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Three days later, Jake had spent ample time with his twin. He had gotten to know Berezira, the girl who had escaped captivity with his twin. He found that she was highly intelligent but rather reserved. Berezira didn't speak unless spoken to and appeared to be easily overwhelmed. Jake had realized that she needed the influence of their mother and, possibly, therapy, but he hadn't brought up the topic with Jerald or reminded him of their discussion at Cherry's house that night. He wanted to give his twin enough time to make decisions about informing their mother of his survival and involving him in his revenge plans.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Ixora and Cherry had become increasingly strained. It seemed that with each passing day, they grew further apart, and to Cherry, it seemed like she didn't care about it at all. She and Jake occasionally saw each other and spent time together. Two days ago, he had asked about their parents, and just as she had done during their vacation,