As expected, Castle's prediction from the previous night came true. By the time he woke up, the Eastern European butcher Duhoviche had become the world's latest viral sensation—though for all the wrong reasons. It had taken less than a day for him to become the ultimate headline-grabbing figure.
Despite her anger the night before, Beckett eventually succumbed to Castle's sweet talk and relentless charm. Now, on a weekend morning, while Castle was downstairs enjoying breakfast and the news, Beckett was still fast asleep.
Sitting in the dining room, Castle munched on his breakfast while scrolling through news reports about the Duhoviche scandal. To his surprise, journalists worldwide had uncovered even more details about the dictator's crimes overnight. Castle couldn't help but feel a deep respect for the sheer investigative prowess of these reporters.
The evidence Beckett and the chubby kid had sent out the previous night only included photos and videos of one massacre. Yet by morning, the media had dug up mountains of additional information about Duhoviche's atrocities. Castle was left wondering: how on earth did these journalists unearth so much in just one night? Were they somehow even better equipped than himself, despite having JARVIS and the equivalent of a god's eye?
When the chubby kid finally came down to breakfast, still yawning, he cleared up Castle's confusion. The truth left Castle dumbfounded.
As it turned out, the news wasn't spreading because of the evidence Beckett had sent out—it had merely served as a catalyst. According to the chubby kid's monitoring, many of the world's media outlets had known about Duhoviche's crimes for years. But for political reasons—or simply out of self-interest—they had chosen to bury the story.
The emails Beckett had sent out to every major media outlet worldwide forced their hand. With the story out in the open, these outlets could no longer keep it under wraps. Instead, they scrambled to present their own versions of the story. And since many of these outlets had already conducted investigations of their own, they released even more evidence, both to grab attention and to demonstrate their dominance in the media industry.
"Exclusive!" became the mantra. News outlets competed to reveal details no one else had, cementing their reputations as leaders in investigative journalism.
Castle was left shaking his head in disbelief. Compared to these morally bankrupt capitalists, he felt like an innocent lamb. It was the chubby kid's explanation that revealed the grim reality: many of these media groups had intentionally hidden the truth for years, only to turn on Duhoviche the moment the story became impossible to ignore.
Breakfast suddenly didn't taste as good.
Without Beckett's decision to send the evidence to every media outlet indiscriminately, it was entirely possible the story would have been suppressed once again. Ironically, the media outlets' greed and competitiveness ensured that the story blew up, drawing the world's attention to Duhoviche's heinous crimes.
And attention it drew. Words like "genocide" and "massacre" emblazoned front pages and headlines across the globe, captivating the public's imagination and igniting outrage. Protesters filled the streets in cities with storied histories of resistance, and TV anchors lambasted Duhoviche nonstop.
When Beckett finally came downstairs, well-rested but still fiery, she was shocked to learn the full scope of what had transpired. Despite her experience as a mid-level NYPD officer, she had never encountered this level of cynicism. The idea that powerful entities would knowingly suppress the truth for political gain left her appalled.
Her shock quickly turned to anger. Though Beckett was no stranger to the dark realities of the world, seeing the lengths to which these "elites" would go to protect their interests was a wake-up call. The incident strengthened her resolve to enter politics, as Castle had long suggested. If she wanted to create real change, she needed the power to do so.
Meanwhile, Castle watched the events unfold with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He had always known that public opinion was a tool to be manipulated, but seeing it in action left even him feeling slightly jaded. At least the story had succeeded in attracting global attention, which was more than he had expected.
In Eastern Europe, however, Duhoviche was not having a good day. The scandal had shattered the facade of his regime overnight. Sitting in his lavish presidential palace, he fumed as his once-hidden crimes became global headlines. His secret was out, and the backlash was swift.
Reports from his aides revealed that the minority groups he had been targeting were mobilizing against him. They were reportedly coordinating efforts to stage a coup and overthrow his regime. Duhoviche's immediate concern wasn't the international outcry—it was the looming threat of rebellion at home.
Desperate to maintain his grip on power, Duhoviche shifted his focus to suppressing the unrest. International condemnation meant little to him as long as he remained in power. But now, his survival depended on crushing his domestic enemies.
At the same time, Kincaid, en route to Eastern Europe to carry out Duhoviche's assassination order, was blissfully unaware of the chaos awaiting him. He was about to embark on a journey far more complex than he anticipated.
Back in New York, Castle and Beckett were video-calling Mozzie, who was now a high-ranking national security advisor. Beckett, eager for justice, wanted to know if President Benjamin Arthur would issue a statement condemning Duhoviche's actions. Mozzie, however, delivered disappointing news: the president had gone to Camp David for a family retreat and had no plans to address the matter.
Moreover, the U.S. government had no intention of taking a stance on the Duhoviche situation. "It's not in America's strategic interest," Mozzie explained bluntly. Without a United Nations resolution, the administration would remain silent.
Though she had expected as much, hearing it directly from Mozzie left Beckett feeling dejected. Her frustration was palpable as she muttered, "There really is no justice in this world, is there?"
Mozzie, noticing her mood, offered to discreetly push for action behind the scenes. But Castle quickly shut that idea down, reminding Mozzie that his current position left him under constant scrutiny. Getting involved in such matters could be dangerous. Castle assured Beckett that he would handle things himself, promising to find another way to satisfy her sense of justice.
For Castle, Duhoviche was already doomed. The tyrant's downfall was only a matter of time, whether through domestic rebellion or international intervention. As Beckett fumed quietly beside him, Castle couldn't help but think: if this ordeal had convinced her to pursue a career in politics, perhaps he owed Duhoviche a strange sort of thanks.
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