Chapter 4 Boundaries

Aira spent the next morning in her office, staring at the same marketing brief for over an hour without reading a single word. Her coworkers bustled around, oblivious, while she tapped her pen against her desk in a restless rhythm. She had always been good at keeping her head down, blending into the background, staying focused. But now her mind refused to be at a place. It refused to settle.

Jason Blackwood's words echoed in her head.

"Don't run from me, Aira. I don't give up easily."

She should have laughed it off. Men like him were used to getting what they wanted, and she had no intention of being one of his conquests. But instead of laughing, she felt unsettled, as though some invisible thread had already tied them together. And that was dangerous.

Her phone buzzed on her desk. A text.

She froze when she saw the sender.

Jason Blackwood: Lunch. Today. 1:00. My driver will pick you up.

Her throat went dry. He hadn't asked. He had told her. And that surprised her.

Aira stared at the screen, her stomach in knots. She considered ignoring the message. She even typed out a refusal twice before deleting it. Then she thought of her job, her boss, the deal with Blackwood AgroTech and all that. Refusing outright might jeopardise everything. But accepting meant walking into fire for her.

At exactly one o'clock, the sleek black town car pulled up outside her office. Heads turned. Her coworkers whispered, curious. Aira clenched her jaw, slipping into the car with as much composure as she could muster, though her pulse betrayed her calm exterior.

Jason was waiting for her at a rooftop restaurant that overlooked the entire city. The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she spotted him, impeccable in a tailored suit, standing with the kind of authority that made the world bend around him. The skyline framed him like it had been designed for the sole purpose of making him appear larger than life.

"Ms. Daniels," he greeted, eyes glinting with amusement. "You came."

"I didn't have much of a choice, did I?" she replied, crossing her arms.

Jason's lips curved. "There's always a choice. You chose me."

She inhaled sharply, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. "Let's make this clear, Mr. Blackwood. I'm here because of work. That's all."

He guided her to a table, his hand brushing the small of her back-just enough to send heat up her spine. "And yet," he said as they sat, "I don't remember discussing business in my message."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then maybe I shouldn't be here."

Jason leaned forward, his gaze locking with hers, intense and unyielding. "You're here because you want to be, even if you don't admit it. I can see it in your eyes."

Her breath caught. She hated how easily he unsettled her. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" His voice was soft, yet there was steel beneath it. "I saw you at the gala. You don't fit in with masks and pretenses. You're real. That's what drew me to you. And I don't let go of things that matter."

The words struck too deep, far too close to the truth she couldn't reveal. Panic clawed at her chest. She pushed back her chair abruptly.

"This-whatever you think is happening-can't happen. I don't date clients. And I don't get involved with billionaires who think they can control everything with a text message."

Jason rose as well, blocking her escape with quiet ease. He didn't touch her, but his presence filled the space, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I don't want to control you, Aira," he said, his voice low, almost vulnerable. "I just want to know you."

Her heart betrayed her with a painful thud. She hated that a part of her wanted to believe him.

But then she thought of Liro-his small hands, his innocent smile. If Jason got too close, if he discovered the truth... everything would unravel.

So she forced steel into her voice. "Then stop trying. Because I won't let you in."

She brushed past him, her heels clicking against the rooftop tiles, her pulse racing.

Jason watched her leave, jaw tight, eyes burning with a mixture of frustration and determination. He had never been told no. Not like this.

And yet, instead of deterring him, her resistance only fueled his resolve.

Jason Blackwood wasn't a man who gave up.

That night, Aira sat by her apartment window long after Liro had fallen asleep. The city lights sparkled in the distance, mocking her unrest. She told herself she was strong enough to keep her boundaries. She had survived worse, endured heartbreak, and rebuilt her life piece by piece. She could resist Jason Blackwood. He is likely small and she could handle him.

But her heart wouldn't stay quiet. She still felt the warmth of his gaze, the intensity of his voice. She hugged her knees to her chest, whispering a promise to herself.

"I won't let him in."

It sounded convincing in the stillness of her living room, but deep down, she feared the truth.

Because even as she tried to build her walls higher, Jason had already found a crack.