Even though Sean had spent years living a carefree life in North Africa alongside Frank Moses and their old crew, he had never stopped keeping an eye on his idiot son. What he couldn't figure out was how his son—previously a well-known playboy with a successful career as a detective novelist—had suddenly awakened god-tier scientific and engineering abilities in just two years.
Castle had always been an accomplished writer, but in the past couple of years, he had seemingly transformed into a completely different person, developing groundbreaking technologies that left even top-tier scientists speechless.
How had this happened?
How had his son, who had never shown an ounce of scientific talent before, suddenly evolved into a tech mogul practically overnight?
Sean had no answer.
But what he could see was that Castle—who had once been notorious for chasing women—had completely settled down with Beckett.
Now, he was no longer a carefree playboy.
Instead, he was devoted to one woman.
And soon, he would be a father.
Of course, neither Sean nor anyone else could possibly imagine the truth—that "Castle" had long since been replaced by a wily, perverted Chinese uncle from another world, who had been forced to abandon his flirtatious ways under threat from his system, lest he be turned into a eunuch cult leader.
Who would believe such an insane story?
Regardless of how or why it happened, Sean couldn't deny that he was proud of his son.
Not only had Castle successfully befriended and invested in some of the most powerful defense contractors in the U.S., but he had also become the single biggest financial backer of the current President of the United States.
Even Sean's old associate—the Elder at the top of the High Table—had expressed genuine envy over Sean having such an accomplished son.
The truth was, the concept of "returning home in glory" wasn't just an Eastern value—it was universal.
With the Loxley Group now eradicated, Sean no longer had any reason to remain in exile.
With his grandson on the way, there was no way he was going to miss the birth.
And so, after spending years hiding in the deserts of North Africa, Sean finally returned home to see his son, his granddaughter, and to welcome the newest member of the family.
At long last, after months of anticipation, Beckett finally went into labor on a rare sunny day in November.
And, after a relatively smooth delivery, she gave birth to a 9-pound baby boy.
Castle, who had been by her side the entire time, was beyond ecstatic.
But at the same time…
He had also gained a newfound respect for whoever first suggested that husbands should accompany their wives during childbirth.
Because whoever they were…
They were a damn sadist.
For the first time in either of his lifetimes, Castle had witnessed childbirth up close.
And if he hadn't already been desensitized to violence and blood, he might have passed out then and there.
Hearing Beckett scream in pain, seeing her grip his hands so tightly that they turned blue…
It was pure torture.
Whoever first advocated for men to witness childbirth should be punched in the face.
Fortunately, Beckett's labor was relatively fast.
From the first contractions to the baby's birth, the entire process took less than two hours.
Castle didn't even get the full experience of waiting outside the delivery room for hours, pale-faced and trembling with anxiety.
Instead, as soon as Beckett and the baby were declared safe, Castle immediately rushed to the newborn nursery with his friends and family, where they all eagerly pressed their faces against the glass to see the newest addition to the family.
Sean and Martha, who had once been a brief fling decades ago, were all smiles.
Alexis, who had taken the day off from school just to be there, stared at her baby brother with curiosity.
Inside the nursery, the tiny baby—still covered in vernix—kicked his little legs and flailed his tiny hands as the nurses gave him his first bath.
His scrunched-up face, still swollen from birth, made him look incredibly ugly…
And yet, at the same time, adorably precious.
The women in the group—led by Gianna and Martha—were immediately captivated.
Even Jo Martinez, who had taken a break from work just to be there, arrived with Henry Morgan to see Beckett's son as soon as possible.
Of course, Castle still couldn't hold his newborn son just yet.
Before he could be placed in his father's arms, the baby needed to undergo a series of medical examinations.
So, as the newborn was taken away for checkups, Castle finally had time to accept the many congratulations from his friends.
Unlike in China, where new mothers typically followed strict postpartum care traditions, American mothers weren't expected to stay in the hospital for long.
After being taken to her hospital room, Beckett immediately replenished her energy with a meal before jumping in the shower.
And as soon as she was clean, she joined Gianna, Martha, and Jo in excitedly discussing parenting techniques while waiting for her son to be brought back.
Meanwhile, Alexis—alongside her father and grandfather—stood outside the examination room, impatiently waiting to see her little brother.
The baby was completely healthy.
After all, he was the product of two system-enhanced parents.
So once the doctors confirmed that everything was fine, Beckett—ever the independent woman—insisted on leaving the hospital as soon as possible.
Castle, of course, wanted her to stay longer.
But after consulting the doctors, he reluctantly agreed to let her go.
And so, just hours after giving birth, Beckett became one of the first passengers to ride in Castle's newly purchased private helicopter.
With Martha and the other women by her side, she held her tightly swaddled son in her arms as Big Ivan personally piloted the chopper back to the estate.
The men—including Castle, John, and Gianna's husband—followed closely behind in a second helicopter.
Awaiting their arrival at the estate was a grand celebration.
Castle's team of Russian bodyguards had already been fully briefed, and they had prepared an extravagant welcome ceremony for the newest member of the Castle family dynasty.
And, of course…
A party was inevitable.
Harry and Ramsey had already taken charge of the preparations, ensuring that everything was perfect for the occasion.
From that moment on, Castle's estate became a place of pure joy.
But elsewhere, in The Hague, a certain former head of state was experiencing something very different.
Dukhovich—the ousted dictator who had once ruled an Eastern European nation—had been captured by Interpol and was now awaiting trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
His life was now a living hell.
Locked away in a detention center, Dukhovich desperately tried to relay orders through his lawyers, demanding that his remaining loyalists eliminate the assassin Darius Kincaid—the man he believed had betrayed him.
Of course, Dukhovich had no idea that his downfall had actually been orchestrated by Beckett herself.
But that didn't matter.
What did matter was that Interpol now had a key witness against him.
And he knew that if Interpol managed to secure Kincaid's testimony, his fate would be sealed.
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