Maggie was practically hyperventilating over the phone: "It's a total mess. You need to come over right now."
Agnes couldn't afford to waste a second. She jumped into her car and sped toward Maggie's place.
Maggie was staying at Ivan's Mansion at 23rd Avenue. Agnes had only been there twice before. The place was renowned for its stringent privacy policies. Luckily, Maggie had given the heads up. Agnes drove straight up to the standalone villa and hurried to the door.
The door swung open almost immediately. There stood Maggie. She was five months pregnant and looked like it. Ivan had cleared her schedule so she could spend most of her days there, focusing on her pregnancy.
Agnes, still anxious, blurted out, "What's going on with him?"
Maggie, all smiles, ushered her inside, "Come in and I'll tell you."
They stepped into a cozy, warm living room. Agnes spun around, "Where is he now?"
"Upstairs in the kitchen," Maggie replied.
Turning to leave, Agnes declared, "I'm out of here."
Maggie blocked Agnes's path, "Agnes, you came, which means you still care about Jared, right? Yes, Jared is comfortable here, too comfortable, just cooking and sleeping. But Agnes, do you think that's normal? He's not the Jared we used to know. He's lost all his drive. He doesn't talk; sometimes, he just stands there, staring into space. He used to share everything with his brother, and now he's silent. We've grown up together, so I know when he's really in trouble."
Agnes fell silent. Maggie was right. This version of Jared was someone even she hadn't encountered before. Jared was a wizard in the kitchen, not because of a passion for cooking, but because he excelled at practically anything he did. This wasn't him at all.
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