his voice carrying the weight of decades of loyalty, "Your grandfather, may he rest in peace," His gaze flickered to Isaac at the sentence before he faced me, "He was a titan among men. He forged our family into the formidable force it is today, a beacon of strength and honor in the underworld."

"He led us through the darkest of times, guiding us with wisdom and vision," Giovanni continued, his voice tinged with admiration, "Under his leadership, the Sicilian Mafia rose to unparalleled heights," Pride shone in his eyes the longer he spoke and I found myself slightly relaxing, breathing, in and out.

Just like I planned from the start, I knew he in exact would be my ally. It's one of the clues my mother left out for me. It filled me with an unexplainable surge of confidence that one of the council members was firmly on my team. It only assured the awaited outcome.

"He always spoke of how he wanted you to carry on with his legacy," Giovanni's lips formed a faint smile as he seemed to recall very old memories, "And I believe in you, Nikolas, that you will resume what he started generations ago."

Giovanni's gaze shifted to Isaac, and instantly, his expression hardened, "For far too long, our people have been under misguided leadership," He said, his hand on the table's edge tightening, the anger etching lines over his forehead and at the corner of his eyes, "It's about time we change that."

"Giovanni-" Isaac started to speak, ready to defend himself maybe, but he was cut off almost instantly. Giovanni angrily shot up to his feet, his palm slamming into the table, "You shut up, Isaac!" He snapped and god, it was taking everything in me not to break into the biggest smile.

"Our first rule, the most important code we go with, is our unity — to stand together rather than against each other!" Giovanni's voice thundered, his rage consuming every feature of his face, "It wasn't enough that you killed our true leader, and took his place, but then you went ahead and killed his daughter, your very own wife!"

Isaac's brow furrowed, his expression shifting to one of defensiveness. "Giovanni, you're making baseless accusations here, I'd advise you to be more careful," he retorted, his tone sharp, feigning confidence, "Where is your proof of such claims? These are serious allegations, and you know better than to accuse me of killing my wife—"