Chapter 13: Gianina’s Triple Play

With less than noble thoughts in mind, Castle, wearing a sly grin, picked up his phone to video call John Wick, whom he had inadvertently forgotten about until now. Strangely, after several attempts, there was no answer.

"Oh, right, the time difference. It's still the middle of the night in France…"

Just as Castle was about to give up and try again in a few hours, the call connected. The sight of John's face, filled with a mix of resignation and a hint of relief at seeing dawn break, and the weary "Rick, you finally called…" suggested that John had been through a trying time. Castle nearly thought this was a different John Wick, given his unusually expressive demeanor. He mused that John must have been tormented by Gianina. He chuckled at the thought.

"Hey, John, how's it going? Enjoying your time with Miss Gianina in France?"

Trying not to let on that he had completely forgotten about John due to his fascination with his new personal space, Castle laughed nervously, his survival instincts kicking in as he prodded for gossip while attempting to divert John's attention.

"All your damn ideas, and now I…" Normally stoic John began, clearly ready to unleash his frustration.

"My dear, who is calling…" Gianina's melodious interruption defused John's anger, piquing Castle's interest from thousands of miles away.

Ah, dear Gianina, it wasn't in vain that I sent John all the way to you. Here comes the juicy gossip I've been waiting for!

Quickly settling in for the gossip, Castle was ready to soak it all in. Unfortunately, the video was blocked, and he could only catch snippets of conversation, "Go to sleep... Rick… I… talk…"

As a rather proficient mystery writer, Castle's imagination went wild in the few minutes John took to appease Gianina. He conjured up tens of thousands of words of melodramatic scenarios in his mind, akin to a soap opera.

While he indulged in his fantasies, John's weary voice came through, "Rick, I should've known better than to expect your plans to be flawless…"

"What's going on? How are your talks with Gianina?" Castle, eager for some scandal, was actually not worried about the business side of John's trip, focusing instead on the personal drama.

John, mistaking Castle's concern for the objectives of his visit, replied, feeling relaxed and visible on video, shirtless, stepping out from a lavishly decorated bedroom into a similarly opulent living room. He poured himself a whiskey before continuing, "Rick, I've declared my support for Gianina taking over as head of the D'Antonio family. I've relayed our entire plan to her, and, I must say, compared to ours, her enhancements were crucial. Luckily, we reached out to her in time, or our initial plan would have been far from perfect. I'm just not cut out to be a strategist."

"You've only been cross-dimensional for a few days? You lived in one of the safest countries in the world, where a woman could walk alone at 3 AM. Just coming up with an initial strategy was commendable… Oops, who told you I'm worried about this? What I really want to know, and all I care about right now, is the gossip between you and Gianina…"

John continued, unguarded and chatty, a stark contrast to his usual self, suggesting some profound experiences over the past few days, "Rick, we advised Gianina to beef up her security, and she has agreed. She's already mobilizing more security personnel, but she's asked me to stay by her side to protect her…"

"Close enough to be in the bedroom?" Castle couldn't resist digging deeper with a mischievous tone.

"You bastard…" John's response was feeble, sounding forced.

"Did you lose out? How? Come on, share your troubles, let's all have a laugh…" Castle, unwavering in his pursuit of the juicy details.

"It's personal…" John resisted.

"It's not just personal! If your relationship with Gianina changes, becoming more intimate, it will definitely affect our plans, positively of course…" Castle craftily pressed on, determined to extract the gossip.

"Yes, we are together. I've been the one protecting her this past week. I'm ready to move on from Helen's shadow, and Gianina has waited for me for so many years; I was moved…" John finally gave in, possibly because he felt safe talking to his genuine friend, Castle.

"YES, YES, ha-ha! You've been won over by devotion, after all. I knew Gianina wouldn't waste such a golden opportunity. I told you, old houses catch fire fast, and from how exhausted you sound, Miss Gianina is no joke!

This really is the ultimate success story of devotion!" Castle laughed heartily, pleased

 to see the usually stoic John brought down a peg.

"Congratulations, John. You've finally moved past the shadow Helen left. You've realized that you can't just isolate yourself to have a good life. Everyone needs companionship, whether it's friends like me or a 'girlfriend'…" Satisfied with the gossip, Castle sincerely addressed John on the phone, not missing the chance to tease him one last time.

"…" John was increasingly unsure how he ended up friends with the tease on the other end of the line.

"Rick, one more thing. Gianina's plan includes me staying close to her until her father passes away and she can take over as head of the D'Antonio family. She believes that by being there, openly as her boyfriend, it might deter Santino somewhat, as he's her only direct relative left. It's better to subdue without a fight than to end in a bloody conflict, don't you think?

However, that means I won't be able to return to New York anytime soon. You'll have to conduct the police station visits for your new book alone. Can you manage?"

"Ah, the sweet allure of power is hard to relinquish, isn't it? Miss Gianina clearly intends to kill three birds with one stone: she uses her insecurity as a reason to keep you close, lest you escape; she flexes her muscles to her brother, showing him that using you against her is a no-go; and she prepares for the worst in case Santino risks a desperate move, having you there significantly boosts her security!

And most importantly, the old D'Antonio patriarch, though seemingly on his deathbed, lingered for nearly two years in the 'John Wick: Chapter 2' plot. If you continue to protect Gianina that closely, who knows, by the time she assumes leadership, you might be holding your child during the ceremony!"

Castle, his mind racing, ultimately decided not to share these thoughts with the gullible soul on the other end of the phone. This way, not only could Gianina's safety be assured, but it would also secure a good outcome for John.

After all, given Gianina's obsession, she would undoubtedly keep John out of harm's way, and the D'Antonio family's status within the High Table could ensure John Wick's future was disturbance-free.

This choice might be the best for John.

After a moment of internal debate, Castle reassured John, "No problem, our plan was to ensure Gianina's safety above all else. You being by her side is perfect!

As for my book research, it's just observation; it doesn't require my direct involvement. Besides, if I really needed help, wouldn't I just call you?

Actually, you should take this opportunity to spend quality time with her, or even take a vacation together.

No matter what, your trip to Europe brought some bad news to her!

By the way, Winston asked about you. I told him you went on vacation. Why not just go on a real vacation? Oh, and tell Gianina she owes me a thank you!"

"Alright, since you put it that way, I feel relieved. I'll pass your message to Gianina. Take care, Rick," John concluded the call.

"Phew… that's settled for now. Next up, just waiting for Beckett to show up at my new book's launch party…"

Castle, contented, hung up the phone, his mind already racing ahead to the next excitement.

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