Castle was very clear about his position in life.
Even before he had transmigrated, the original Castle had always maintained a certain distance from the criminal underworld. Sure, his outgoing personality allowed him to mingle with people from all walks of life, but that was mostly for the sake of gathering material for his novels.
Even when he occasionally crossed paths with shady individuals, he never got too close.
Now, as someone who had witnessed firsthand how his previous homeland dealt with organized crime, Castle had zero interest in getting involved in the underworld.
He was here to enjoy life, not to build an empire or play gangster.
Sure, thanks to his personal connections with John and Gianna, he was effectively allied with the D'Antonio family.
But that didn't mean he wanted to be a part of it.
At this point, Castle could easily integrate into the High Table or the Continental Hotel if he wanted to.
But let's be real—criminal organizations, no matter where they were, were never truly legitimate.
(Unless, of course, you were Japan, where organized crime practically had an office in City Hall.)
Castle was a wealthy and successful man. Why the hell would he lower himself to running with criminals?
The safest way to operate was always in the gray areas of legality, where power and influence truly thrived.
Besides, in any country, state power always trumped criminal organizations.
Castle had already secured his place within America's ruling elite. There was zero reason for him to get mixed up in the underworld.
And let's not forget—he slept next to a police captain every night.
The current Castle was a lazy salted fish (a complete couch potato), so there was no way he was going to entangle himself with the High Table or the Continental Hotel.
Even John, the Baba Yaga himself, had cut ties with the Continental after settling down with Gianna.
People always sought to move up in life. Given a better option, who the hell would willingly go back to their old ways?
This was also why Castle rarely asked his father, Sean, for help.
Take the incident with Rajad from India, for example. Castle never even considered using the Continental's resources to deal with that arrogant nobleman.
Instead, the matter was swiftly handled by aircraft manufacturers eager to curry favor with Castle.
That guy? Rajad?
He was wiped out without Castle lifting a finger.
So why would Castle bother using criminal connections when he had far better options available?
In America, money was the ultimate power.
And as long as Castle wasn't out there provoking people for no reason, all he needed was to ensure the safety of himself and his family.
Keeping a healthy distance from organized crime was the smartest move.
Castle was perfectly happy maintaining his current relationships with the D'Antonio family, Winston from the Continental, and Powell, the King of Beggars who controlled New York's homeless informant network.
No need to get any closer.
Castle was a porcelain vase—refined, valuable, and not meant to be rolling around in the mud.
As long as he remained useful to both major political parties, neither the Donkeys nor the Elephants would have any reason to turn against him.
Of course, if Gianna, John, or Winston ever needed help, Castle would be there.
But that was personal, not business.
Even Sean, when he visited New York for Christmas, tried to convince Castle to inherit some of his underworld influence—but Castle flat-out refused.
Sean had spent decades building his empire within the High Table, but Castle didn't give a damn about any of it.
He was perfectly content being a happy dad, wandering around his estate with his baby boy.
The only ones who weren't happy about this?
The four dogs, who had been relentlessly chased and tormented by little Onona, Gianna's daughter.
They were absolutely traumatized by the tiny, energetic menace.
On the day before Christmas Eve, New York—despite its usual gray skies—was blessed with a rare day of bright sunshine.
Sean had arrived from the Sahara.
Neil and Kate had come over from the city.
Henry Morgan and his girlfriend, Jo Martinez, were still at work, but they'd be arriving in the afternoon, alongside Beckett and her squad from the 12th Precinct.
Castle, meanwhile, was outside enjoying the sunshine, pushing his baby son in a stroller with the help of Alexis.
As he relaxed on the lawn, he found himself chatting with Sean and Neil.
Castle's constant bragging about his kids had started to get to Neil.
For years, Neil had always been the type to enjoy the free and easy life with Kate.
But now?
After spending time around Castle's adorable son, little Alex—who had perfect genetics from both Castle (thanks to a system boost) and Beckett—Neil was starting to feel... different.
Even Kate was completely enamored with baby Alex.
And Castle?
He noticed the look in Neil's eyes immediately.
So, he pounced.
"Hey, buddy, if you like kids so much, why don't you and Kate just have one already?"
For once, Castle wasn't joking.
Neil had literally broken out of prison for Kate.
Sure, after getting her to safety on the West Coast, he had a one-night stand with an ex-girlfriend while Kate was away.
But that was just physical.
Emotionally? Neil was still all in on Kate.
Now, seeing both of them so enamored with his son, Castle genuinely encouraged them to take the next step.
This wasn't the old Neil—the one shackled by the FBI.
Thanks to Castle, Neil had received a full pardon from the U.S. Department of Justice.
He was completely free.
And with the money he had made from the Nazi submarine heist, the stolen art he quietly sold off, and the Skyfleet stock investment with Castle and Gianna, Neil was set for life.
Financially, he had zero worries.
So why not start a family?
Neil, surprisingly, didn't reject the idea outright.
Kate, meanwhile, stared at him, stunned.
In America, topics like having children weren't something people casually discussed unless they were really close.
Kate and Castle had never spent much time together—she had been in hiding on the West Coast for most of their acquaintance.
So she was shocked that Castle would bring it up so casually.
But she was even more shocked when she realized—
Neil wasn't resisting.
For years, whenever Kate had brought up the idea of kids, Neil had always dodged the conversation, insisting he wanted to enjoy the freedom of a two-person world.
But now?
He wasn't pushing back at all.
Instead, he admitted:
"You know, Castle… seeing how happy you and John are with your kids… and looking at this little guy here… I think I do kind of want to be a dad."
Kate's eyes widened.
Her heart pounded.
Her hands tightened around Neil's arm.
Her eyes filled with unshed tears.
Had she just… won?
Had Neil Caffrey, the ultimate ladies' man, finally decided he was ready to settle down for real?
Castle, meanwhile, just smirked.
Mission accomplished.
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