The plan was for me and Theo to do nothing.

Yeah, you heard me. Castle did not want us to be involved while he did whatever that he had planned to do, and so Theo and I didn't know what was going to happen. He said it was best this way. Devin wouldn't suspect anything and there were zero chances of a fuck-up.

I felt bad for Castle. It's been like a few hours that he regained his memories and he was pushed head-first into these responsibilities of trying to save himself from being killed while also protecting me and his brother. He didn't have the luxury to be relaxed. He needed to be on his toes every second of every minute.

The dinner table had the most epic silence. Castle didn't take his position at his usual place; he was seated at the head table where he could analyze everyone from his seat. I wasn't stressed any longer. I was content with this new controlled version of my husband. He was someone literally out of a fairy tale story. I'd assumed my position beside him.

His eyes met mine, and he caught me staring. I looked away at once, color rising to my cheeks. He leaned in and I got a whiff of his intoxicating perfume. "I don't mind if you keep staring at me."

I laughed, "I'm sorry. It's just...I'm still trying to get used to you being like this."

Castle nodded in understanding.

Chandler was texting on his phone; I didn't really understand why an eleven-year-old kid was having more liberties than I did. I sneaked a peek at the screen and saw him typing a text to someone under the table.

Love you too 😘

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. Chandler had a girlfriend in school. I wondered what they did as a couple exactly? Compare their Candy Crush scores? Collect bugs together?

When Devin entered the room, he looked at Castle and something flickered in his green eyes.

A slow grin formed on Devin's face as he looked at his brother. "Well, I'll be damned!" He seemed happy to see his brother. "I don't believe this. Look at you..."

"I do." Castle said with a chuckle, "I keep looking at myself in the mirror and thanking my good fate that I was born better looking than you."

"Fuck off!" Devin said and then he realized Chandler was there with us so he said, "I mean buzz off!"

He made his way towards us in a few strides and enveloped Castle in a hug, and patted his back with a few hard thumps. "It's been difficult without you around, Cas. I was barely hanging on, you know, with everything, the company, and the family...I'm so goddamn happy you're back, brother."

It sure looked like he wasn't faking it, and if he was, that was some good acting. An award-worthy performance.

And then Dayana strutted in, dressed for dinner like she was going for a party. She looked at Castle and then at Devin. Her bitchy demeanor changed all of a sudden. "Is this really happening?"

"Castle..." she sniffled. "Do you know me?"

"yes, you're the giraffe who escaped from the zoo and kept loitering into my backyard. I can never forget you."

"Oh god, it's really you." Dayana cried harder, laughing at the same time as Castle raised his hand towards her. She made a dead run towards Castle and into his arms. "I missed you so much. We've been waiting." She cupped his head in her hands and kissed his cheek, crying uncontrollably. "Cassy..."

My eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. She called him Cassy, and I felt like I'd walked into another dimension, one in which we were all part of this slice of life movie where the hero regains his memories and the family members are shocked out of their socks but also super supportive and lovely. Kind of like a modern Jane Austen book. Happily ever after. The end.

This looked more like an episode from The Twilight Zone.

I wish my life was simple.

Castle kissed the top of her head in return like a caring brother would. I'd expected surprise, yelling, and a lot of mayhem, but not this...

Devin and Dayana acting all jolly about Castle getting his memories back.

They went back to their seats. Devin raised his glass of wine, "To Castle. For regaining his memories and to his good health."

"To Castle," Dayana said, raising her glass.

I couldn't decipher what Castle was thinking by expressions. He had a smile on his face, like he accepted the love and affection his family was sprinkling all over him.

Theo stormed into the room while the staff served dinner.

"Sorry, I'm late." He said, taking his seat opposite from me and then gave me a wink.

"Chandler, put your phone down," Castle ordered. "It's my first dinner since I'm back, so I'm gonna go a little easy on everyone, but I need all of you to be at the table at seven-thirty. Phones will be left outside of the dining area."

Chandler sighed and put his phone away. That was new, especially since Chandler didn't even listen to Devin when he yelled at him. I guess Chandler had only known Castle as the authoritative figure after the death of their parents, and he was much more successful in keeping the brat in line.

It gave me an impression that Castle didn't need to raise his voice to get things done here. One icy look from him did it.

Devin was looking directly at Castle; he hadn't taken his eyes off him like he expected Castle to pull a knife in the middle of dinner.

The two brothers started talking about their company and what was going on. I was tempted to intervene and call out to Devin about how he'd almost framed me for Castle's murder.

How could he sit there, laugh and joke like he hadn't done those vile things?

"I need a detailed report from all the department heads, starting with finance. We need to know what happened to the five-hundred thousand dollars..." Castle said, cutting into his steak. He raised it to his mouth and then stopped, "Unless one of you could enlighten me."

"You want all the reports?" Devin asked.

"Did I stutter?"

Theo laughed.

Devin shot him a glare, but he was feeling threatened. It seemed like it was a hard pill to swallow for Devin, since he wasn't going to run the show here anymore.

"Okay. I'll get them to you on Wednesday."

"I need them tomorrow." Castle said, "You tell everyone that. I won't be in the office, but I'll want the reports. Look, Devin, I don't know how things used to run here when I wasn't around, but you best believe it's going to change."

"Does that mean you remember how you drowned, Cas?" Chandler asked, with a mouthful of food.

"I remember, yes. Every single detail."

"Well, I saw—"

"Chandler, take your dinner upstairs to your room," Dayana told him.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"Winston, take Chandler's food upstairs to his bedroom. He's not needed here." Devin interjected.

Winston obeyed without a word. Chandler did not throw a fit, but exited the room in a huff. He pushed a plate down from the table, which I think wasn't by accident.

"Millie, you can go upstairs too."

Castle grabbed my hand. "Millicent stays here. She's not a kid. She'll listen to everything that you've got to say."

"Fine."

The staff exited the dining area, leaving the five of us alone in the room. So far, I hadn't said a single word.

"I'll be honest." Castle started saying. "I think you should cut it out, this exaggerated display of affection, acting all fine and dandy. I'm fucking done pretending that everything is okay."

"Well, what do you want us to say, Cas?" Devin demanded, throwing his knife and fork down on the table. "That we are sorry? What the fuck would I be sorry for? You know as well as I do the things that you did to land yourself in that mess. I'm not responsible, neither is Daya, nor anyone else. It was you. Your fucking mistake."

Theo scoffed.

Devin's eyes met mine and then he turned to Castle, "Cas, why don't you tell your wife here what exactly you did..."

Castle's gaze turned sharp. He turned to Winston who was the only staff member allowed to stay in the room. "I need Millicent and Theo's anklet trackers removed. Tonight."

"Sir." Winston bowed and left the room.

"What? You won't tell her?" Devin laughed, a maniac glint in his eyes.

"Tell me what?" I asked.

"Shut up, Devin!" That was Theo. "Don't take the bait, Millie."

But it was difficult not to. There were a lot of things that I wasn't aware of.

Devin ignored him. "Tell her, Castle." He kept taunting. "Your wife needs to know all your secrets. Don't make us out to be some villains when you're not a fucking saint. You know, I was going to let this go because we're family after all, but since you want to start this shit-storm, I won't stop you." He tugged off the napkin and tossed it on the table.

"You want Millie to stay and listen, so she fucking listens," Devin said, exploding with rage.

Castle regarded him coolly, not uttering a word, keeping his glacial exterior intact. His jaw was set hard.

"Don't listen to him, Millie," Theo said desperately.

Devin looked straight at me, and he wasn't in a mood for jokes. He seemed dead-serious. "He's not any better."

My appetite was already dead. I didn't dare sneak a glance at my husband.

"Castle killed our parents in cold-blood."

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