Too Late, Mr. Billionaire: You Can't Afford Me by Thedora Birnir

Chapter 116

116 Dismissal From The Position

Blanche’s smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by a sharp, simmering anger.

“Ever since | took charge of this studio, no one has dared to break our rules. Yet here you are, the first to take on

outside work without permission!”

“Ms Nicolson.”

Hadley’s face lost all color, but she had to explain herself.

“I did take an outside job, but it was before 1 becpart of the troupe. | already had a contract with that

production team and...”

“And what of it?” Blanche snapped.

Hadley’s words carried no weight.

Blanche had a reputation for being strict. She never made exceptions once the rules were broken.

“You were still working on that outside project while you were here with us, weren't you?”

Hadley parted her lips, but nothing cout. It was the truth, and there was no way to refute it.

“How reckless!”

Blanche shut her eyes. Frustration and disappointment flickered across her face.

Rules were rules.

“No matter how much regret weighed on her, she couldn't allow Hadley to stay.

Blanche lifted a hand, her voice sharp and unwavering. “Change out of your practice clothes and leave. Now.”

Hadley’s head snapped up, her eyes already glistening with tears. “Ms. Nicolson, I...”

“There's nothing more to say.” Blanche lifted a hand, silencing her. “I brought you in, but once you chose to

break the rules yourself, | had no way to protect you. If | did, how could | expect to lead this troupe?”

She let out a slow sigh and gave Hadley a hard look. “What a waste! You're the one throwing away your own

future.”

After a pause, something unreadable flickered across her face. “But maybe this isn’t the worst outcome. With

your talent, you might be better off in entertainment. I'm sure you'll do well there.”

“No, Ms. Nicolson...”

Hadley shook her head, her voice steady. Acting had never been her dream.

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Chapter 116 Dismissal From The Position

“Hadley, just leave.”

Blanche’s tone was final. “With Eric backing you, you'll have no trouble finding success in the industry. Leaving

this place isn’t the end of the world.”

She motioned toward the door. “Go now. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

There was no turning back.

Hadley had no defense. She could only blherself for handling everything so poorly.

Even if she could rewind time, she wasn’t sure she would have done anything differently.

“Ms. Nicolson.”

Shpressed down on her as Hadley lowered her head. “I'll go now.”

“Just go.”

Blanche turned away, refusing to look at her.

Hadley stepped outside and stood frozen. It felt as if the entire world had caved in around her. How had things

unraveled so quickly?

In just a few days, she was supposed to take center stage as the lead dancer. She hadn't even had the chance to

enjoy the moment.

Now, it was over.

Everything was gone.

When she made her way back to the locker room, she felt the weight of their stares.

Clusters of dancers huddled together, eyes darting between their phones and Hadley. They weren't even trying

to hide it.

Then her phone vibrated. Her breath caught as she looked at the screen.

In the studio’s group chat, Blanche had made an announcement.

“Hadley Pearson, our prospective lead dancer, was caught working as a stand-in for a production crew without

authorization. This has been confirmed. Effective immediately, she is dismissed from her position in this troupe.”

Hadley’s vision blurred as tears stung her eyes.

Her grip tightened around her phone, her jaw locking.

A voice cut through the tension.

Alita stood nearby, arms crossed, her expression sharp. “Wow. Looks like our star recruit just got kicked out.”

“Enough,” someone muttered.

“Why should I?” Alita smirked, clearly enjoying herself. “Working behind Lightning's back? That takes nerve! Oh,

and Hadley, aren’t you supposed to be talented? Didn't someone pull strings to get you in? Maybe he can do it.

again and save you.”

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Chapter 116 Dismissal From The Position

Did she mean Eric?

The thought hadn't even crossed Hadley’s mind. Not that it mattered. She had no leverage anymore. If she ever

had any worth in Eric's eyes, she had lost it now.

Alita let out a lighthearted laugh, casually tossing her hair over her shoulder.

“Give it up! Ms. Nicolson follows the rules to the letter. She might've bent them for you once, but do you really

think she’ll do it again? Are you that special?”

She flashed a smirk before turning on her heel.

“Con, ladies! Practice isn’t going to wait!”

As Alita sauntered off, Hadley couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping over her. Something wasn't right.

How had Blanche found out about her side job with the film production crew? Who had tipped her off?

A dull ache settled in her head. Not that it mattered now. Even if she uncovered the truth, what difference would

it make? This time, she had no one to blbut herself.

Hadley barely left her apartment that day, sinking into the quiet weight of her thoughts.

By evening, her phone rang.

Denver's voice cthrough, casual as ever. “Hadley, I'm outside the studio. When are you getting out?”

She shifted in bed, her tone flat with exhaustion. “I’m not there.”

“What?” Denver sounded caught off guard. “You already left? Did rehearsals wrap up early today?”

He knew how hard she had been working. In just a few days, she was supposed to take center stage.

“Yeah,” she muttered.

Her voice lacked its usual spark. “Listen, if that’s all, I'm hanging up.”

Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call.

Denver stared at his phone, frowning.

Something was off. Hadley sounded distant, almost defeated. That wasn't like her.

A nagging feeling crept in, and before he could think twice, he turned the car toward West Twelfth Alley.

Hadley remained in bed, sinking further into her thoughts. The more she dwelled on her dismissal, the worse she

felt.

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A sudden knock at the door pulled her from her haze. She hesitated. “Who is it?”

Dragging herself up, she shuffled to the door. When she opened it, she froze in surprise. “Denver?”

“Hadley.”

It was his first tat her place. He had

QUOR gett

on his forehead made the dest

But the second he saw her face, his suspicions were confirmed. “You sounded off on the phone What happened?”

Hadley hadn't expected him to show up just because of a call

“Denver

A flicker of warmth stirred in her chest, but it quickly faded as reality sank in She let out a slow breath and

admitted, “I messed up. Ms. Nicolson kickedout of the troupe.”

Denver's mind stalled for a second. “What?”

The shock hit him hard. This wasn’t just bad news, it was devastating

Lightning Dance Stuwas one of the most prestigious platforms for contemporary dancers. Hadley had been

right on the verge of making her mark. But now she was kicked out?

“I'm sorry, Denver,” Her voice was quiet, as if she didn’t want pity, just acknowledgment. Sharing the truth was

hard enough.

Nothing could lift the weight pressing down on her.

“I don’t have the strength for anything right now. | just want to be alone. But... thanks for checking in. I'm sorry,”

“It's fine.”

Denver shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. “I get it. Really, | do.”

Hadley hesitated for a second but didn’t step aside to let him in. “Well... Guess I'll see you around then.”

“Yeah, sure,” Denver said, watching as she quietly shut the door.

He exhaled, running a hand over his face.

It wasn’t frustration he felt. It was something heavier-helplessness, maybe. How was he supposed to help her

fix this?

“Barrie!” The thought struck Denver suddenly.

Without hesitation, he turned and headed downstairs, pulling out his phone as he went.

“Marshall, hey. It’s me. Are you with Barrie right now?”

Tootete, Mr Beghere You Cant Alford As How

Chapter 117 Better