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

Chapter 134 A Meatier One

Was Hadley’s frustration unfairly directed at Eric now?

“What does this have to do with me-"

On the brink of anger, Eric was almost ready to explode-was he really to blfor keeping the and Denver

apart?

But as he opened his mouth to retort, Hadley’s piercing gaze stopped him.

Indeed, he was to blame.

He was the root cause of all her suffering!

“Humph.” With a cold sneer, Hadley accused him. “It was you!”

Her thoughts then turned to the painful four years spent in Blathe-and to Joy, her beloved child.

Overwhelmed by her feelings, she grasped his tie fiercely. “Why are you so heartless? Why can’t you release me

even after our divorce?”

Their failed marriage had likely doomed her chances of finding love ever again.

At first, that seemed okay.

Love wasn’t necessary for her. As long as she had Joy, she felt she could cope.

But then, Denver cinto her life...

He didn’t mind her past or that she was an orphan. He had made significant efforts to reintegrate her into the

dance troupe...

For the first time, someone truly valued her-and yet she had wronged him!

Hadley’s eyes, filled with tears, were fixed on Eric.

Eric froze. He could see it-she was genuinely crying this time.

Her tears dampened his anger.

Eric stood motionless, even stooping to her height since she was still gripping on his tie.

He rummaged for a handkerchief in his pocket. “Okay, okay, | admit it’s my fault.”

He extended a fine cotton handkerchief to her. “Stop crying... | know you care about Denver sc worry. With the

support ofand the Flynn family, he wouldn't dare turn you away...” “What are you implying?” Hadley, tears

streaking her face, glared at him. “Stop meddling! My life isn’t your

-h, so don’t

concern!”

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Chapter 134 A Meatier One

“What now? What did | do?”

Eric’s patience was thinning again, but faced with Hadley’s intense stare, he conceded, his brow furrowed in

frustration.

“Alright, Ill back off. Are you satisfied now?”

Did she really think he was eager to meddle?

If he interfered once more, he'd consider himself a fool!

Eric looked around. “It’s tough to find a taxi around here. Con, get in the car. Let's get you hfirst. And

then, | promise not to butt in anymore, alright?”

With that, he turned away sharply.

Behind him, Hadley was smoothing her hair when she suddenly covered her eyes.

From a distance, Eric realized she hadn't followed him. He turned back, calling out, “Con! What's taking so

long?”

She just stood there, hands over her eyes.

What could be the issue?

Debating whether to step in or not for only a brief moment, he quickly retraced his steps and leaned down

slightly. “Something wrong with your eyes?”

“I'm not sure,” Hadley responded, shaking her head while still covering her eyes. “Might be an eyelash, or

maybe sdust.”

“Lethave a look...”

Eric extended his hand, cautiously reaching towards her face.

Hadley instinctively pulled back, but Eric persisted. “Stop dodging! What do you think I'm going to do? | don’t

bite, alright?”

He firmly grasped her arm and gently lifted her eyelid.

While inspecting her eye, he joked, “Honestly, even if | do, I'd choose someone a bit meatier. Don’t want to break

a tooth on you.”

Hadley felt cornered.

His words always had a slightly menacing tone, didn’t they?

“There, | see it. Stay still for a second, I'll get it out... There you go.”

He gently blew on her eye, causing a refreshing sensation as he stepped back. Peering at her cautiously, he

asked, “Better now?”

Hadley blinked a few times, adjusted her eyes, and then confirmed. “Yes, it’s out now... Thank you.” A slight

smile appeared on Eric's face. “It was nothing.”

Once settled in the car, Eric navigated towards her hand stopped at the start of Mayfield Road.

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“Thanks for the ride.”

As Hadley opened the car door to leave, Eric's voice halted her exit. “Hadley,”

She paused mid-step, her expression one of inquiry. What more was there to say?

“Uh...” Eric gestured towards her eye. “Make sure to ice that, okay? You don’t want it affecting your performance

tomorrow.”

Was that all he had to say?

“Understood, thanks,” Hadley responded, and then stepped out of the car, walking down the alley.

Eric watched her depart, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

He had been contemplating whether to ask if things were truly done between her and Denver.

Yet, he held back, choosing silence.

Why should it matter to him?

Was her relationship with Denver even his concern?

Indeed, why would it be his concern?

With these thoughts, Eric looked away and started his car, leaving the area behind.

As Hadley stepped into the alley, an uneasy feeling washed over her. To her surprise, Denver was already there,

having arrived ahead of her. He waited patiently at the apartment building's entrance.

Catching her breath, Hadley murmured, “Denver...”

It was clear now; Denver was not the type to easily let go.

In sudden decision, Hadley turned and fled the alley.

Unbeknownst to her, Denver continued his vigil at the entrance, expecting her to appear at any moment.

Panting by the tshe reached Mayfield Road, Hadley felt lost, touching her forehead in confusion.

Returning to her apartment was not an option now. But where could she go?

She remembered the house that Eric had mentioned as part of her alimony, but she didn’t yet have the keys.

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Property transfers were more intricate than mere financial exchanges.

After a moment of thought, she pulled out her phone, browsed her contacts, and then made a call.

“Hello?”

“Elissa, it's me, Hadley,” she said, reaching out to her dance troupe colleague, Elissa Holland.

“Hey, what's going on?” Elissa’s laughter rang through the phone.

“Just wondering...” Hadley paused briefly. “Could | crash at your place for a few days?”

“Absolutely! No problem at all,” Elissa responded without any delay, “I'll text you the address right away. Head

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Chapter 134 4 Weather One

“Thanks a lot.”

“Don’t mention it, Elissa replied.

Once they ended the call, Hadley quickly received a message from Elissa with the address and made her way

there

Elissa’s apartment was actually close by, also in the old part of the town as Hadley’s own place.

“Made it here?” Elissa greeted Hadley at the door with a warm smile, ushering her inside immediately.

‘Step in, step in ”

The entryway was occupied by a plastic mannequin, and the living room table was cluttered with various pieces

of fabric and sewing tools, both cut and whole.

While they worked together, their jobs at the troupe were quite different: Hadley was in the spotlight as a

dancer, whereas Elissa worked behind the scenes as a costdesigner.

“Excuse the clutter,” Elissa said, grinning.

“That's totally okay,” Hadley responded, brushing off any concern. “Really, | should be apologizing for imposing.”

“Ha, no worries at all!” Elissa chuckled. “Let’s just be comfortable around each other.”

Elissa was genuinely easygoing, not prying into Hadley’s circumstances but instead saying, “You're welcto

stay as long as you need.”

After a brief pause, she added humorously, “Just a heads-up, you're on your own for meals here.”

“That's fair,” Hadley replied with a smile, feeling more at ease. “I'll handle the household chores during my stay

then.”

“That works for me.”

As they were settling in, Hadley felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out to find two new messages-

one from Denver and another from Eric.