The Anonymous side moved swiftly. While Castle and Mozzie were discussing how to hand over the collected evidence to the soon-to-be-inaugurated Benjamin, the Anonymous figure had already organized various suspicions surrounding Castle in the Vincent Adler case. He planned to anonymously send them to the FBI's New York office.
What the Anonymous figure didn't know, however, was that Castle had preemptively coordinated this matter with Hughes. A weakened version of the "Eye of God" surveillance system had already been installed at the FBI's New York branch and was under trial by Joe's unified command center. As such, the scheme devised by the Anonymous figure and the Roxette organization to implicate Castle was doomed to fail.
Just as Castle had predicted, their next target was Neal, who was still in Italy. However, Neal wasn't an easy mark. Protected by both the local D'Antonio family and Sean's handpicked team, Neal—a slippery fox who had eluded Peter Burke's elite crime investigation team for years—was far beyond the reach of the weakened CIA European division.
When Roxette found themselves unable to even capture Neal, the Anonymous figure could only pin his hopes on the evidence he had sent to the FBI, hoping it would shift their investigative focus onto Castle. If the FBI started scrutinizing Castle, Roxette's agents lurking near his estate might find a chance to infiltrate and uncover some leverage.
But the Anonymous figure's carefully laid plans collapsed when his so-called evidence failed to elicit any reaction from the FBI. Bewildered, he dug deeper, only to discover that Castle had already struck a formal partnership with the FBI, offering them the very surveillance software that Roxette had been desperate to obtain.
This revelation left both the Anonymous figure and the Roxette organization utterly humiliated.
"Damn it! He wouldn't give it to us even if we begged, but he hands it over to the FBI? Does he hold us in that much contempt?"
The brazen slap in the face sent shockwaves through the Roxette organization.
However, there was nothing they could do about it. Neither the CIA nor the Roxette organization, which operated parasitically within it, had domestic enforcement powers like the FBI. Furthermore, Castle wasn't the small-time nobody he used to be. His shares in three defense contractors alone made him untouchable. Add to that his close ties with the U.S. military, thanks to his involvement in upgrading stealth bombers, and the Roxette organization—no matter how ambitious—was no match for him.
Frustrated and powerless, the Anonymous figure and Roxette's leadership begrudgingly acknowledged that Castle was no longer someone they could manipulate at will.
Yet giving up was out of the question. Since Castle was willing to collaborate with the FBI, there was a chance he could be negotiated with. Clinging to this hope, Roxette sent another senior agent to attempt legitimate talks with Castle, seeking access to the coveted surveillance software.
Their motivations weren't purely operational; they hoped this advanced technology could help elevate one of Roxette's own—a current deputy director of the CIA—to a higher position once the new president took office in January. Roxette's obsession with the software stemmed from its potential to provide a decisive edge in the political arena.
However, Castle had no interest in negotiations. Resolute in his decision to sever ties with Roxette, he didn't even allow their representative past the estate gates, promptly sending him packing.
"You think you can start a war and call for peace whenever it suits you? Do you take me for a fool?"
Castle had already gathered enough evidence to expose Roxette's misdeeds within the CIA. Once Benjamin took office and appointed a new CIA director, Castle planned to use that moment to deliver a decisive blow, ensuring Roxette's eradication.
For Castle, this wasn't just about business; it was personal. Roxette's persecution of his father, Sean, and their continued attempts to sabotage him had made them enemies for life.
As for Roxette's inevitable frustration, Castle couldn't care less. At the moment, he was enjoying a relaxing weekend at his estate, playing on the beach with his daughter and their four puppies.
"Dad, I heard Harry's been tortured by that treadmill you invented. What kind of treadmill is it? Can I see it?" Alexis asked curiously, teasing the puppies scampering around her feet.
Castle chuckled, realizing Alexis hadn't yet seen his infamous "do-or-die" treadmill. Harry and Ramsey had been dragged out by Big Ivan daily to run on the beach, and Harry was on the verge of collapse.
Smiling, Castle explained the treadmill's unique features, including its locked cage that wouldn't open until the timer expired. He had even ensured Jarvis couldn't override it by keeping it offline. Alexis burst into laughter, squatting on the sand as tears of mirth streamed down her face.
"Haha! Dad, how did you even come up with such a crazy treadmill? Harry's so out of shape, and you want him to run for an hour every day? You're going to kill him!"
Thinking of Harry, Castle grew curious. It had been a week since he last checked in on the chubby programmer. Although Big Ivan had been faithfully following his instructions to make them run for half an hour daily, Castle wondered if the regimen was having any effect.
He and Alexis headed to the underground supercomputer lab, where they found Harry and Ramsey lounging on a couch, groaning in despair.
Before entering, Castle overheard Harry complaining to Ramsey.
"This doesn't make sense! I've been forced to run for a week, but I've gained three kilos instead of losing weight. What's going on?"
Suppressing their laughter, Castle and Alexis eavesdropped as Ramsey retorted, "Of course you gained weight! Have you seen how much you eat after running? Big Ivan told you to stick to beef and salads, but you're still eating fried chicken and drinking soda. I've lost two kilos, so clearly running works. You're gaining weight because you're gorging yourself!"
"I can't help it! Running makes me hungry!" Harry whined.
Castle chose that moment to step in. "Harry, I have a solution for your problem…"
Entering with Alexis, who was struggling to contain her laughter, Castle turned to Jarvis. "Jarvis, display the blueprint for my new diet-control refrigerator."
As the design—a modified version of a concept from Castle's past life—appeared on the screen, Harry, Ramsey, and Alexis all stared in stunned silence at the refrigerator's outrageous features.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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