Chapter 6 The Invitation (Expanded)

Jason's mind returned again and again to the little boy with curious eyes and a dinosaur obsession. Liro.

He hadn't expected Aira to have a child. It should have complicated things, should have made him step back and reconsider the pursuit. Yet instead of deterring him, the discovery only sharpened his interest.

There had been no bitterness in her introduction, no shame in her tone-only the fierce protectiveness of a mother. Jason respected that more than he could explain. He knew what it meant to fight for someone you loved, to build walls high enough to keep out the chaos of the world. But he also knew that sometimes, the higher the walls, the more curious he became about what lay hidden behind them.

And Aira Daniels, with her son by her side, had just become an even greater mystery.

Aira arrived at her office on Monday morning with a tight jaw and a rehearsed plan. She would drown herself in work, keep her head down, and push Jason Blackwood out of her mind. He had seen Liro once-that was already too close. She couldn't let it happen again.

She forced herself to focus on the glowing screen in front of her. Reports, campaigns, deadlines-safe distractions. If she pretended hard enough, maybe she could convince herself that Friday's encounter had been nothing more than chance.

But then her phone buzzed.

An email.

She clicked it absently, expecting a client update, but the moment she read the sender's name, her breath hitched.

From: Jason Blackwood

Subject: Invitation

Her heart stuttered. Against her better judgment, she opened it.

Aira,

This Saturday, Blackwood AgroTech is hosting our annual Family Day at the central farm. It's less formal than the gala-employees bring their children, there are games, rides, and food. I'd like you to come. Bring Liro.

-Jason

Her hands trembled as she read it again, slower this time. Family Day? Of all things, family? He hadn't just invited her-he had invited her son.

The office suddenly felt too small, the walls pressing in. She leaned back, covering her face with her palms. She couldn't. She shouldn't. Jason was already too close to the truth she carried. If she let him near Liro again, if she allowed her son to become entangled in Jason's orbit, the risk doubled.

And yet...

Her firm was still negotiating the campaign with Blackwood AgroTech. Declining outright might look unprofessional. Worse, it might raise questions she wasn't ready to answer.

She groaned softly, torn between instinct and obligation. Maybe she could go-briefly. One hour. Smile politely, keep the walls up, and then leave before anything blurred the lines.

At least, that's what she told herself.

Saturday dawned bright and clear, the scent of summer thick in the air. Aira dressed Liro in a fresh polo and jeans, braiding his hair carefully before slipping her own blouse into place. She told herself again and again: We'll stay for one hour. No more.

The Blackwood AgroTech central farm stretched wide across the rolling fields, alive with laughter and movement. Families filled the grounds-children bobbing against the sky, music floating from a live band near the stage. Horses neighed from the stables, the scent of grilled food drifted from nearby tents, and somewhere in the distance, the delighted squeals of children echoed from carnival rides.

Liro's eyes went wide the moment they stepped onto the field. "Mommy, look! A pony ride! And-cotton candy!" His little hand tugged at hers with eager excitement.

Aira smiled softly, though her chest remained tight. "Maybe later, sweetheart. Let's just walk around for now."

But before she could take another step, a shadow fell across them.

Jason.

He stood just a few paces away, impossibly at ease in casual jeans and rolled-up sleeves, his presence commanding even without a tuxedo or a boardroom. Employees clustered nearby, laughing and chatting with him as though he were not their billionaire employer but one of them. Yet when his eyes found hers, the world seemed to narrow until only the three of them remained.

"Aira," he greeted warmly, his voice carrying over the laughter. Then his gaze flicked down to the small boy beside her. "And Liro. I'm glad you came."

Aira's breath caught. She should have corrected him, reminded him that this wasn't personal, that she was here as a professional courtesy. But the way he said her son's name-gentle, deliberate-left her momentarily speechless.

"Mr. Blackwood-" she began, only for him to cut in smoothly.

"Jason," he corrected, his smile disarming. "Just Jason."

Liro tilted his head, curiosity lighting his face. "You have a farm?"

Jason crouched slightly to meet the boy's eyes. "I do. A very big one. Would you like to see the chicken coops? We have eggs bigger than your fist."

Liro's mouth dropped open. "Bigger than my fist?" He held up his small hand, astonished.

Jason chuckled. "Bigger. Want to see for yourself?"

Aira's heart thudded hard against her ribs. Every instinct screamed no. This was too much, too close. But then she looked down at her son's eager face, his eyes alight with pure wonder, and the words tangled in her throat. She couldn't be the reason his excitement dimmed.

"Just for a little while," she said softly, her voice betraying the conflict inside her.

Jason's smile deepened, slow and certain. "A little while is all I need."

The chicken coops were set up like a miniature exhibit, children crowding the fences with wide eyes as hens clucked and scratched at the straw. Jason lifted Liro just high enough to peek over, pointing out a particularly plump hen with feathers the color of caramel.

"She lays the biggest eggs," Jason explained. "Almost too heavy for one hand."

Liro gasped, pressing his face close to the bars. "Can I hold one?"

Jason's expression softened. "Not today, champ. But maybe next time."

Aira watched from a careful distance, her arms crossed tightly. She should have stepped in, should have reminded her son not to trust strangers-even charming ones with easy smiles. But her voice wouldn't come. Instead, she stood frozen, caught between fear and something she didn't want to name.

Because Jason didn't look like a billionaire playing a part. He looked... real. Present. As though he belonged right there beside her son.

And that was the most dangerous illusion of all.

By the time the sun dipped low on the horizon, painting the fields in gold, Aira knew she had stayed longer than she intended. Liro was clutching a balloon in one hand and a small stuffed animal in the other, his laughter bubbling as he recounted every sight they had seen.

Jason walked beside them, his presence steady, his eyes lingering on Aira with an unreadable expression.

When they reached the edge of the field, she turned to him sharply, summoning every ounce of steel she had left. "This can't happen again."

His brows lifted slightly. "This?"

"Bringing my son into... whatever this is." Her voice wavered only once. "I won't allow it."

Jason studied her quietly, his gaze unwavering. "I don't want to take him from you, Aira. I just want to know you. Both of you."

Her chest tightened painfully. "You don't understand. I can't-" She stopped herself, biting back the truth that threatened to spill out.

Jason stepped closer, his voice low. "Then let me understand. Stop pushing me away."

Her heart thundered, torn between fear and the dangerous temptation to believe him. But when Liro yawned softly, leaning against her side, reality snapped back like a whip.

"I have to go," she said firmly.

Jason didn't stop her. But as she walked away, his words followed, soft but resolute.

"This isn't the end, Aira. Not for you. Not for him. And certainly not for me."

Her steps faltered for only a heartbeat, but she didn't look back. She couldn't. Because if she did, she feared she might not have the strength to leave. And for the first time in years, Aira Daniels was truly afraid-not of Jason Blackwood's power, but of the way he was breaking through walls she had sworn would never come down.