Chapter 102: Taking Action

Santino might have been genuinely frightened by the mystery surrounding Castle, or perhaps the aide currently with him wasn't as strategic as the one Sean had captured. As a result, Castle saw through the surveillance that Santino and his men made no further plans or arrangements for the situation at hand. The only actions were the four bodyguards, two at the door and two guarding Santino in the living room. The last remaining aide sat nervously on a sofa, silent and anxious.

Santino's mental resilience appeared to be extremely fragile. After the disappearance of his strategic aide, he did nothing but drink and curse Castle, calling him a meddlesome fool.

Watching the surveillance footage of Santino cursing him like a madwoman, Castle couldn't understand how this idiot ever thought he could contend for the head of the family against Gianna. What was going through his mind when he traveled all the way to New York to seek revenge? Did he think Castle was an easy target?

Sitting in his car, Castle waited for nightfall. He had decided that since Santino wasn't taking any further action, he would spare Santino himself but eliminate his four bodyguards and the remaining aide as a warning. This concession was out of respect for John and Gianna. Although they hadn't explicitly asked, Castle, as a friend, didn't want to disappoint them. However, if Santino failed to learn his lesson, there would be no more mercy.

As darkness fell, Castle, watching Santino prepare for dinner through his surveillance, smiled and began equipping himself with a gun and various tools from his personal stash. He intended to give Santino a huge surprise.

In the manor's dining room, the atmosphere was heavy. After a day of venting his anger and fear, Santino's rage had subsided, but he now looked deflated. He hadn't expected his bold trip to New York, intended to reclaim his courage and dignity, to go so disastrously wrong by the second day.

Now, instead of seeking revenge on Castle, Santino only hoped to return to Rome without further disgrace. He realized he was a worthless failure and that grand ambitions like contending for the family headship were beyond his reach. Even this simple revenge plan had become a fiasco due to his arrogance and incompetence. Resigned to returning to Rome and remaining as the spoiled eldest son of the D'Antonio family, he hoped Gianna wouldn't make things difficult for him as long as he didn't covet her position anymore.

While Santino sat in the dining room, lost in thought about his next steps, Castle, utilizing his stealth skills and familiarity with the manor, had quietly infiltrated the premises. The ease of his entry was due to a combination of Jason Bourne's espionage skills, his knowledge of the manor, and the help of an insider who had disabled certain alarms and secured the guard dogs.

With all factors in his favor, Castle approached the main house without detection. Following Gianna's instructions, the inside man had ensured all loyal guards were stationed in the buildings behind the main house. Thus, the main house contained only Santino, his remaining aide, and the four bodyguards.

Two bodyguards stood dutifully at the main entrance, unaware of the impending danger. They didn't expect anyone to be bold enough to sneak in and threaten their lives.

"Pop... pop... pop... pop," four muffled gunshots from a silenced Glock 17 resonated, unnoticed inside the house. The two bodyguards fell silently at the door, victims of Castle's precise shooting.

Castle didn't want unnecessary bloodshed but was unwilling to drag things out with Santino. Since killing Santino outright wasn't an option, he decided to send a stern warning by eliminating his entourage. If Santino didn't learn from this, Castle wouldn't hold back next time.

Since his bloody rampage in Paris, Castle had lost any discomfort with killing, especially those who enabled Santino's tyrannical behavior. He felt no guilt over killing these men, who had participated in numerous nefarious deeds under Santino.

Without a second glance at the fallen bodyguards, Castle strolled into the undefended main house, walking down the hall to the dining room. He swiftly and silently entered the dining room, and before the remaining bodyguards could react, he fired four shots, killing them on the spot. Smiling, Castle turned to the stunned and terrified Santino and his last aide.

"Hello, Santino D'Antonio. I heard you were looking for me?"

The cold, indifferent demeanor akin to John Wick's, combined with Castle's casual attitude towards the bloodshed, immediately subdued Santino. For a moment, he was too scared to speak.

The remaining aide instinctively reached for his gun, but Castle, without breaking eye contact with Santino, casually raised his right hand and fired two more shots, killing the aide. Now, only Santino and Castle remained alive in the dining room.

Staring at the trembling Santino, Castle spoke again, "You were looking for me? Well, here I am. Tell me, you wanted revenge. What should I do with you?"

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