Three hours had passed, and Ixora had taken her medication. Her cramps had diminished to sporadic twinges. After a refreshing shower, she was getting ready for work when she recalled Cherry's advice from the previous night about catching Jerald's attention.She hesitated briefly, then reached deep into her closet and retrieved an outfit – a red blouse adorned with white flowers paired with a matching pencil skirt. As she dressed, Ixora glanced at herself in the mirror, feeling a flush of embarrassment. The blouse and skirt clung to her figure, accentuating her curves, and the skirt barely grazed her knees."Oh my God," Cherry whistled from behind.Ixora turned to her friend. "Cher...""You look amazing, Ix, absolutely irresistible," Cherry praised.Ixora still seemed unsure. "I'm not sure if I should wear this to work. The outfit practically screams 'come and notice me.'"Cherry laughed, shaking her head. "The attire is quite modest; it covers your chest and almost reaches your knees.
Still perched on the counter, Ixora silently cursed as she realized that Cherry had worked her magic, leaving Jerald visibly tense and furious."Jerald? What did my sister tell you?" she inquired softly."She spilled the beans about your mysterious boyfriend, the one you gave your virginity to," he grumbled angrily."Mike?" Ixora's confusion deepened. What did Mike have to do with this?Jerald shot her a withering glare, silencing her. He still had her pinned against the counter, seething with anger. With a stern gaze, he began lifting her blouse.Ixora's cheeks turned as red as tomato paste, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she averted her eyes to the floor. As Jerald raised her blouse, her white lacy bra was revealed. She was nearly eye level with him on the counter. He bent slightly and captured her tentative lips in a deep kiss.While kissing her passionately, he reached behind her and unclasped her bra. Breaking the kiss gently, he trailed a line of kisses down her neck, contin
"I have a brother that’s like a twin," Jake had confessed."I have a brother that’s like a twin," Jerald had revealed.No... It couldn't be. Cherry's thoughts raced as she ran. She couldn't fathom that after leaving her vacation in New York City and returning to her hometown to escape her past, she might now be living just a stone's throw away from Jake's twin. That would be unbearable!Fate couldn't be playing such a cruel trick on her... it simply couldn't be!Jake had told her his twin died six months ago. Could he still be alive? Alive and residing here in Castle Lore?Cherry couldn't recall the last time she had run, except perhaps to grab a stick in a fight against someone bigger than her. But now, she ran all the way to Jerald's place, her heart pounding in her chest as she repeated to herself, "It can't be. It can't be. Oh God, it can't be."Minutes later, she reached Jerald's house. The front door was wide open, so she hurried inside. She spotted Jerald coming out of the kitc
Jerald and Ixora remained locked in that intimate embrace for what seemed like an eternity. His strong arms enveloped her, and she reciprocated with gentle pats on his arms, as if soothing the invisible wounds within him. His grip on her tightened as he began to recount his story."Ixora," he began, his voice tinged with emotions, "I have a brother. We grew up with our wonderful parents, Camila and William. Everyone, especially our mother, used to tease us about being a team, always sticking together and ganging up on them. And honestly, they were right. My twin and I were inseparable."Ixora felt a mix of relief and curiosity as he finally started sharing his past. Yet, she remained puzzled about why Cherry had visited, then left in such haste. "But why did my twin come here?" she inquired, her voice laced with concern.Jerald's response was shrouded in silence for a moment. Then, he spoke, "She came to inquire about my twin, and I revealed his name."Ixora, though anxious, held her
Jerald, still seated on the floor, turned to Ixora with a gentle suggestion, "Go home, Ixora. Take the day off. Check on your twin; she seemed quite upset when she left here an hour ago."Ixora's teary eyes darted to the wall clock. "It's almost time for school to dismiss. I need to pick up Zira, and I haven't even thought about lunch, let alone dinner."He waved away her concerns. "Don't worry, I'll pick up Zira from school and handle lunch and dinner. I won't subject us to my questionable cooking skills. As my twin used to say, 'I don't know how to cook, but I can keep the belly satisfied.' Jake was the chef among us when we were younger, always in the kitchen with our mother."With a sigh, he added, "Take the day off, Ixora. It's been as taxing for you as it has for me, starting with your cramps."Reluctantly, Ixora pulled away from him. "Thank you so much. In that case..."Jerald interrupted, "Wait, why was your twin so upset? How did she find out about Jake?" His curiosity got th
It had been a week, Ixora reflected.A week since Jerald had cornered her against the kitchen counter and kissed her passionately. A week since they had discovered the unexpected connection between Jerald and her twin's Jake. A week since Jerald had shared the intricate details of his life and Zira’s. It hadn't been the easiest week.Today was Friday, and Ixora stood in the kitchen, preparing lunch. Berezira was by her side, helping to chop the cabbage for a salad nicoise.Ever since she had learned about the girl's troubled past, Ixora had been putting in extra effort to help Berezira transition into a normal twelve-year-old. Prior to last week, Berezira had simply kept her company in the kitchen with a comfortable silence between them. But now, Ixora gave her small tasks to do, teaching her and watching as she honed her skills.The girl proved to be a quick learner, but the once-welcomed silence between them had changed."So, tell me about your morning with my twin," Ixora inquired.
In the basement, Jerald was vigorously hammering a nail into a piece of wood, his mood far from pleasant. Forget about the mission to eliminate Mostafa; those twins were going to be the death of him sooner or later.Cherry, in particular, had been avoiding him like the plague. She didn't want to see him at all, let alone discuss his twin with him. He had visited her countless times in the past week, but she consistently evaded him, refusing to meet or speak with him.He needed her to talk to him about his twin, damn it! That was the only way he could feel closer to Jake after so many months of separation. Maybe he'd attempt it again in the evening; who knew what was going on in the head of that troublesome and stubborn twin.Ixora, on the other hand, was on the verge of driving him to the brink of insanity. He mentally pondered whether a man had ever died from sexual frustration in history. It sure seemed like he might become the first to kick that kind of bucket because, honestly, re
Ixora had just returned from work, standing by the front door, when she overheard Cherry talking inside. It took her a moment to register that Jerald was in the house. She couldn't help herself; she pressed her ears against the door, eager to eavesdrop on their conversation. Perhaps her twin had finally decided to engage with the man, and hopefully, it might help improve his perpetual bad mood of late....After Cherry's suggestion, an internal battle raged within her."Are you saying it for his benefit or yours?" a part of her asked."For his, of course," she answered."Liar... liar... Pants on fire," another part of her whispered."He misses his twin a lot, it's all over his face," she reasoned with herself."It might not be all over your face, but you miss his twin too. A lot. Maybe more than he does," another part of her argued."Oh... shut up, self," she dismissed her inner turmoil."Cherry!? Are you even listening?" Jerald's voice brought her attention back to the conversatio
Quietly, Ixora left Cherry's room and made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She prepared eggs, bacon, cheeseburgers, and pizza. Lately, Cherry had developed a liking for pizza, which is why Ixora included it in their morning meal.An hour later, breakfast was ready. Ixora returned to Cherry's room to wake her up. "Come and have something to eat, Cher. I made breakfast.""My queasy stomach can't handle much in the mornings, Ix," Cherry replied drowsily, but she got up and followed her twin to the living room."Well, let's not forget that we're going to New York today," Ixora reminded her as they approached the dining table.The reminder sparked Cherry's memory, and her drowsiness quickly faded. She smiled brightly, saying, "Oh yeah, let's go check on our girl."They sat down and enjoyed their breakfast in silence. Afterward, they joined hands to pack their clothes and accessories into a large box.They began with Ixora, selecting her clothes, shoes, and other items, and pla
💝💝BROOKHAVEN, NEW YORK.💝💝Camila watched her daughter clean up the dining table right after dinner. A smile had been on her face since she heard about the arrival of her twin friends, and she was humming softly under her breath.Camila marveled at the change in this young girl and was very happy with herself for helping bring about that change. Her daughter was now so different from the girl she had seen for the first time two months ago.When her sons called and told her about their request for two females to come stay with her and Berezira, she was instantly curious about who those women might be to her sons, so she agreed immediately.When Berezira heard the news, her happiness knew no bounds, and that made Camila's curiosity soar to a different level. So, she got her daughter to tell her everything about the twins, which Berezira did wholeheartedly.Camila had come to know a lot about Cherry and Ixora, and although Brezira had innocently shared everything, Camila had already d
💝TOWER CASTLES IN HELMAND, AFGHANISTAN.💝💝Khalil Mostafa Ali Reza stood with his back facing the entrance of his throne room. He had just emerged from hiding yesterday and returned to his castle.He had spent the past two months deep underground. But finally, his long-awaited drug had arrived, albeit in small quantity.Viagnat. Only five small bottles of the liquid had been produced... five small bottles that cost a fortune, and he possessed all five. They would have to suffice for now because he couldn't wait for more.For the past two months, the US Army had been hunting him. He knew they were actively seeking him and would stop at nothing to capture him. However, he had kept a low profile, waiting for Viagnat. That drug was more powerful than a thousand armies.The US Army had turned this into a game, and he desired to change the rules. He knew that his captive and his twin had returned to the Army, but he still had men following their trail after they vanished from California.
Cherry emerged from the bathroom a while later, looking exhausted. She always felt drained after vomiting, and that was how she felt at the moment.But even though she felt sick, she couldn't be pregnant. She had been so careful. It just couldn't be true. No way."Where is that gray-haired quack of a doctor?" she muttered, looking around."He left a while ago. Oh, Cher, you're pregnant," Ixora said, her voice filled with shock as her eyes fixed on her twin's belly.Cherry instinctively covered her flat belly and made her way to the bed. "That old quack. I'm not pregnant, Ixora. It's impossible."Ixora wasn't really listening to her. "You are pregnant! But how could this happen? You were always the one with the condoms. You were always so careful, Cher."Cherry sighed and sank down on the bed. "Yeah, that's what I can't wrap my head around."She forced herself to think. Was she really pregnant? But how could she be when she always used condoms?No man had ever touched her without a con
Although the Brown twins didn't stay long in the Army, their reputation for strength and physical prowess during training made them well-known. As a result, they were promptly promoted to the Python Team upon leaving the military camp. The General calmly listened to Jerald's story before addressing the twins."Things haven't been the same since Operation Un-Done. It was the only mission the Python Team had ever failed since its formation, and it held significant importance. Various military agencies, such as the KGI, FBI, and Terror Corps, heard about Operation Un-Done. Some sympathized with us, understanding that not all missions can be successful. However, a few mocked us, claiming that we thought we were invincible only to fail and lose a comrade during the most crucial mission, when the US Army was expected to be the best in the world."The General paused, then continued with determination. "Although we failed the mission, I'm glad we didn't lose a member. We're thrilled to have y
💝💝TOWER CASTLES IN HELMAND, AFGHANISTAN.💝💝Khalil Mostafa Ali Reza sat with three of his most trusted drug dealers, resembling a round table where four drug dealers gathered to drink, eat, and converse in their language.They were about to arrange a drug shipment in a few days, but they hadn't disclosed the exact location for the deal. Since their near-ambush by the US Army eight months ago, they had become extra cautious."So, which part of Japan are we shipping the cocaine to?" one of the drug dealers asked in their language."To Nagasaki," Mostafa confirmed, "But that's not what I want to discuss.""What do you want to talk about?" another one inquired."Viagnat," he replied bluntly. "I want that drug Viagnat, and I want it quickly. What are your suppliers saying about the production and shipment of that drug?"They took turns answering..."My supplier said it will be ready in five months.""Mine said it will take seven.""Two months," one of them reported."My supplier estimat
After a long while, they were all seated at the dining table, eating. Jerald savored the food... Damn, he had missed his mother's cooking.Though they had grown up with a cook, their mother always made an effort to cook for them whenever she had the time."So, why did you come back from work, Father?" He asked when he finally realized his father had come home early. That was highly unusual.Williams smiled. "I forgot an important paperwork. Or rather, a paper that was supposed to be important an hour ago. It's no longer important now.""Is it a contract? What kind of deal was it?" he asked curiously."You see, I was planning to officially announce George as my successor in the company. That was the paperwork," he stated.Jake laughed. "Well, it seems like luck is on your side, Jay. You wouldn't look good in a lab coat at all," he teased."Very funny," Jerald said with a smile. "I would never want to be a doctor. That's your field, Jakey.""Stop calling me that, Jay-Jay," Jake shot bac
"Camy?" William called softly, his eyes fixed on the figure that closely resembled his deceased son.Camila understood the shock that coursed through her husband's body. It had been ten minutes since she laid eyes on her son, and it still felt like a dream. But she knew with certainty that it wasn't a dream. Their son Jerald was alive and back home.She walked over to her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder. "He's real, Will. Our son is alive, and he's back home," Camila whispered, her voice filled with intense emotions.That reassurance was all William needed, and he pulled his son into a hug. It wasn't a bear hug, but a genuine embrace between two men who had thought they would never see each other again.The papers were scattered on the ground, but William couldn't care less about them. He stepped aside, allowing one of his security guards to gather the papers."Jerald...! It's really you, my boy!" William exclaimed. Unbelievably, tears welled up in his eyes. His son was al
Camila, in her early fifties, was aware that many women her age experienced deteriorating eyesight, often resulting in the need for glasses or contact lenses.However, she had never required visual aids before because her eyesight had always been excellent. Or at least, it used to be. Now, she couldn't be so certain.The figure emerging from the car bore a striking resemblance to her deceased son, Jerald. Camila's mouth dropped open as she stared wide-eyed. "Oh my God..." she exclaimed, turning to her son, Jake, and gripping his arms. "I hate to admit it, but I think I finally need glasses...""No, mother, you don't need glasses. It's really Jay..." Jake reassured her gently.Camila vigorously shook her head. "No... It can't be... Jerald, my son, is dead. Why are you playing this cruel game with me? Giving me false hope... It's not good for me, Jakey."Tears welled up in her wide eyes as she beheld a sight she thought she would never see again until her own passing.Jerald observed hi