Why did Castle stop John from coming back to help him? First, Gianna had just become pregnant. Last time, he heard she sent her personal bodyguard, Cassian, who had stealth skills, to Africa to train new guards. Now, John was Gianna's last line of defense. Although Santino seemed to show allegiance to Gianna and had come to New York, what if this was a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain? What if Santino's real target was still Gianna? If John rushed back to New York to help him, leaving Gianna unprotected, and Santino took advantage of this, all his plans to change John and Gianna's fate would be in vain.
Secondly, since unexpectedly meeting his father, Sean, in Paris, Castle knew his family had always been under the protection of the Continental Hotel and the High Table. Not to mention, Winston, the manager of the New York Continental Hotel, owed a big favor to Sean. If Santino was really here for revenge, like Castle couldn't use the Black Fox squad to assault Valentino's club in Paris, Santino couldn't use the Continental Hotel's forces against his family either. He could only rely on his own men.
Castle didn't look down on Santino. In his home turf, New York, even without Winston and the 'King' of Barry Street, Castle could still easily take Santino down. Santino's intelligence on him was definitely incomplete. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so foolish to dive in like this.
Interrupting John's anxious words on the phone, Castle calmly assured him there was no need to worry about his safety or his family's, including his mother, Martha, and his daughter, Alexis. He told John to stay in Rome and accompany Gianna, the soon-to-be mother. This would not only reassure Gianna but also guard against any tricks Santino might play.
John, calmed by Castle's demeanor, recalled hearing from Winston at the Continental Hotel in New York that Castle had a famous father in the underworld. Both Winston and the underground king of Barry Street owed his father favors, and Castle's mother and daughter had always been under the hotel's protection.
Remembering this, John laughed at his previous worry, realizing his friend was as skilled as he was. However, before hanging up, he conveyed Gianna's perspective: Castle shouldn't worry about pressure from the D'Antonio family. If Santino attacked Castle, it would be seen as Santino starting the conflict. No matter how Castle retaliated, the D'Antonio family wouldn't blame him. John emphasized that this was Gianna's promise to Castle.
After thanking John for Gianna's message, Castle hung up and saved his new work on his laptop. Sitting in his study, he pondered how to handle Santino's visit to New York if it was indeed for revenge.
He wasn't afraid of Santino; the primary concern was his family's safety. Although he knew they were under the Continental's protection, what if Santino found a loophole? So, he needed to find protection for Martha and Alexis.
Should he directly approach Winston or secretly contact his father, Sean?
After some thought, Castle decided to contact his father. Sean was aware of his actions in Paris and had arranged the bombing of Santino's club. By informing him of Santino's arrival in New York, Sean would understand the situation without needing much explanation. Moreover, protecting Martha and Alexis was both a responsibility and a pleasure for Sean, given that Martha was Castle's mother and Alexis his granddaughter.
Deciding, Castle took out the golden card with Sean's contact information from Paris. Just as he was about to use it, his email notification sounded. It was a message from John about Santino's flight information from Rome. The flight carried only four bodyguards and two close aides, landing at a private airport in New Jersey five hours ago.
Santino hadn't stayed at the D'Antonio family's Long Island estate, likely because it was staffed by Gianna's people. Trying to keep his trip secret from his sister, Santino checked into the Continental Hotel in New York and had made no other moves, probably due to jet lag.
Laughing at the detailed information, including the heights, weights, and hobbies of Santino's entourage, Castle marveled at Santino's foolishness. With Gianna leaking all his secrets, Santino stood no chance of successfully targeting him.
Amused by Santino's misguided confidence, Castle dialed his father's satellite phone. Despite underestimating Santino strategically, Castle knew he had to take tactical precautions to avoid any regrettable mishaps.
"Who is this?" Sean's authoritative voice interrupted Castle's thoughts.
"It's me, Castle!" he quickly responded.
"Rick, why are you calling? Didn't I tell you to avoid contacting me unless it's urgent?"
Castle half-jokingly complained, "It's because you blew up Santino D'Antonio's club in Paris. He can't retaliate against you, so he came to New York to target me!"
"Santino? How dare he?" Sean was incredulous.
"Dad, let's not worry about whether Santino dares. I need you to protect Martha and Alexis while I deal with him. I can't ensure their safety alone," Castle explained.
Sean readily agreed, "Alright, I'll arrange protection for them immediately..."
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