As soon as this matter was brought up, Castle felt tears of frustration welling up. Others who cross into different worlds get to build harems, crystal palaces, and dragon palaces! But in his case, he was stuck with a system that was likely created by some feminist, forcing him to choose only Beckett. Whenever he harbored even the slightest stray thought, the idiotic system would ominously threaten him, warning of unspeakable consequences like impotence. Damn, not only was the creator of this system a feminist, but they also seemed to have a thing for ancient Chinese traditions—utterly unbearable!
But no matter how much he couldn't stand it, there was nothing he could do. He didn't dare test whether the system's threats would come true. What if he really couldn't perform anymore after being with another woman? What would be the point of living then?
So, he could only grit his teeth and endure it. Even the last time he went to Brazil with the chubby guy, he could only watch as his friend partied with scantily clad women from various countries, while he was left to stew in frustration in his room!
Now, at least, he had finally managed to woo the system's only approved partner, Beckett. If he hadn't, he might have exploded from the frustration. Yet, despite this victory, now was hardly the time to get lost in romantic entanglements. There were still so many unresolved issues—not only with Vincent but also with Beckett's archenemy, the powerful and influential Senator William Bracken, who was still out there waiting for Castle and Beckett to bring him down.
Still, when his daughter mentioned that she had started to question his orientation, even someone as thick-skinned as Castle felt a bit embarrassed.
Castle quickly changed the subject, steering Alexis's attention toward Gianna and John. "Your godfather and Gianna might stay in New York until after the baby is born before heading back to Rome. You'll get to see your godfather's baby then!"
Sure enough, this caught Alexis's interest. "Really? By the way, is Gianna having a boy or a girl?"
Castle paused, then shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I forgot to ask them. How about we visit Long Island this weekend so you can ask Gianna yourself?"
Alexis looked up from her meal. "Alright! I'd love to chat with Gianna. By the way, Dad, what have you been up to lately? Why are you always so mysterious? Gina and Paula have been looking for you, saying they need you to finish 'Nikki Heat 2' and turn it into the publisher. Are you delaying the manuscript again?"
Castle dug into his steak, responding nonchalantly to his daughter's question. "I'm not delaying it; I already told them last time that I wanted to wait until Beckett officially takes over as captain of the Twelfth Precinct before continuing. Those two women are completely blinded by money—I can't be bothered with them!"
It was only then that Alexis seemed to realize something. "Oh, right! Beckett's already the captain. Dad, doesn't that mean you won't be able to follow her around on cases like you used to? She's a captain now—she shouldn't be working in the field as much, right? What will you do?"
Castle shrugged it off. "Heh, you've got it wrong. Even though Beckett is now captain, I know her well enough to say she won't be able to sit still in the captain's office for long. It won't take much time before she gets restless and finds a way to get back into the field. She just won't be out there as much as before.
As for me, well, I'm officially tasked with positively promoting the image of the NYPD. I've already cleared it with the big boss at headquarters; no matter what Beckett's role is, it won't affect my 'interview' duties at the Twelfth Precinct!"
Father and daughter spent a delightful evening together. The next morning, Castle, just like countless times before, walked into the Twelfth Precinct with two cups of coffee in hand. As he made his way through the station, every officer he encountered gave him a strange smile. Castle, confused, wondered if his fly was down, completely unaware that Esposito, the bigmouth, had accidentally let slip to his partner Kevin Ryan about Castle's relationship breakthrough with Beckett. Kevin, in turn, let it slip to a uniformed officer during a casual chat. As a result, the entire precinct now knew that Castle had become the "captain's spouse." That's why every cop gave him that odd look.
Castle, always perceptive, sensed something was up when he asked a uniformed officer why everyone was giving him those weird looks and didn't get a straight answer. He quickly realized that his relationship with Beckett must have been exposed. But unlike the original series, where Beckett had a superior who required them to keep their relationship secret, Beckett was now the boss of the Twelfth Precinct. Besides, even the NYPD's big boss was aware of Castle's interest in Beckett, so there was no need for them to hide their relationship anymore.
After all, they were both unmarried adults. What was wrong with a bit of romance? Moreover, Castle wasn't a cop, just a consultant, so there was no need for secrecy.
As soon as he stepped off the elevator, Castle saw Esposito and Ryan sitting at Beckett's old desk, whispering about something. Without alerting them, Castle quietly approached and overheard Esposito complaining to Ryan, "Are you crazy? I told you what I heard from Lanie about Castle and Beckett, and you went and blabbed to the patrol division? Now the whole precinct knows! If Beckett finds out we spread this gossip, we're dead…"
"Haha, so you're the one who spilled the beans about Beckett and me. I'm going to tell her about this…" Castle's voice suddenly rang out behind them, making both Esposito and Ryan jump. They turned to see the man himself, Castle, standing there with a mischievous grin.
Esposito, desperate to save himself, glanced nervously at Beckett's closed office door. He shot up from his chair and tried to cover Castle's mouth, pleading, "Don't, man! You've got to stay calm. Beckett can't know that I heard about your relationship from Lanie…"
Castle shook off Esposito's hand, a sly grin on his face. "Haha, Esposito, you just exposed yourself. You and Lanie, huh? Think fast on how you're going to keep me quiet, or I'll spread the word about you and Lanie far and wide!"
It was only then that Ryan realized his buddy had been sleeping with the medical examiner. How had he missed such a juicy piece of blackmail material? Seizing the opportunity to shift the blame, Ryan quickly threw Esposito under the bus. "Yeah, it's all your fault for telling me that gossip about Castle and Beckett. That's why I accidentally told the patrol guys. Now everyone knows that Castle is the 'captain's spouse.' It's all your fault. Figure out how to keep us quiet, or we'll make sure the whole world knows about you and Lanie!"
Ryan, seeing this as the perfect chance to save himself, eagerly piled on the pressure. But the term "captain's spouse" didn't sit well with Castle, who was still holding two cups of coffee. "What do you mean by 'captain's spouse'? What's that supposed to mean?"
Seeing that Ryan had accidentally let slip the nickname they'd given Castle, Esposito couldn't help but laugh. Serves you right for kicking a man when he's down, Ryan! He then cheerfully turned the tables, "Castle, 'captain's spouse' is a nickname Ryan gave you. Now the whole precinct knows it. He's the worst! You should know who your real enemy is—I'm innocent here! I mean, it's normal for me to tell my partner about you and Beckett, right? How was I supposed to know this fool would tell the patrol guys? I'm innocent!"
The three of them were causing quite a commotion in the precinct's bullpen, which finally caught the attention of Beckett, who was sitting in her office, buried under a mountain of paperwork. It was then she realized Castle had arrived at the station.
Seeing Castle immediately brightened Beckett's mood. She knew he'd been working tirelessly to gather evidence against Nick Coonan and the corrupt cops, along with their backer, Senator William Bracken. If Castle was at the station today, it must mean he had made a breakthrough—exactly what Beckett needed to bring her mother's killer to justice!
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