Page 46 of Claiming My Cocky Boss

“That’s the plan,” he chuckled, throwing the ball again. Daisy darted off, ready for round two.

I let out a breath, trying to focus on the lightheartedness of the moment, but my thoughts kept drifting to Derek. He’d be here soon, and today wasn’t just about hanging out. It was about confronting the truth.

Liam must’ve felt it, too, because his gaze lingered on the driveway. He was good at playing it cool, but I could tell he was already in that headspace—focused, ready for whatever came next.

The growl of Derek's car engine shattered the peaceful silence, jolting both of us back to reality. Derek’s sleek red car rolled up, and I straightened, glancing at Liam. He didn’t say a word, just nodded toward the car as Derek stepped out.

“Hey, man!” he called, all smiles like nothing was wrong. “How’s it going?”

“Derek,” Liam greeted, his tone casual, but there was an edge to it.

Derek’s eyes immediately landed on the covered-up Lamborghini. “Whoa, you’re keeping the Lambo under wraps? What’s that about? Thought you loved showing off that baby.”

Liam shrugged. “Thinking about selling it. Gotta keep it spotless for now.”

I raised an eyebrow but kept quiet, making a mental note to ask him about that later. The Lambo was his prized possession, and selling it? That was news to me.

Derek chuckled, oblivious. “Man, you’re changing. Never thought I’d see the day you’d even think about letting go of that ride.”

Liam’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, well, things change.”

The tension simmered just beneath the surface as Liam led us inside. I shot him a quick look, knowing this wasn’t just some casual catch-up. Today, the truth was coming out one way or another.

As we stepped inside, I grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, popping the tops off as Liam settled on the couch and flicked on the pre-game show. The noise of sports commentators filled the room, but I knew neither of us was paying much attention to the TV.

“Here you go,” I said, handing one beer to Derek and the other to Liam.

“Thanks,” Derek said, kicking back and taking a long sip, his eyes glued to the screen as if this was any other Sunday.

Liam nodded his thanks, giving me a quick smile before his focus shifted back to Derek. I could see it in his eyes—this wasn’t just about football and beers. He was waiting for the right moment, the perfect opening.

I sank down on the arm of the couch, pretending to watch the game, but my thoughts were miles away, wondering how this would all play out. The air between the three of us was casual on the surface, but underneath, it was buzzing with the weight of what hadn’t been said yet.

“So, Liam,” Derek started, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from small talk. “Business still booming? Haven’t heard much from you since the gala. You’ve been keeping things quiet.”

Liam took a slow sip of his beer, eyes never leaving the screen. “Yeah, you could say that. Been focusing on a few things, keeping my head down.”

“Edgewater’s still on top, though, right? That place is a machine.” Derek grinned, leaning back against the couch cushions.

“Edgewater’s doing fine,” Liam said, his tone still easy. But there was something sharper now, something that signaled this conversation was about to take a turn. He glanced at me, and I gave him a small nod. Time to stop dancing around it.

Liam leaned forward, setting his beer down on the coffee table. “Actually, Derek, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

Derek’s smile faltered just a bit, his eyes flicking between me and Liam. “Oh? What’s up?”

Liam shifted slightly, the pre-game show still babbling on in the background, but it felt like everything else had gone silent. “It’s about Riverstone. And Golden Rock.”

Derek blinked, his easy smile slipping away as his brows knitted together. “What about it?”

“We’ve been looking through some of the invoices,” Liam explained. “The ones between Edgewater and Golden Rock, and... there’s a problem.”

Derek sat up straighter, the confusion in his eyes turning to something closer to concern. “What kind of problem?”

Liam didn’t hesitate. “The kind where someone’s been inflating the numbers, taking a cut that wasn’t theirs.”

Derek’s face paled as the words sank in. For a moment, he said nothing, just stared at Liam, the color slowly draining from his features.

“I’m talking about the invoices Golden Rock sent to you. They were legit, but then you passed them to Edgewater with a nice little markup. Except, you didn’t pass that extra money to Golden Rock, did you?”

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