Chapter 126: Daughter

In the early morning of Manhattan, New York, the summer sun had yet to reveal its scorching heat. Surrounded by the East River and the Hudson River, the humidity was high, and the misty Manhattan Peninsula looked enchantingly ethereal under the bright sunlight.

After a good night's sleep, Richard Castle was in his kitchen, making breakfast for himself and his daughter. His mother, Martha, hadn't been home for a few days; she was probably off on another one of her "spiritual retreats." In an exceptionally good mood, Castle hummed softly while preparing an abundant breakfast.

"Wow, Dad, you're home today? Why are you making so much delicious food? Don't you have to go to the precinct?"

Alexis came downstairs and saw her father cheerfully flipping her favorite chocolate pancakes in the pan.

Seeing Alexis, Castle immediately invited her to taste his meticulously prepared breakfast. He arranged the bacon and fried eggs on the table before smiling and explaining, "I helped Captain Beckett solve a case yesterday, so she's handling the paperwork today. I don't have to go to the precinct, so I'm taking this opportunity to finish the first part of my new Nikki Heat novel. Gina has been nagging me to meet the deadline."

Alexis picked up a freshly made pancake and took a small bite. "Hmm, it tastes great! You helped Captain Beckett solve another case yesterday? What was it about?"

Castle never refused his daughter's requests, especially when it involved telling her about his exploits. So, while continuing to prepare breakfast, he narrated his heroic tale of solving the case.

"The night before last, Beckett called me to a tow lot for illegally parked cars... We found out that the doctor was performing illegal cosmetic surgeries... Then we discovered that Jimmy the Rat had been cooperating with the FBI under witness protection... Next, Beckett and I met with the Assistant U.S. Attorney handling the case... Unfortunately, without solid evidence, we couldn't arrest the suspect, so I volunteered to act as bait... In the end, we caught the female assassin when she tried to kill me, thinking I was Jimmy."

Castle eloquently recounted how he guided Beckett and the police, ultimately leading to the swift resolution of the case, hoping to earn admiration from his daughter.

However, instead of admiration, Alexis responded with concern, "Dad, are you crazy? You volunteered to be bait? What if something went wrong? Did you think about what would happen to Grandma and me?"

The red-haired Alexis was almost beside herself. She always knew her dad was reckless, but this was too much. She couldn't believe he had put himself in such danger to catch a killer. Did Beckett even try to stop him?

Castle, seeing his daughter's puffed-up cheeks like an angry pufferfish, wasn't scared. Instead, he found her adorable. Grinning, he decided to reveal a little secret about his skills to ease her worries.

With a smile, he continued making chocolate pancakes and then turned to Alexis, "Sweetie, don't be mad. I know you're worried, but I've got to tell you something I've never mentioned before: Dad's actually quite skilled in combat."

Alexis looked skeptically at her father's protruding, slightly chubby belly, "Your skills? I know you're good at fencing, but so what? You were up against a professional assassin! Isn't there anyone else in the precinct better suited for the job? I bet you volunteered, didn't you? You probably pestered Beckett until she had no choice but to agree."

Castle thought, "Could that assassin be more dangerous than your godfather?" But he explained, "Sweetie, don't underestimate your dad. Besides my fencing skills, I'm pretty good with a gun too. I never showed you, but trust me, I wouldn't risk my life without being confident. I'm very cautious."

Alexis was still doubtful, "Really? I've never seen you handle a gun."

Castle, eager to dispel his daughter's concerns, boasted about his marksmanship and even mentioned beating her godfather, John Wick, in a shooting contest, "I recently had a shootout with your godfather, and I won!"

Knowing her godfather's exceptional marksmanship, Alexis found her father's claim laughable, "Dad, don't exaggerate. You beat Uncle John?"

Annoyed at being doubted by his daughter, Castle immediately called John in Rome to confirm his story. He figured it wouldn't disturb John and Gianna, who should have finished lunch by now.

Alexis, amused by her father's childish behavior, tried to stop him, but Castle had already dialed John Wick, who answered with a cheerful smile.

"Rick? What's up? Why the video call?"

Seeing John's unusually bright smile, Castle reconsidered his decision. Instead of proving his prowess, he asked about John and Gianna, "John, just wanted to check on you and Gianna. The first three months are crucial for a pregnant woman. Take care, okay?"

Gianna appeared behind John with a radiant smile, "Rick, thanks for your concern. We're not in Rome; we're sunbathing on a Mediterranean beach. Want to join us? I can send a private jet to pick you and Alexis up."

Alexis, curious about her new godmother, took the phone from her dad and started chatting with Gianna.

Seeing his daughter quickly bond with Gianna, Castle chuckled and refocused on his unfinished breakfast. He trusted Gianna wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

About ten minutes later, Castle finally finished preparing the bountiful breakfast. Alexis handed the phone back to her dad, "Dad, Uncle John wants to talk to you. I'm going to eat now."

After wiping his hands, Castle took the phone and asked John, "What's up?"

John, careful not to mention Santino's handover of his family's power to Gianna, vaguely said, "The matter has been taken care of. Gianna and I appreciate your help..."

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