The aftermath of the Freemason treasure discovery unfolded exactly as Castle had expected. When Gates and his two companions entered the secret chamber and stood in awe of the mountain of treasure that filled the two rooms, they were stunned to realize they were surrounded by the New York police.
Dejected, Ben Gates only learned after being taken to the 12th Precinct that while he had indeed been on the nationwide wanted list, the Freemasons, overjoyed by the return of their lost treasure, had somehow intervened and gotten the FBI to drop the charges against him. All they required was for him to return the Declaration of Independence he had stolen, and he would face no further punishment.
Shortly after his arrival at the precinct, Gates was visited by a man claiming to be his lawyer, who revealed himself to be a representative of the Freemasons. The man assured Gates that in gratitude for recovering the long-lost treasure, the Freemasons would help rebrand him as a dedicated explorer on a relentless quest to uncover this historic hoard. All Gates had to do was cooperate with the police and he'd be released on bail.
The lawyer also informed Gates that the Freemasons, impressed by his treasure-hunting skills, were prepared to offer him a job once he was out of the precinct.
While Gates received thanks from the Freemasons, Beckett, who had led the police officers that trapped him in the treasure room, earned even greater appreciation from the Freemason leader in New York. If it hadn't been for Beckett's team spotting Gates as soon as he arrived in the city, who knows if he would have notified the Freemasons about the treasure or tried to keep it for himself?
The Gates family's reputation within the Freemasons was well known, but thanks to Beckett's intervention, the treasure remained intact—at least officially.
What the Freemason leader didn't know was that a certain sneaky individual with a 1,000-cubic-meter personal space had quietly moved out more than half of the treasures from that chamber days earlier. What was left were items Castle had deemed unworthy.
Even so, the remaining treasures in the chamber were still incredibly valuable. Their historical significance alone was staggering, as they were artifacts from the Crusades and had been buried for over 200 years. Their worth far exceeded any monetary value.
This scene of "everyone wins," meticulously crafted by Castle, was perfect. Everyone was satisfied, except for the seven people at Castle's estate who knew the full story and were secretly amused.
As the curtain closed on the grand event Castle had orchestrated, everyone at the estate went back to their rooms with smiles on their faces. Only John, playing the role of the devoted husband, accompanied his pregnant wife on a slow walk to their neighboring estate.
Neal, on the other hand, had already discussed with Castle that he would return to New York the next day to use the evidence he had gathered to expose Senator Pratt, the man who had framed his father and destroyed his family. However, Castle advised him against it.
"Neal, if you want to hand over that evidence to the FBI, that's one thing. But if you plan to go through with your original plan of exposing the senator through the media, now might not be the best time," Castle explained. "With the bombing in the UK and the reappearance of America's most secretive Freemason treasure in Manhattan, the media will be focused on these stories for the next few days. Using the media now wouldn't be very effective…"
Neal, always sharp, immediately caught on. "Rick, what are you really trying to say?"
Castle laughed. "I'm suggesting you take the evidence to your old partner, Peter Burke, at the FBI's New York branch. Have you forgotten? He's in charge of the White Collar Crime Unit, which has jurisdiction over crimes involving senators!"
Neal, sensing that Castle had a deeper plan, wasn't surprised by this suggestion. After all, it made sense. The FBI had the authority to investigate Pratt's crimes, which weren't limited to New York. While Neal trusted the New York police thanks to Beckett and Castle, the FBI was a better fit for this case.
Plus, the FBI's New York office had been having a string of bad luck recently, ever since Neal had tricked them into giving him a pardon signed by the Attorney General. It might not be a bad idea to let Peter and the FBI take credit for taking down the last senator in New York.
Satisfied with the plan, Neal went to bed with a smile. He, like Castle and Moz, hadn't slept in two days due to the excitement of the treasure hunt. Now that it was over, everyone was ready to collapse from exhaustion.
As for what else might happen in the UK, where people were still dealing with the aftermath of the explosion, none of them cared anymore. Let the chaos continue—at least it would keep those pompous "gentlemen" across the Atlantic too busy to meddle in their affairs.
The next morning, Neal left for New York, while Gianna and Moz joined Castle in the study to discuss how they could approach Benjamin Arthur, the third-ranked candidate of the donkey party.
"Rick, are you sure this Benjamin guy will become the next president?" Gianna asked, unsure if the documents supported that conclusion. From her point of view, Benjamin didn't seem particularly impressive.
Castle thought to himself, How can I tell you that I know this because I've seen the movie where Bakar, the villain behind 'London Has Fallen,' gets taken down by Benjamin Arthur, which led me to deduce that he'll be the next president?
Though Castle couldn't reveal his secret knowledge, he supported his argument another way: "I already told you, based on my current relationship with the elephant party, there's no way they'll forgive me for taking down their political star with Beckett. So why not back the donkey party instead? We didn't get involved with Andrew's downfall, meaning we have no bad blood with them."
Moz agreed with Castle's logic, but he shared Gianna's concern. "Why not back the candidate ranked ahead of Benjamin?"
Castle sighed at his so-called "advisors." "Haven't you ever heard that helping someone in their time of need is better than jumping on the bandwagon? Right now, Benjamin is being overlooked, so securing his top sponsorship spot will be easier. If he wins, our returns will be much greater!"
This reason satisfied both of them. As savvy as they were, they understood that betting on an underdog could lead to massive rewards if things went their way. And since the information came from Castle, who was known for having excellent sources, maybe Benjamin Arthur really was destined to be the next president.
With their investment target decided, Gianna immediately sprang into action, demonstrating the efficiency she had been raised with by her powerful family. She and Moz would make contact with Benjamin Arthur, now ranked second after Andrew's sudden departure from the race.
After all, while the D'Antonio family was powerful in Italy, they had never before had the chance to influence a U.S. presidential election. And now, Gianna had the opportunity to become a sponsor of a future president. How could she not act quickly?
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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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