Chapter 9 Whispers in the Dark

The cafeteria at Blackwood International buzzed with chatter as employees shuffled in and out, trays clattering against tabletops. Aira sat quietly at the far end, her salad barely touched. The words from Jason's phone call still haunted her: "Some things are worth the fight, Aira. And I think you are."

Her heart betrayed her every time she thought of it, hammering with both longing and dread.

She couldn't deny how much Jason's persistence stirred something deep inside her. But she had to keep her guard. She was an employee. A single mother with secrets too heavy to risk. And he was Jason Blackwood-CEO, billionaire, and her ex's brother.

The mere thought made her stomach twist.

"Have you heard?" a voice whispered from the next table.

Aira stiffened, her fork pausing midair.

"Mr. Blackwood has been spending a lot of time with that new woman in marketing," the other replied, not bothering to lower her voice. "The pretty one-Aria, or something."

She is such a lucky girl.

I mean being able to get the attention of the Blackwood, is a rare luck

Aira's breath caught. Heat climbed her neck.

"Impossible," the first scoffed. "He doesn't mix business with pleasure. Everyone knows that."

"Well, he took her and her son to the farm event last weekend. My cousin was there. Said he barely left her side."

The other gasped. "Her son?!"

Aira set her fork down, appetite gone. She had worked so hard to keep her life private, to blend into the background. Now, it was slipping through her fingers.

She pushed her tray aside, stood abruptly, and walked out before she could hear more.

Jason sat in his corner office, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the city skyline. His phone buzzed with messages, but his mind wasn't on contracts or profit margins. He was reviewing security footage from the gala-something had bothered him that night.

Aira. The way she'd looked around, tense, as though carrying the weight of an invisible burden. He didn't know what she was hiding, but he could feel it. And Jason had built his empire by spotting cracks others missed.

There was more to Aira than she let on. And he wanted to know everything.

His phone buzzed again-this time a call. Charles, his assistant.

"Yes?" Jason answered.

"Forgive the intrusion, sir, but... rumors are spreading among the staff."

Jason's brows knit. "What kind of rumors?"

"About you and Aira. That you're... involved."

Jason leaned back in his chair, unfazed. "Let them talk."

People will always talk and yes of course that is normal in the world we live in.

We are human, we are living. I guess these things can be what people help themselves with and prevent hypertension.

Everyone must not visit a doctor some people will obviously need topics to talk about

Jason said reluctantly.

"With respect, sir, this could affect her more than you. She's vulnerable. People will question her integrity, her position here."

Jason's jaw tightened. He hadn't thought of it that way. Aira didn't have the shields he did-money, power, reputation. She was exposed.

"I'll handle it," Jason said firmly, ending the call.

That evening, Aira hurried home with Liro. Her chest was tight, her hands clammy as she unlocked their apartment door. She had barely stepped inside when her phone rang.

Jason.

She considered ignoring it, but she knew him too well by now. He wouldn't stop until he had answers. With a deep breath, she answered.

"Aira," his voice was low, steady. "Are you alright?"

She laughed bitterly. "Does it sound like I am? People at work are whispering about me about us. Do you have any idea what this means for me? For my job?"

Jason exhaled. "I know. I heard. But I can protect you."

"No," she snapped. "That's exactly the problem. I don't want to be some project you swoop in and save. I want to stand on my own."

He was silent for a moment, then spoke with quiet conviction. "You already do. But that doesn't mean you have to be alone."

Her heart ached at the sincerity in his tone. But she shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. "It's not that simple, Jason."

"Then make me understand," he pressed gently.

She closed her eyes. How could she? How could she tell him that the son he had laughed with and carried on his shoulders was his own nephew? That she had once loved Ethan, the brother who had abandoned her, leaving her to raise Liro alone?

If Jason knew, everything would shatter. His loyalty to family. His trust in her. Their fragile connection.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Aira-"

"I need space," she cut him off, her voice trembling. "Please. Stop calling me for now."

The silence on the line was heavy, painful. Finally, Jason spoke. "I'll give you space. But don't mistake that for me giving up."

He ended the call before she could reply.

Later that night, Aira sat on the edge of her bed, staring at Liro sleeping peacefully beside his stuffed bear. Tears stung her eyes.

Jason was breaking down the walls she had built so carefully. And she was terrified that when those walls crumbled, the truth would come spilling out destroying everything.

But the more she fought, the deeper he seemed to dig into her heart.

And the more dangerous her secret became.

Meanwhile, Jason stood on his balcony, the cool night wind whipping against his face. Below him, the city glittered, alive and restless-like his own heart.

He wasn't blind. He could see that Aira was scared. She was protecting something-or someone.

But Jason Blackwood wasn't a man who quit when answers were hidden. He found them.

And for the first time in years, the mystery he wanted most to solve wasn't tied to his empire.

It was tied to a woman who didn't trust him yet.

A woman he intended to prove wrong.