Chapter 48A

As darkness scattered in her sorrounding, Jewel find it hard to follow her way back. She has been walking for hours yet there's no end of this creepy tracks. It's been hours and the noise of the crickets was getting louder in every second, making her ears ache. Her heart was trembling nonstop since she turned around to leave.

Jewel halted in her tracks when she heard frantic footsteps approaching her. It didn't sound like a human being, rather it was a nocturnal animal lurking in the shadows. Her breathe faltered as she looked around.

Then a pair of red eyes peeped from the shadows. Jewel screamed as she stumbled and fell on her butt. She winced and looked hastily to the creature. It was an enormous wolf and didn't look friendly at all. The creature stalked towards her and she could not help but to gulp hard as cold sweat trickled her back.

"D-Don't eat me," she whispered under her shaking breathe, but the wolf didn't understand her words and continued taking a step towards her.

She stood and ran away. The wolf chased after her with burning gaze of a predator chasing after his prey. Jewel just ran without any care in the world and she didn't notice that she was running away from the exit.

"Ah!" she screamed when she slipped on a cliff. She hastily grabbed the tree branch by the cliff.

Her breathe quickened as she looked at the never ending darkness below. Jewel gulped hard and tightened her hold on the branch. But her hand started to get sweat and her hold on the thin branch was slipping away. Her lips trembled and her face's as pale as a sheet of paper.

"Jewel!"

Her eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice calling out her name. Her vision blurred as she yelled in reply, "I'm here!"

Gideon quickened his steps and stopped by the cliff. He looked down. The translucent moonlight shone on his wife who was hanging by a thin branch. He could feel his body shivered in fright. "H-hold on!" he yelled and reached his hand out.

Jewel tried to grab his hand but her other hand lost its grip on the thin branch. Her breathe halted and her eyes widened. "Gideon!" she called in panic.

Gideon could see how things moved slowly as Jewel lost her grip on the branch. Without thinking he reached for her hand, grateful because he caught her hand in time. "I'll pull you up," he said, clenching his jaw to control his trembling voice.

Just a second late and he would see her falling to her death. Gideon couldn't imagine the consequence if he had not been looking for her in the forest.

Earlier, Jewel suddenly went missing. Even Angela and Sean didn't see the girl and he immediately knew that Jewel's being reckless again. So he searched the area carefully but didn't find even a shadow of his wife. The only place left was the small forest nearby.

At first he was skeptical because he believed Jewel knew how dangerous the forest is during night time, but considering how reckless his wife could be sometimes when her rationality's clouded by strong emotion, Gideon didn't hesitate to enter and search the forest.

And he was right when he saw Jewel hanging by the cliff. He could not imagine the consequence would be if he entered a second late. He sighed as he easily pulled Jewel up.

Before Gideon could utter a word, Jewel pulled him for a hug. His body went stiff.

"Y-You! I thought... I thought..." Jewel mumbled.

Gideon listened to her mumbling while patting her back to soothe her trembling body. "I know, I'm sorry. I was late," he whispered.

They stayed in that position for few minutes before Jewel let him go. She looked up to him and pouted. "It's your fault!"

"Why?"

Jewel looked away and folded her arms in front, huffing. "You ignored me for that Angela," she whispered under her breath.

"I didn't," he denied and sighed. "You are only imagining things, Jewel." He drew a breathe again and closed his eyes. "Don't do that again. Don't make me worry again, wife. You understand?"

Even though she still felt aggrieved, but Jewel nodded. Of course she knew what she did was dangerous and she vowed herself that she would think before acting up. Afterall, it was her choice that put her in that dangerous situation.

They walked their way back home in silence. Jewel was thinking of what awaits her back in Angela's home. As much as possible, she didn't want to see Angela and Sean as of the moment.

Jewel grabbed the hem of Gideon's cloth and tugged it back. Her husband stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What's the matter?" he asked.

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. "I don't want to go back... yet."

It took Gideon a few seconds before he understood what she meant. He entertwined their fingers and led her forward. "Let's stay in our house then."

So she found herself standing outside a small house. It was shining in the darkness. Jewel remembered Gideon's house in Medellin. Just like the small house, it would shine in the darknes also.

"Sir Manasseh!" someone called from behind.

Jewel saw a woman smiling from ear to ear while striding towards them. The woman opened the small gate and bowed slightly at them. "I received your notice earlier and I've cleaned the house for you and your wife, Sir."

"Thank you, Rosa."

Gideon led her inside the house while Jewel was left wondering what the woman had said. Glancing at Gideon, she realized that her husband had no plan to stay at Angela's house for the night. Jewel casted her gaze down. She misunderstood him again.

Just like Gideon's house in Medellin, the furnitures were simple, fewer, and elegant. A faint aroma of coffee hovered above the air and Jewel relaxed her tense shoulders.

"Where's my room?" she asked.

"Aren't you hungry?"

Because of his question, Jewel stomach suddenly grumbled and she looked away. A knowing smile appeared on Gideon's lips. She knew he was making fun of her again.

Gideon led her to the kitchen and they ate dinner in silence. It might be because of tiredness and the near death experience that Jewel suddenly felt her head spinning. Her vision went black.

When she opened her eyes again, it was morning. The birds were chirping on the tree branch nearby and the morning breeze were freezing cold. Even though her body was hidden under the comforter, but it was not enough to lessen the cold.

In fact, she's not bothered by the cold because she had been living with air cooler in her Dad's mansion. What made her woke up was the intense stare from someone.

A strange man was standing at the foot of the bed. Jewel sat up and crawled towards the  headboard, away from the man.

"W-Who are you?!" she asked, frantic.

The man didn't answer and just crawled towards her with a wicked grin hanging on his lips. Jewel screamed at the top of her lungs, jolting her awake. Her chest heaved as beads of sweat formed in her forehead and trickled down her chin.

Her eyes roamed the silent room and drew a breathe upon realizing that she's alone. Just as her shoulder relaxed, she heard knocks on the door.

"Jewel! Open up!" It was Gideon's voice. He might heard her scream and she didn't blame him for being worried.

She got out of the bed and walked to the door, twisting the doorknob and opening it up. Her husband was standing outside. He searched her body carefully before staring straight into her eyes. "What happened? I heard your scream. Did someone intrude in your room?" he asked and stepped in.

Jewel's lips pursed into a thin line. "Nothing. I just had a nightmare," she said.

It was indeed a nightmare, but a little different from what she had before. The dream was about her and the strange man doing that 'thing' again in her bed. But the man was brutal and even if she begged, he would not listen. He kept on doing bad things on her body, making her scream in fright and pain. It was not pleasurable at all rather it was all pain.

Her body shivered in terror and she clearly remembered the pain he caused her. She could still feel how the man lashed her body out that blood dripped on to the white sheet of the bed. The last thing she remembered was the man holding a bloodied whip, intending to whip her again for the last time.

Gideon noticed the small tremor of her body and he pulled her in for a hug, thinking that Jewel was still afraid of the event that happened earlier at the cliff. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Jewel wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, breath still a little shaky.

She hoped that she wouldn't dream that nightmare again but her little wish wasn't given at all. After an hour, she slept again but she dreamt of the man -- a continuation of what she had dreamt before.

Jewel screamed, jolting awake the people sleeping the house again. This time, Gideon decided to stay with her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, voice a little hoarse and sleepy.

"You've been disturbed by what happened earlier. I'll stay here with you to watch over you," he promised and smiled at her.

Jewel stared at him longer than usual before averting her gaze. She felt guilty all of the sudden. Gideon was thinking she's frightened by the events earlier yet the real cause of her nightmare was the strange man in her dreams. And she knew it has someting to do with her vices.

She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. But while closing her eyes, she didn't notice how Gideon stared at her.

In her dream, she met the man. He was back to being sweet and considerate of her and they did that 'thing' again and again. She forgot that Gideon was still inside her room, watching her as she moan in response of the pleasure the man in her dreams was giving her.