Letting his curious daughter explore the D'Antonio family estate on her own, Castle took the water handed to him by the butler and quietly sat on the sofa, patiently waiting for John and Gianna to arrive. He used this time to think about how he would explain his crazy plan concerning Vincent to Gianna.
It didn't take long for John and Gianna's convoy to arrive at the estate. The representatives from the European aircraft company who came with Gianna didn't come along but went to a hotel in New York City to rest. They planned to join the Northrop Grumman people later in the afternoon to watch the drone demonstration. The only ones arriving at the estate were John, Gianna, and their bodyguards.
Castle, acting like a host, stood at the entrance of the residence with the curious Alexis. After warmly greeting and hugging John and Gianna, who had just returned from Europe, he introduced the red-haired girl beside him with a smile: "Gianna, this is my daughter Alexis. I've been wanting you two to meet for a while, and today we finally have the chance."
Gianna, delighted to see the well-behaved Alexis, playfully scolded John: "Why didn't you tell me Alexis was here? I didn't prepare any gifts, how rude of me..."
The well-mannered Alexis warmly hugged Gianna, who was in full maternal mode due to her pregnancy, and said: "Hello, Aunt Gianna. Nice to meet you. I'm Alexis."
John, usually a stoic figure, now had a broad smile on his face. He helplessly said: "How was I supposed to know Rick would bring Alexis along? Blame Rick for this..."
Castle laughed heartily: "I didn't plan to bring her at first, but when I went home this morning, I remembered it was Saturday and she didn't have school, so I brought her along. No need for gifts..."
Gianna didn't agree with the two men's dismissive attitudes. Happily holding Alexis' hand, she said: "Let's not mind your dad and godfather. I have a set of jewelry I haven't worn yet. Alexis, come with Aunt Gianna and try it on upstairs."
Understanding that Gianna was giving him and John some space to talk, Castle nodded to his daughter: "Go ahead. Take anything your Aunt Gianna offers. Your godfather and I will be downstairs talking..."
Alexis rolled her eyes at her father's casual remark, wondering why he would say such things. Gianna, however, found Castle's carefree attitude amusing and led Alexis upstairs with her entourage: "Rick, I'll take Alexis upstairs. You and John have a good chat..."
With Alexis in tow, Gianna headed upstairs, leaving Castle and John to talk. Castle, seeing the amusement in John's eyes, said: "Let's go inside and sit. I know you have a lot of questions, and I'll explain everything."
The two men walked into the hall and found comfortable seats. After asking the butler to bring them each a glass of whiskey, Castle began: "Honestly, if it weren't for last night's unexpected events, I wouldn't have asked you and Gianna to come to New York, especially given Gianna's critical pregnancy period..."
John downed his drink in one gulp and calmly replied: "There's no need for thanks or apologies between us. Just tell me what you plan to do."
Without hiding anything, Castle explained: "Those two drones really were designed and built by me. They're parked right behind the main residence. My plan is simple: authorize the drone's flight control system to one company in the U.S., most likely Northrop Grumman, who competes with General Atomics, the company that tried to kidnap Harry. For Europe, we'll go with the company Gianna has shares in."
John, curious about Castle's new skills, didn't ask too many questions. As a naturally introverted man, he was more focused on his friend's accomplishments than the reasons behind them. He was content knowing his friend was doing well.
Castle knew John wouldn't pry into his new skills. Still, to give John a plausible explanation to tell Gianna, he made a reluctant face and said: "I know you don't care why I can suddenly design drones that even General Atomics covets, but I should explain. When Harry and I were in Brazil, we realized the drones we bought couldn't cover the distances we needed. So, we decided to build our own. I used my connections to get the necessary parts and built these drones from scratch, including the flight control system."
John, not one for details, asked directly: "Alright, I don't care about the drones. What's the plan?"
Castle, smiling at their shared understanding, continued: "The plan is straightforward. Use the drones for aerial surveillance and Harry's hacking skills to monitor Vincent and his men through their smartphones. When Vincent finds and retrieves the submarine, we'll swoop in and take everything inside while he's distracted."
John didn't question the feasibility of Castle's plan, only asking: "What do you need me to do?"
Castle, knowing John wasn't interested in the details, couldn't help but smile wryly: "Aren't you going to tell Gianna about this? She's pregnant, but she can still help refine the plan."
John, in his usual straightforward manner, said: "She's here to relax and take care of the baby, not to get involved in our plans. I'll handle whatever needs to be done. You can talk to her if you want her input."
Castle, frustrated but understanding John's point, sighed deeply: "If Gianna didn't love you so much, someone like you would have been dumped ages ago."
John, with a proud look in his eyes, seemed to say, "That's why I'm the lucky one."
Seeing John's expression, Castle had to patiently explain: "Even though Gianna is pregnant, she can still give us valuable advice. I want to find something nice for your baby from the submarine's treasures."
John, recognizing the practicality of Castle's request, agreed: "Alright, you can talk to Gianna about the details. Just tell me what you need me to do when the time comes."
Castle, knowing John's aversion to planning, accepted his friend's terms. John was a man of action, not a strategist. Castle took a deep breath, realizing he would need to handle the planning and coordination with Gianna himself. It wasn't an ideal situation, but with John's support, he felt confident they could pull off their plan against Vincent.
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