Unfortunately, Mr. Andrew, who was now standing proudly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the presidential suite at the Waldorf Hotel, had no idea that after nightfall, his real misfortune would begin.
The chubby guy didn't even brush his teeth after waking up and immediately video-called Frank Moses and his team at the safe house. Last night, Castle had instructed him to assist these "older folks" who weren't very tech-savvy throughout the day. After all, today's plan didn't require anyone to act personally. The goal was to take advantage of some photos or videos Andrew would undoubtedly display at the fundraising banquet and project the evidence of his involvement in massacres in Africa onto the large screens inside and outside the venue, making his hypocritical moral facade crumble for all to see.
But to pull off this plan, Frank and his team needed a top-notch hacker. Castle just wanted to sit back and enjoy the show. Even though Frank had worked for Castle's father, he still wouldn't get involved personally. Thus, this task fell onto the chubby guy, who was eager to stir up a big scandal.
At that moment, he was discussing the evening's steps with Frank and the others. The plan was to wait until Andrew took the stage before releasing the evidence, which would simultaneously be sent to all major news outlets. As Castle put it, they wanted to make Mr. Vice President Andrew a global sensation by tonight.
Perhaps it was because people enjoy seeing a powerful figure's image get utterly destroyed, but even though the chubby guy had been almost knocked out from drinking with Big Ivan and the others the previous night, he still forced himself to get up this morning just for this operation.
Bob, on the other hand, after sobering up and before Neil and Mozzie even woke up, had a brief conversation with Castle, then silently drove off in a car Castle was temporarily using. After all, Bob had already decided to move to New York after dealing with Charles Hahn, and he had even arranged for his dog Sam to be sent to him. So, there was plenty of time to reunite with Neil and the others, and goodbyes didn't seem necessary.
That day passed in the midst of everyone nursing terrible hangovers from the night before. Aside from Alexis, who was leisurely wandering around with her pet white mouse, even Beckett had been sluggish the entire day due to the previous night's excesses, only feeling better once the sun began to set.
The only person unaffected was Castle, whose body had been enhanced through systematic modifications. He even borrowed two chefs from Gianna's estate because his own estate had no staff—no butlers, gardeners, or cooks except for the ten guys including Big Ivan. Not wanting to cook for everyone himself, the shameless scoundrel had pestered Gianna that morning until she lent him two chefs and some servants to help clean up the house. With that taken care of, Castle was finally free to lounge on his private beach with Beckett, basking in the sun.
"Castle, I've noticed something..." Beckett said lazily as she lay on a deck chair on Castle's private beach, soaking up the rare East Coast sunshine.
"What's that?" Castle responded absentmindedly.
After organizing her thoughts, Beckett said, "Ever since I became your girlfriend, I've realized you're quite the mystery. Not only do you have access to intel that even surprises the police, but you also turned out to be a drone development expert? That's something I never expected. I thought you just wrote novels? How are you so good at both combat and technology? And when I look back on the past few months since we met, it seems like you're a trouble magnet."
Castle was not happy with this accusation. "What do you mean, 'trouble magnet'? That's slander!"
Beckett sneered. "Isn't it true? You've killed three assassins just in self-defense. If it weren't for the concealed carry permit the department issued you, do you realize how much trouble you'd be in because of those three kills?"
Getting more fired up, Beckett sat up straight. "I'm not blaming you. I just think you have this strange ability to attract trouble. Look at this current situation. If you hadn't shown off by donating those advanced automatic rifles that even the US special forces haven't fully adopted yet, my precinct wouldn't have been assigned to Andrew's security detail in Times Square that day, and I wouldn't have gotten dragged into all this, right?"
Castle, understanding that Beckett was only teasing him, smartly deflected the conversation onto Bob. "You're right, but have you considered what would've happened to Bob if you hadn't gotten involved from the start?"
Beckett paused. She knew Castle was right. If it weren't for her and her team immediately shutting down Johnson's men, Bob, the designated scapegoat, would've been in deep trouble. He wouldn't have been able to leave New York unscathed like he did.
Half explaining and half sighing, Castle said, "Honestly, I don't want to get involved in these things either, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. Like with this situation—should Bob really be framed by those people in power who keep abusing it? Bob's a hero, yet all he's gotten in return is lies and deceit. How could I stand by and do nothing when I have the ability to help?"
"You know, my biggest wish is to just spend my days solving a few murder cases with you, but there are always idiots in the world that force us to act."
Castle's words resonated with Beckett, and what had started as a playful jab turned serious. "Rick, tell me, with your access to such terrifying intel and wealth, could you become the very person you claim to hate the most?"
Castle burst into laughter. "Come on, really? Haven't you realized by now that my ultimate goal is to just coast through life? I have no political ambitions and no desire to save the world. Why would I become the thing I despise?"
Just as Beckett was about to continue the conversation, she saw Alexis running toward them from a distance. Knowing that Alexis had come to ask Castle about what she had learned last night regarding her grandfather, Beckett wisely decided to leave the two to their conversation.
Castle, aware of Alexis' purpose, didn't hide anything from his daughter. He recounted how, during a trip to France, he had unintentionally discovered that Alexis' classmate Kim Mills had been kidnapped by Albanian scum, and how, upon realizing who had been taken, he decided to help. However, when Kim's father Brian was involved in a car accident on his way to the airport, Brian's old CIA superior had reached out to Castle for help. It was through this encounter that Castle discovered that this old superior was, in fact, his biological father.
Castle didn't go so far as to reveal Sean's true identity to his high-school daughter. Instead, he made Alexis promise to keep this secret from her mom, Martha, for now. Since Martha and her boyfriend Chet were doing well, it was better not to stir up things by bringing up her biological father's current situation.
At the same time, Castle didn't mention that ever since reuniting with Sean in Paris, a secret team of bodyguards had been protecting Alexis and Martha from the shadows. This was a measure Sean had taken after realizing his son had a knack for attracting trouble.
Alexis listened intently to her father's story. "Dad, are you saying Grandpa was a secret CIA agent? And not just any agent, but a highly skilled Cold War operative? So, when he disappeared while Grandma was pregnant with you, it was because he didn't want Soviet spies to target you and Grandma?"
Castle was pleased with his daughter's ability to quickly grasp the essence of the situation. "Exactly. Even after his retirement, because he knew so many secrets, he had to keep his identity hidden. Otherwise, you wouldn't have a dad who grew up safe and sound. So yes, hiding his identity was crucial for your grandfather.
At least this way, our family won't have to face the dangers his past would bring."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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