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

Chapter 151 Why Couldn't

He Try And Win Her Over

Hospital

Eric's eyes flew open, and he bolted upright.

“Ugh-damn it!”

A sharp, searing pain tore through his chest, forcing him to clutch his ribs while pressing a hand to his throbbing

head.

“Mr. Flynn!”

Phillips, who had been keeping vigil at his bedside, sprang to his feet, his face lighting up with relief. “You're

awake! That's a damn good sign! The doctor said the sooner you wake up, the better your chances.”

He waved a couple of fingers in front of Eric's face. “How many fingers, boss?”

“Tsk!” Irritated, Eric batted his hand away. “Do | look brain-dead to you?”

Phillips chuckled. “Just covering the bases. You took a nasty hit to the head-a concussion, they said. Gotta make

sure everything's still working upstairs.’

Eric smirked despite himself. “Please. Even if someone's brain got scrambled, it sure as hell wouldn't be mine.”

His body told a different story. Bandages wrapped around his shoulders, arms, and head-a testament to the

explosion that had thrown him off his feet. He looked worse than he actually was, but the pain reminded him that

the injuries weren't just for show.

He took a steadying breath and cut straight to what mattered. “Where’s Hadley?”

“She was brought in too, but-"

“Good.” Without another word, Eric shoved the covers aside, ready to get up.

“Whoa, whoa! Mr. Flynn-hold on!”

Phillips blocked his path, both hands raised in alarm.

“Letfinish! Hadley’s fine. They checked her out, and she was discharged already. But you, sir, are the one

who's actually injured.”

He gestured at Eric's right hand. “And you still have an IV in, so maybe—just maybe you should con staying put

for now.”

Eric's gaze flicked to the IV drip. With an exasperated sigh, he leaned back against the pillows.

20:13

[e]

<

Chapter 151 Why Couldn’t He Try And Win Her Over

As the first light of dawn crept into the hospital room, Eric stirred awake.

His body ached from the restless night, and though the IV had finished hours ago, sleep had been elusive.

He had thought about checking on Hadley, but waking her in the middle of the night felt unnecessary.

Pushing himself upright, he decided now was tto move. He shed the stiff hospital gown, replacing it with his

own clothes. Glancing toward the sofa, he found Phillips sprawled out, dead to the world. Eric smirked slightly

before silently slipping out of the room.

Meanwhile...

A persistent vibration dragged Hadley from sleep. Groggy, she groped under her pillow for her phone and

squinted at the screen.

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

With a sigh, she answered. “Hello, Denver?”

So early...

She already knew why he was calling.

The bomb in the theater last night? There was no way he hadn't seen the news, even though he was in

Prineville.

“Hadley? Oh, thank God! You picked up!”

His excitement made her chest tighten. She could picture him pacing, hair disheveled, struggling to keep his

emotions in check.

During the chaos last night, mobs had seized her phone, leaving her unable to receive his calls.

By the tthe police returned it to her and she tried calling Denver back, she couldn’t get through.

She hesitated. “I guess you saw the news?”

At the moment, Hadley was alone in the hotel room. Elissa remained in the hospital, still recovering from her

injuries.

“Hey, I'm okay now... You must have been out of your mind with worry all night, huh? | tried calling you back,

but-"

“I know.” Denver exhaled, his voice laced with both relief and frustration. “I saw everything. | was mid-flight

when it all happened—couldn’t answer even if | wanted to.”

Mid-flight?

Hadley’s breath hitched, her heart stuttering in her chest as warmth spread through her.

She hesitated. “Wait... Denver, are you...”

The words caught in her throat. Had he really flown all the way to Blathe?

A low chuckle cthrough the line, edged with exhaustion and unmistakable relief. “I'm almost at your hotel

-five minutes out.”

19.7%

N

20:13

[e]

<

Chapter 151 Why Couldn't He Try And Win Her Over

He cstraight from the airport

Hadley’s hand flew to her mouth, a sharp breath escaping as tears welled in her eyes.

A five-hour flight from Prinville to Blathe. The moment Denver saw the news and couldn't reach her, he had

dropped everything and boarded a plane.

So this was what it felt like-to matter to someone?

Once, when Hadley had been stranded in Blathe with Joy, she had felt like she didn’t exist.

Like no one would care even if she disappeared,

But now... someone had crossed cities just for her.

How often in a lifetdid a person find someone like that? Hadley didn’t know about others. But for her,

there had only ever been one.

The second she ended the call, she bolted downstairs.

At the hotel entrance, she scanned the street, her heart hammering. Then, a taxi pulled up. The door swung

open. And there he was.

“Hadley!”

Her breath hitched. “Denver!”

He strode toward her, dragging his suitcase behind him, eyes locked onto hers.

Hadley looked up, and the first thing she noticed was the exhaustion etched into Denver's face-deep shadows

under his eyes, the kind only a sleepless night could carve. “You... didn’t sleep at all, did you?”

“Not a wink.” Denver let out a small, weary chuckle and shook his head.

“How could I? | couldn't reach you. My mind kept running in circles, imagining the worst...”

He exhaled, and then met her gaze, his expression shifting-hesitant, vulnerable.

Then, softly, he asked, “Hadley, can I... can | hold you? Just for a moment?”

Before she could even process his words, he was already reaching for her, arms opening as if drawn by instinct.

He bent slightly and pulled her into a deep, grounding embrace.

Hadley stiffened at first, caught off guard. Her body tensed, unprepared for the sudden closeness.

“Hadley...” Denver sighed as he shut his eyes, his grip firm yet gentle. “It’s such a relief to see you standing

here, safe and sound... | can’t tell you how good it feels to see you.”

Something in his voice-something raw, almost desperate-made Hadley’s resistance melt away.

Slowly, she relaxed against him. She tilted her head up and offered a soft smile. “Mm...”

A few steps away, inside a car parked nearby, Eric watched through the window...

Denver actually call the way here?

His gaze darkened slightly. Wasn't the guy in Prineville? How had he managed to get here so fast? He sure was

43.1%

+4

X+

N|

20:13

[e]

<

attentive to Hadley’s needs, wasn’t he?

Eric's fingers tapped idly against his knee, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. His face remained neutral, but a

slow chill settled behind his gaze.

What kind of luck was this? Every damn time. Every tHadley and Denver had a heartwarming reunion, Eric

somehow ended up front-row to the spectacle.

Right.

A realization then settled over Eric like a weight. Denver was Hadley’s boyfriend now. And him? Just the ex-

husband. A relic of her past.

So what the hell was he doing here?

Rushing over like he had a shot?

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

“Sir?” The driver glanced at Eric through the rearview mirror, noting his silence. “We've arrived.”

Eric blinked, snapping back to the present. His gaze lingered for a fraction of a second longer on the hotel

entrance before he leaned back, his expression unreadable.

“I'm not getting out,” he said evenly. “Takeback the way we came.”

The driver hesitated, slightly surprised by the change of plans. But he knew better than to ask questions.

“Understood.”

As the car pulled away, Eric couldn't resist one last glance in the rearview mirror. There they were-Hadley and

Denver-walking into the hotel together, side by side.

Suddenly, he sat up straighter, his sharp eyes darkening.

Why couldn’t he try and win her over?

Yesterday, he had risked his life for her.

He nearly died in the process. And yet...

Inside the hotel...

Hadley helped Denver check in, guiding him up to his room. She gave him a pointed look, eyes flicking toward

the dark circles under his eyes.

“You should go in, take a shower, and get sactual sleep,” she said, arms crossed.

Denver chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, yeah, | know.”

But instead of heading in, he reached for her hand, his grip warm and steady.

“Hadley...” His voice softened, hesitant but firm. “We originally agreed to wait until we got back, but. move it

up?”

He was talking about making things official.

Hadley understood immediately.

69.8%

20:13

[e]

<

we

< Chapter 151 Why Couldn’t He Try And Win Her Over

She hesitated, weighing her thoughts carefully. “Let’s talk about it after you've had a good sleep, okay?

She hadn't told him about Joy yet.

If they were truly going to move forward, she needed to be honest with him first.

Denver studied her for a moment, and then gave a small nod. “Okay.”

He didn’t press her. He could sense the shift-Hadley was warming up to him, little by little

Just moments ago, she had let him hold her.

A quiet smile played on his lips as he gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I'll be waiting for your good

news.”

Meanwhile, in the taxi....

Eric's fingers drummed restlessly against his knee, his expression dark. “Turn around! Go back to the hotel.”