The residents of Long Island had long become accustomed to the sight of one or two drones flying over the estate of the famous writer who had recently bought a mansion there. People in this area are well-informed and knew that this renowned author was now a major player in drone development at Northrop Grumman. Therefore, it was no surprise to see a small drone, quite similar to those used by the U.S. military, occasionally taking to the skies above his estate.
Even though some might feel a little annoyed, there wasn't much anyone could do. After all, Castle had already obtained a flying permit from the U.S. military, and none of the wealthy residents here had ground-to-air missiles installed in their estates. They couldn't exactly shoot down a neighbor's drone just because they were unhappy about it.
So, when Jarvis controlled another drone that slowly rose into the air and hovered over Castle's estate the next day, none of the neighbors paid any attention. However, Gianna and her husband, walking over from the neighboring estate with their chubby little girl in tow, did notice something unusual in Castle's behavior.
But with their focus entirely on their adorable daughter, now a month old and irresistibly chubby, they didn't bother asking any questions. They were simply making a routine visit and wanted to ask Castle why he had sent Neal to the D'Antonio family's territory for protection.
The little girl, babbling incoherently, had taken an unexplained liking to Castle, who was equally fond of the child. Without hesitation, Castle took the little one from John's arms and began to explain Neal's failed attempt to work with the FBI for revenge. Instead, Neal had nearly been hunted down, leaving Castle no choice but to get him out of the dangerous whirlpool that was New York.
Gianna, who had recovered well after giving birth, immediately understood what scheme Castle was up to. She wasn't pleased that this rascal was bringing up such matters in front of her precious daughter. Rolling her eyes at him, she happily left with her daughter to check out the artificial intelligence Castle had just been showing off, leaving Castle and John to continue their conversation on the lawn.
"Rick, are you really planning to handle Neal's situation? I'm guessing you've already got a plan, right? Need any help?"
As soon as Gianna walked away, John eagerly brought up the subject. After all, before turning his life around, he had been a highly skilled assassin. Though his style was usually direct and violent, that didn't mean he lacked intelligence. Castle's tone had strongly hinted at wanting to eliminate Neal's enemies entirely, and John couldn't ignore that.
Even though John knew his friend had all sorts of clever tricks up his sleeve, he wasn't about to stand by and do nothing. After all, he owed Castle at least seventy percent of the credit for the happy life he had now. Just because he had a child didn't mean he could turn a blind eye to Castle's plans for a showdown with a powerful senator.
Castle, of course, knew what his warm-hearted friend was thinking. Just as he had helped Neal without expecting anything in return, John wanted to do the same for him. However, Castle had already prepared everything, waiting for Senator Pratt to make his move. There was no way he would drag John into this mess.
Besides, this assassination—or rather, elimination—didn't require John's brute-force approach. Castle had something else in mind: two of his highly toxic little pets, ranked among the most dangerous creatures in the world.
As for why sea snakes or blue-ringed octopuses, which typically only live in tropical waters, would suddenly show up in the Atlantic Ocean—that would be a puzzle for the investigation team handling Senator Pratt's bizarre death. What would that have to do with a writer like Castle, who had spent all his time in his mansion? Or with Neal Caffrey, who was now touring ancient sites and art galleries in Rome with his girlfriend?
Everyone who knew Neal understood that he was a brainy guy who rarely resorted to violence. Even when he obtained evidence of Senator Pratt's crimes, he didn't expose it to the media. Instead, he tried to cooperate with the FBI. His goal had always been to play by the rules.
The game he was playing was clear: "I have evidence against you, Senator Pratt, and I'm going to use it through official channels to avenge my father." But when he realized things weren't going to work out, Neal immediately backed off.
As long as both sides followed the rules, things wouldn't escalate to a point of no return.
That's also why the Pratt family paused their plans to eliminate Neal after he decisively left New York. They recognized Neal's withdrawal as a form of submission and accepted it, allowing him to leave the country without further obstacles.
What the Pratt family didn't know was that Neal hadn't just left because he feared for his life. He left because Castle had promised to eliminate his enemy for him. That's why Neal left without any hesitation.
Neal wasn't trying to set up his friend. He simply trusted Castle completely.
And Castle, for his part, was happy to help. Otherwise, wouldn't it be more enjoyable to just laze around his estate?
So when John offered his assistance, Castle simply shook his head with a smile. He then led the confused John into the underground supercomputer lab and introduced him to Ramsay, the newest member of his team. He also gave John and Gianna each a smart bracelet he had developed. This bracelet, with Jarvis secretly hacking satellite signals, could provide global communication. Neal, already overseas, was wearing one too. This setup was Castle's way of ensuring he could always stay connected with his friends and respond to any distress calls.
That morning, Castle had even asked Jarvis to look into a domestic company that could launch some communication satellites for him. Once his satellites were up, he would be able to stay connected with his AI system anytime, just like a real-life Tony Stark.
Once Senator Pratt was buried, Castle planned to focus all his energy on developing holographic technology, which he saw as his next big moneymaker and a way to expand his network.
Although he wasn't willing to release his AI technology to the public, holographic projection was a different story. Castle knew that once he perfected it, companies like Northrop Grumman would be clamoring to partner with him.
At that point, he could strategically release information to the public without worrying about being torn apart by greedy capitalists.
Ramsay, with the help of Mozzie and the chubby little hacker, had made great progress in perfecting the God's Eye system. Meanwhile, Gianna and John were left astonished by Jarvis' capabilities. Castle, having nothing else to do, took the baby girl from Gianna's arms and began happily interacting with the little one on the couch, speaking in what sounded like alien language.
The little girl, who had inherited the best features of both John and Gianna, was now a chubby, adorable baby after a month of being lovingly cared for by her delighted mother. Castle, who had never had children in his previous life, found this much more enjoyable than his distant memories of Alexis as a baby. What could compare to holding a baby in his arms?
Castle had always been like a big kid himself, so it was no surprise that he was having the time of his life with this little one. By the time John and Gianna recovered from their shock at Jarvis' intelligence, they found their daughter laughing happily on the couch with Castle.
Gianna, seeing Castle having so much fun with their baby girl, joked, "I know you love daughters. It's obvious from how much you spoil Alexis. But do you really have to be this fond of our daughter too?
You should hurry up and propose to Beckett and have her give you one of your own!"
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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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