Page 29 of Claiming My Cocky Boss

Mia’s breathing grew soft and steady as she fell asleep in my arms, her head nestled against my chest. I gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, my mind racing even as her body relaxed into mine. Her warmth and the rhythm of her breathing should’ve lulled me to sleep, but instead, it kept me wide awake.

Because while Mia slept peacefully, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I hadn’t told her.

I stared at the ceiling, the weight of the secret I was carrying pressing down harder than ever. The truth. She deserved to know. But how was I supposed to tell her that everything she thought she knew about me was only half the story?

Sure, I was playing the part of a private eye, investigating the person skimming money from Edgewater, but that wasn’t who I was. Not really. My real identity was something far more complicated—and far more dangerous to our relationship.

I was a billionaire. The CEO of Edgewater Securities, one of the world’s most successful cybersecurity software companies. And Derek's Riverstone Hospital? It was one of my clients. The people in that ballroom tonight weren’t just Derek’s guests; some of them were my clients, too.

I wondered how Mia would react when she found out. Would she feel betrayed? Turned off by the wealth and the world I belonged to? That was my biggest fear—that knowing the truth would make her walk away. And after everything we’d been through, after tonight, the last thing I wanted was to lose her.

I pulled Mia closer, her soft skin against mine, and let out a quiet sigh. I knew I couldn’t keep the truth from her forever.But for now, I’d hold onto this moment, knowing that sooner or later, the real test was coming.

And when it did, I could only hope she wouldn’t walk away.

Fourteen

Mia

Early morning sunlight filtered through the windows of the sleek private jet and danced on the buttery soft leather seats. I sat beside Liam, our thighs touching as we gazed out at the passing scenery below. Our fingers intertwined on the armrest between us, but there was an unspoken tension in the air. We both seemed lost in thought, each waiting for the other to break the comfortable yet heavy silence between us.

I couldn’t stop thinking about last night—the gala and how people treated Liam like some kind of celebrity. The guests flocked to him, showering him with attention and thanking him for his support. Every time someone approached, my stomach tightened a little more. It was as if I had entered a world that wasn’t mine—a world that belonged to Liam, a man I was starting to realize I didn’t know nearly as well as I thought.

The flight attendant interrupted my thoughts, appearing with a tray of breakfast. “Orange juice?” she asked, offering me a tumbler with a neat smile.

I nodded, taking the glass. But as I raised it to my lips, something caught my eye—the logo etched into the side of the glass. It was familiar. Too familiar. It’s the same logo I’d seen while going through Liam’s files over the past few weeks.

Edgewater Securities.

My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I glanced over at Liam, who was casually sipping his coffee, staring out the window as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But everything about this was far from ordinary.

I set the glass down, swallowing hard. “This is your plane, isn’t it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. The question carried the weight of every doubt that had been building inside me.

Liam paused for a moment his gaze still focused outside. He sighed deeply, setting down his coffee cup before turning to face me. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It’s mine.”

I stared at him, trying to process the flood of thoughts racing through my head. The Edgewater logo, the way people fawned over him, the resources he seemed to have at his disposal—it all made sense now. I should’ve seen it sooner, but I hadn’t wanted to. And now, it was too obvious to ignore.

“You didn’t tell me,” I whispered, feeling a mix of confusion and hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tight. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell you,” he began, his voice low and full of tension. “It’s just... being rich isn’t everything people think it is. Everyone thinks they want it—the parties, the vacations, the mansions—but they don’t see the pressure that comes with it. The responsibility. I didn’t want to throw all of that at you and overwhelm you.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his words. Liam, the man who seemed to handle everything with ease, was actually worried about how his world might affect me? “Overwhelm me?” Irepeated, my voice soft. “Liam, I’m not some fragile person who can’t handle the truth.”

“I know,” he said quickly, shifting in his seat. “I know that. But the thing is... this life, this lifestyle, it changes things. It changes the way people see you and the way they treat you. I didn’t want that to happen between us. I didn’t want you to think I was... someone I’m not.”

I stared at him, still trying to make sense of it all. “But who are you, Liam?” I asked, feeling the tension in my chest tighten. “Because right now, I’m conflicted.”

He exhaled sharply, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I’ve been half-honest with you, Mia. I am investigating the embezzlement, but it’s not for a client. It’s for me. Edgewater is my company. I’m the CEO.”

My heart sank as the full weight of his confession hit me. “So, Edgewater is your company,” I echoed, the words tasting foreign on my tongue. I’d suspected there was more to Liam’s story, but I hadn’t expected this. “And you’re the CEO.”

He nodded, his expression clouded with regret. “I didn’t want to drag you into this mess. I didn’t want you to feel like we were on different levels. I thought if I kept that part of my life from you, we could just... be normal.”

Normal. I let the word sink in for a moment. “Normal?” I said, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “There’s nothing normal about this, Liam. You’ve been keeping this huge part of your life from me, and I’ve been sitting here, playing along like I’m in on everything.”

He flinched, the guilt clear on his face. “I know. I should have told you sooner. But I... I didn’t want to lose you. Not over something like money.”

I stared down at our hands, still joined together, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. His wealth wasn’t the issue. It was the fact that he hadn’t trusted me with the truth.“This isn’t about the money, Liam,” I said quietly, finally pulling my hand away. “It’s about trust.”

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