Few Hours Earlier
I opened the diary again to read it. Castle was still in bed, and I was taking a bubble bath in the tub. No one was going to disturb me right now, and the door was locked. Castle wouldn't wake up for another hour and I needed to do a pep talk before this evening. I had to convince Castle to go to the yacht with me.
I picked up reading where I left off. The next dog-eared page was four years later.
Aster's Journal
January 10th
Castle is such a lovely boy. My boy has dark hair and golden-brown eyes that look like glimmering imperial topaz. He's a gem indeed, my Castle. He's such a smart kid, even at four, I know Castle is special.
I named him Castle because it suits him. He's nothing less than a prince. Everyone in the house adores him. Dad is always buying him gifts and taking him out for walks. He is completely spoilt. I mean, who has a room filled with toys? He merely points at something and he gets it.
I think it's safe to say that things have changed for the better.
The madness has finally ended.
Dad has changed too. He's not doing those crazy rituals in the house, and I'm sure about this because I don't see bodies in the house anymore and that gives me hope.
I think meeting his grandson has made him undergo a change of heart.
* ~ *
While I was curious to read the rest of the pages, I noticed a thick amount of omitted pages in between. Whatever happened after these chapters had to be the turning point. I skipped directly to the next marked page by Theo.
Aster's Journal
17th Oct
I feel bad for these kids. They aren't too older than Castle. While my Castle is twelve, Devin and Dayana are ten.
I think the poor kids have an abusive alcoholic father, and the mother Lorna works in the mansion gardens to support the family. She's a sweet woman, and since the kids are young, I let them play with Castle.
You can tell by the way the kids eat hungrily at the table that they don't get enough food. Devin eats with both hands. Devin doesn't look ten either, more like six years old. The girl is healthier than the boy and it makes me sad for the children.
The kids don't go to school, so I have taken upon myself to put them in schools. I don't want them to grow up without proper education and I know for a fact that their mom can't afford it. It gives me immense pleasure to do good after all the bad that has followed my family. After all the blood that's on our hands, the fucked up ancestors.
I will not let history repeat itself.
It's time to change things around here.
Christopher is a loving husband, and it's wonderful to see how our son is growing up to look like him.
* ~ *
I sat there dumbfounded by the revelation in the journal.
Devin and Dayana were not related to the Montgomery family by blood. They weren't even Castle's real siblings. I wanted to solve this mystery desperately, so I leafed through the pages to get to the other marked passages.
I noticed how there was a time-skip now. Aster didn't write the journal daily. It was an occasional occurrence when she thought some moments were important enough to pen down.
Aster's Journal
13th August
Dad gave Castle a Lamborghini on his sixteenth birthday. I told daddy it was a little too much and that Castle shouldn't be so spoilt because it would make him think he was invincible.
When kids were younger, it was so much easier to forgive them for the mistakes they used to make. But now he's old enough to understand everything and I'm not sure what to believe.
Devin and Dayana keep complaining that Castle bullies them at school, that he shows them he is superior. Personally, I don't believe them. Castle has never been a vile kid. He's everything that a future Montgomery heir would be which is kind, understanding, thoughtful, and smart.
He's my son, and he is growing into a man that I know I will be proud of.
I think Castle didn't want me and his dad to adopt Devin and Dayana into the family. He's still a kid, and although the kids played since childhood and I'd never differentiated between them, he knows and understands that they are kids of Lorna, the house help.
I also think after Theo's birth, there's been tension between the children. Theo is a baby, and he has taken a liking to Dayana.
I think Castle doesn't like that and I often see them arguing for the baby's attention.
I'm not sure how Christopher and I are going to make this work, but we promised their mother that they were our responsibility. Dad doesn't approve of it, but I know I have done the right thing by adopting these kids.
Yet, I'm under this constant fear I might not be doing a good job of raising them all.
But I don't regret it. I have excepted Devin and Dayana into our family. They are Montgomerys, and Castle will understand that with time.
I see a beautiful dream where all the siblings sit together at the table and laugh and bicker the way true siblings should.
I want this dream to become a reality.
* ~ *
"Millie, maybe we should just do this at the patio in the courtyard." Castle suggested. His forehead had worry lines etched in them.
"Trust me, this will be fun," I assured him as I dragged him towards the lake by his arm.
It was a yacht with the name Phantom'on it.
Castle was frozen on the spot as he stared at the yacht. "I'm not sure why...but I don't like being on boats anymore. I can't remember why...I don't like it at all."
I went up on my toes and kissed his cheek, "do it for me. It would be fun."
You're a nasty bitch, Millicent! And you're probably going to hell for this.
He put one of his arms around my waist. "I'll do anything for you."
I smiled, "let's go."
Theo was on the deck, looking like a rare gemstone dug out of the most dangerous mines, and he was wearing a military green bomber jacket, tousled hair with denim jeans. If Castle looked exactly like Theo when he was a teen, I could bet he had panties showering over him whenever he walked the school hallways.
I kind of felt jealous. Why hadn't I known Castle when he was younger?
It was stupid how I was having these thoughts.
He hopped on board and then extended his hand for me to take. His gaze held so much trust, I didn't know how he would react when this was done.
Honestly, I was having second thoughts. Maybe this is a terrible idea...
Theo took me around to show the luxuriously furnished yacht. Plush sofas were against the side windows, a staircase leading to two bedrooms upstairs and one below. There was a small kitchen with a stocked mini-refrigerator and a gaming parlor. The topmost deck had a nice patio for chilling.
A stocky middle-aged man waved at us from the small cabin there. Theo introduced him as the Yacht's captain.
He took Castle's hand in a firm handshake. "So glad to see you here again, sir." He had a heavy accent, "Thought I would never have an opportunity again to sail this beauty...you know, after the..."
Theo coughed loudly, and that caused a distraction. "Ronald, what's that thing over there that's throwing lights around?"
"Young master Theo, that's a lighthouse. Thought you would know that...a high school going lad like you."
"Well, I tend to forget things these days. And we're not sailing too far." He quickly steered the conversation away. "What do you think, Millie? Does my ship have your approval?"
I laughed, "yours, huh? And it's not a ship." I teased him.
"It's a ship, and Castle said it's mine when I'm old enough to buy drinks."
"I don't remember saying anything like that." Castle said.
"Of course you wouldn't, but I'm sure you'll remember everything soon enough," Theo said confidently.
I gave him a look. What the hell was he doing?
"I love this yacht," I said. "I wish I could stay here forever."
"You might reconsider your words a while later."
"What? Why?"
"Come on, I'll show you the bottom outer deck." He offered.
I followed him downstairs. Castle said he wanted to sit at the top for a little more time.
The yacht roared to life, and I watched as we started moving farther and farther away from the pier and towards the darkness of the lake.
"If you think this one is beautiful, you haven't been to our other boat. We own a ship, the size of a Queen Mary."
"You're kidding?" I laughed.
"Okay, not Queen Mary, I exaggerated, but we own a ship and you married a rich man. Deal with it."
I rolled my eyes.
He pointed at the lower deck, that was equally stunning with golden and ivory seats. It was all custom-made, and so breathtaking. I could live in this boat forever.
And then my gaze shifted to the railings.
Something red and dried up.
"Dad was standing right here when he slipped and toppled. His head hit the railing here and there was a loud crack...the sound of his skull breaking and I was sitting here..." he pointed at the leather seat near to where I was standing. "And I saw everything. He fell into the water...and we saw it, Millie...we heard it...clear as day..." his breathing turned erratic and his brown eyes turned a shade darker. The anger and frustration were shining in them. "We heard the boat's fan running through his body...and the blood...god there was so much blood just spreading through the water..." he gripped the railing of the boat until his knuckles turned white. There was a distant look in his eyes, and I knew he was remembering the gruesome details. I didn't have the heart to ask him about their mother; it would be like opening more wounds.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm so sorry."
"The cleaners came in and tried to scrub the blood from the railings, but it wouldn't go. No matter how much they tried, it stayed as a grim reminder of that day and we never got it replaced or repainted."
"When I close my eyes at night..." he continued, "I remember everything. Every single detail and it keeps playing in my head. I want this fucking nightmare to end."
He stopped talking when we heard the sounds of footsteps descending.
Castle was standing there. "Why did you guys stop talking?"
"It was nothing." Theo said, "Got emotional. There's champagne in the fridge."
The mansion wasn't visible, and we were in the middle of the lake, darkness surrounding us from all sides. We hadn't gone far, Devin wouldn't even allow it and the anklets would have sent out warning signals.
The yacht was anchored and since the boat was now stable; we had our snacks while we played cards. Theo was pro at it, and I had a burning suspicion he was good at cheating. So far, he hadn't told me what he planned on doing and that just continued to stress me.
After an hour, he stood up. "I'm going out to get some fresh air. You guys wanna come with?"
He was so laid back; I wondered if he'd changed his plan. I was kind of hoping that was the case. The brothers were talking while we stood there watching the serene lake. The moon hung low behind the trees and the light illuminated the water.
A lovely night...
Then there was a loud splash.
Theo had pushed Castle out of the yacht.
I couldn't believe what he'd done.
"Theo!" I screamed.
Castle was nowhere in view and my heart pounded as fear stole my ability to think. "Why did you do that? You told me he would be safe! This was not in the plan. Castle...Castle!"
I stared at the dark waters and I was ready to jump after him when Castle's head bobbed above the surface.
"You little shit!" Castle appeared to be angry. "What was that for?"
Theo laughed, "Lose up a little. Be a sport, Cas."
Castle reached the step and moved up. Theo offered him his hand. "You can throw me in when you're up here, I promise." He said jokingly.
"You're an immature kid."
He started pulling him up, but then something changed...he caught Castle at a disadvantage and shoved him down into the water again.
"I hope you'll forgive me, Cas."
"Theo, Stop!" I yelled at him as I tried to push him away, but he was powerful. He knocked me into the corner.
I watched in horror as Theo continued to push Castle's head into the water and my husband struggled to come up for air, struggled to breathe...the water splashing as he thrashed his arms to survive but whatever had possessed Theo, his desperate need to succeed surpassed everything else. Theo was on a mission. He wouldn't fail. I didn't miss the dangerous glint in Theo's eyes, menacing and downright scary.
I'd made a grave mistake.
A seventeen-year-old boy, Castle's very own brother, was trying to kill him.
* * *
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