Page 40 of Claiming My Cocky Boss

A sudden knock at the door shattered the moment, and Mia’s grip on my leg tightened.

“I wonder who that is?”

“Hell, if I know,” I muttered, standing up, the calm we’d just found evaporating.

Mia moved quickly to the door, her hand hesitating on the knob before she finally opened it. Standing there was a man I didn’t recognize, but the look on her face told me everything I needed to know—this wasn’t good.

“Hello, Frank,” she whispered.

The man at the door had a grim expression. “I’m sorry, Mia. We’ve got a problem. You’ve been using the park’s system for personal reasons... I called an emergency meeting with the board. According to the rules, we don’t have a choice. We have to let you go. I’m honestly sorry.”

Mia’s breath hitched, and for a moment, she stood frozen. The silence that followed hit hard, like a blow to the chest.

“I... I understand,” Mia said quietly. “I did use the park’s system earlier this morning.”

Frank sighed and gave a small nod. “Yes. It’s all on video. The board agreed to pay you for your remaining vacation days.” His eyes flicked toward me, his expression darkening. “Just make sure you’re not getting yourself caught up in something bigger than you realize.” He patted her shoulder. “Again, Mia. I’m really sorry. We will miss you.”

Frank turned and walked away, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

Mia broke down, covering her face as sobs wracked her body. I gently took her hands, guiding her to the couch and pulling her onto my lap. “Mia, I love you,” I said softly. “You have nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be alright.”

She sniffled, looking up at me. “You promise?”

I nodded, smiling down at her. “You heard me. Have I ever broken a promise to you?”

She cuddled closer. “No. Not yet.”

Twenty

Mia

The door slammed shut behind Frank, the sound echoing through the cabin like a final verdict.

Fired. I was fired.

The weight of it crashed over me like a tidal wave, and I collapsed onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. I heard Liam’s words, but they didn’t register.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I muttered, my voice muffled by my hands. “All because I used the server for something I thought would help. And now… what am I supposed to do?”

Liam pulled me close and kissed the top of my head, his presence solid and comforting, but I was too wrapped up in my own mess to look at him. “I appreciate what you did for me,” he said, his voice soft. “But Frank’s an ass if he can’t see how important you are to the park’s operations.”

I pulled my hands away from my face and looked up at him. “I broke the rules. Even if I had good intentions, I usedgovernment equipment for personal reasons. He had every right to fire me.”

Liam leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, well, good luck to Frank finding someone else who can run that park as well as you did.”

I let out a half-laugh, half-sob. “I doubt that’s high on Frank’s list of concerns right now. He just wants me gone. And now… I’m gone.”

Liam was quiet for a second, watching me with those intense eyes of his. Finally, he sighed. “Okay, so what if you are? Maybe it’s time for something new.”

“Something new?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Like what? Knitting? I can see it now—Mia the sweater queen of Cedar Cove.”

He smirked. “I was thinking more along the lines of working for me.”

I blinked. “Wait, what?”

“Work for me at Edgewater,” Liam said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You’ve already done more than half the people on my payroll by figuring out the connections between Riverstone Hospital and Golden Rock. You’ve got a mind for this stuff.”

I stared at him like he’d just sprouted a second head. “You want me to work for you? At Edgewater? The company you run as a billionaire CEO?”

---