Chapter 4A

They were standing outside the Mansion, unable to enter because her father was waiting. Her father's face was ashen when he saw her, wet like a chick without a hen, but Gideon caught Don Sebastian's rage for her.

"Don Sebastian, I'm the one apologizing for Jewel."

Jewel braced herself for her father's rage. She was taken aback when Don Sebastian smiled at Gideon. She was astounded.

'How unfair! He just smiled at Gideon. I couldn't recall the last time he smiled at me! ' Jewel sighed and huffed angrily.

"What did my unica hija do again, and she's like a petty chick who got lost here in the mansion?" asked Don Sebastian. He turned to face her.

He narrowed both eyes on her as he turned to face her. It caused her eyes to blur.

Jewel lowered her gaze and crossed her arms across her chest. She let Gideon reason for her. He had already defended her at the outset, so she simply waited for the two men to reach an agreement and let her go. She was still shivering in the cold, and she bit her lip at times to keep from interfering with them.

"She simply fell into the river," Gideon explained.

Her father's pupils dilated. "Did my daughter fall into the river?" he exclaimed, his brow furrowed. He looked at her again, this time with a darker expression. "Jewel Laine! I told you not to go out in the dark! It's three a.m. and you're already in the woods? You're a lady, act like one!"

Jewel bit her bottom lip in an attempt to control her emotions. She was aware of the ramifications. Gideon, she assumed, would protect her all the way.

Gideon called her father, "Don Sebastian."

Jewel let out a silent sigh as she kept her gaze fixed on the ground. She thought Gideon's courage had fled, but she was mistaken.

Don Sebastian turned to face Gideon. She, too, looked to the Mayor's son. Her eyes were filled with gratitude. The memory of him rescuing her lingered in her mind.

Gideon smiled, amused by her docile attitude, and glanced at her before speaking. "Francisko has swept away in the river, and Pedro once told me that your daughter doesn't ride a different horse; perhaps this is the only way for Jewel to stay at home."

His words silenced all the gratitude in her heart. It was like pouring cold water on a hot lump of coal. She locked her gaze on Gideon, who was now staring at her father.

A chill ran down her spine as Don Sebastian smiled from ear to ear. She was aware that her father was plotting something sinister at the time.

"That made sense," her father said as he turned to face her again. "No one's going to look for your Francisko anymore, Jewel. He could be out at sea right now. Go inside and dress in your room."

"Dad —"

"Obey my orders. Or would you prefer that I drag you upstairs? "

She stormed inside the mansion, oblivious to the looks the housemaids gave her; she even saw Dalya motioning to her, but she was upset and fuming.

She knew it would be a few years before she could receive another horse because other knights do not allow horses to be used in the stable, especially when they are being cared for a market. Francisko was the only one she had ridden in almost five years, but her horse was gone in one unfortunate event. She couldn't blame anyone else because it was all her fault.

Dalya chased after her as she stepped up the stairs. "Those books, Miss —-"

"I'm not feeling well, Dalya."

"However, Miss -"

"I said shut up!" she yelled, stopping mid-sentence and stamping her foot in annoyance.

Dalya fell silent and returned to the kitchen. Jewel exhaled a sigh. She noticed that some of the people standing on the stairwell were laughing. She recognized a few of them. They were Dalya's adversaries, against whom the maid had fought last month.

"What are you laughing about? Get back to work!" she yelled.

"Yes, Miss!" The group dispersed in the blink of an eye. They fled the stairs one by one.

When she passed by the hallway, the wind blew from the open balcony. Her heart was still pounding as she made her way to her room. She let out a sigh as she entered the medium-sized room and dashed into her bathroom. She took a sad and resentful bath. After about half an hour, she emerged.

When she turned her gaze to the bed, she was startled to see a large box lying there. When she realized what it was, her brow furrowed and her eyes lit up.

She ran to hug the box and open it while wearing only a towel around her body. When she saw the various international and local erotica books, her heart leaped with joy. She took them one by one from the box and placed them on her bed. She kissed every physical book.

Nobody can express how happy she was. Jewel appeared uneasy with what she perceived as happiness coursing through her like a wild river, and if she could just eat the books, she would have.

She had nearly a hundred books on her bed when she finished the last one. She threw the empty box to the floor and grabbed her phone from the bedside table.

She snapped a photo of those eye-catching books with enticing covers, then took a selfie with them. She logged into her social media account and uploaded the photos to the group chat.

She received a notification in less than three seconds. Hazel had responded to her message.

[Hazel: Oh my goodness, Laine! You keep the books! That's fantastic! ]

Another person joined the conversation.

[Tiara: How cheap.]

When she read Tiara's remark, she made a funny face. Well, the girl did not reach the level of her erotica book addiction... yet.

[Gabbi: Oh, sh*t! You should be able to save some! ]

When her phone vibrated and a notification popped up saying Gabbi had replied to her message, she was taken aback. As she typed her response, she let out a chuckle.

[Jewel: More books on the way!]

She laughed as she hung up the phone, but it rang, causing her to jump. She almost fell off the side of the bed where she was sitting.

As she answered the phone, a frown formed on her brow.

"Have you seen Ara's book?" Hazel's enthusiastic voice silenced her irritation.

Her eyes widened as she thought for a moment. She, too, squeaked with delight. "I haven't seen it yet, but I'm going to check it out right away!"

She quickly took out her laptop and turned it on. While she waited for the website to load, she dashed into the walk-in closet and selected a green knee-length dress. She ran out of the closet and sat on the edge of the bed once she was dressed. Her hand reached for the laptop, which she placed on her lap.

Her eyes sparkled as the screen displayed the website of her favorite author. She logged into her account and read the most recent book release.

It was only then that she realized she hadn't turned off Hazel's phone call. She examined the phone's screen, but the call had long since ended. Her shoulders shrugged as she proceeded to Ara's website.

She chose Bundle 3 of the newly added bundles, with special dedication and a voucher for a 10% discount on future books. She used her E-Card to pay. She browsed the website after completing her order.

When she saw a contentious comment, her brow furrowed. Her gaze was drawn to a toxic fan's account name, but she decided to dismiss it. She's not that low-key to argue with some faceless men.

She stood in front of the wall near the balcony, stretched her arms, and put her laptop away. She pushed up against the wall, revealing a small door. Her foot moved forward into the secret door, and her hand reached for the switch, which turned on the fluorescent lamp above the small and dusty room.

There was light in the small room crammed with books. The bookshelf on the wall housed books she had purchased from five years ago to the present. Another bookshelf had been built to house her future books. Some of the books on the shelves had creased covers, while others had lost their color. However, she piled all of the damaged books inside.

That room was constructed six years ago. When she was 13, she asked her mother for a library.

Her mother had that study room built for her because she wanted to see her read. But when Jewel became bored with those monotonous and uncreative articles, she turned to Tagalog Romance Pocketbooks. Until she read a novel by Ara. It's a sexy romance with numerous explicit bed scenes. That's where her interest in erotica began.

Gabbi's claim that she became an erotica addict may be true. But her reasoning is that 'it's okay to read as long as her fantasies stay in the fictional world.'

At nineteen, she was still a virgin with no experience. She thought those books would help her learn how to please her future husband.

The thought of pleasing Gideon with her body made her snort.