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

Chapter 46 He Just Got The Wrong Person

As the car moved down the road, Eric kept stealing glances at Hadley beside him.

“You alright?”

“I'm fine.”

Hadley gave a small nod, though her body language told a different story. Her grip on her backpack was rigid,

fingers locked around the straps like she was holding on for dear life.

Eric didn’t miss the way Hadley clung to her bag, her fingers curled tightly around the straps. His brow knit

together.

There was no mistaking it-she was still shaken from what had happened.

The thought of that middle-aged man made irritation flare inside him. “Who the hell was that guy? What was his

problem?”

No matter what excuse that man had, Eric wasn’t the type to let someone lay a hand on his family and get away

with it.

“I've never seen him before,” Hadley said with a small shake of her head after a brief silence. “He must have

confusedwith someone else.”

“Really?” Eric's brows knit together as he processed that. Was that really all there was to it?

Something about that man’s behavior didn’t sit right with him. It hadn't felt like a simple misunderstanding

“Yeah, that’s what happened,” Hadley confirmed with a decisive nod. “I tried explaining, but he wouldn't listen.

Then he started grabbing me...”

Eric let out a low grunt, accepting her explanation. “What a lunatic!”

But if Hadley had no idea who the guy was, that meant Eric had no way of tracking him down.

Eric frowned, realizing too late that he hadn't pressed for more details when he had the chance.

“You know...” Eric began, still unsettled by everything that had happened, “What would you have done if | hadn't

shown up?”

Hadley turned to him, the question catching her off guard. Uncertainty flickered in her gaze.

“Unbelievable,” Eric muttered, exhaling sharply before shaking his head. “You were in a crowded area. Why

didn’t you scream? Someone would've helped you!”

It should've been the first thing she thought to do, and yet she hadn't How could she be so careless about her

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< Chapter 46 He Just Got The Wrong Person

own safety?.

Hadley nodded, taking in what he said. “Alright, I'll keep that in mind next time

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Neither of them spoke after that. The conversation faded, leafing the car in allence

Eric sat there, his grip tightening slightly on the steering wheel The urge to ask why she reacted so strongly to

being touched weighed on his mind, but for sreason, the words refused to cout

He pulled up near the entrance of West Twelfth Alley and brought the car to a smooth stop

Hadley turned to him with a polite smile. “Appreciate the ride.”

“Don’t mention it,” Eric responded without a second thought

She pushed the door open and climbed out, adjusting her backpack as she moved in the process, something

slipped free and landed on the seat.

“Hadley,” Eric called after her, picking up the item.

A hamburger.

“Whoops, my bad,” Hadley hurriedly grabbed it, offering a sheepish grin. It's well-packaged. No smell, | swear

What?

Eric frowned at Hadley, “You actually think I'd care if my car smelled like a hamburger?”

“Yeah.” Hadley gave a firm nod. Wouldn't he, though?

She hadn't forgotten how, on the first day she returned, she’d made noodles at his kitchen, and Eric had

grumbled about the smell for hours.

Eric hadn't forgotten either.

And now, he had no defense.

“No!”

Eric shot back, but there was more defensiveness in his tone than conviction. “That was totally different! You're

twisting things. Don’t go acting like 1 complain about every little thing”

“Got it, loud and clear,” Hadley said with a nod.

“If he says it’s fine, then it’s fine. No clue why he’s making such a big deal out of it again though,” Hadley

thought to herself

She stuffed the hamburger back into her bag, and Eric suddenly felt uneasy. “Wait. Don’t tellthat’s all you're

eating for lunch.”

Hadley hadn't eaten yet? At this hour? And all she had was a single hamburger?

“No,” Hadley said quickly, shaking her head. “I already had lunch just wanted a snack”

Eric let out a slow breath, slightly relieved, but his gaze fell on her backpack It was a flimsy one, the kind one

could buy for a few bucks.

Her clothes were just as plain an old T-shirt and cargo jeans, nothing special about the fabric or fit

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“Call it simple if you're being generous. Call it run-down if you're being honest,” Eric thought.

His frown deepened. He'd never really paid attention before, never looked too closely at Hadley.

Now that he thought about it, she'd been dressing like this ever since she got back from abroad.

Hadley had told him she was done being a burden, that she wanted to be independent and live on her own

terms.

And it was clear now-she meant every word.

Oblivious to whatever was running through Eric's mind, Hadley zipped up her backpack, slung it over one

shoulder, and gave him a quick wave. “Alright, I'm going in.”

“Yeah. See you.”

Eric stayed in the car, his eyes following her as she walked off, each step pulling her further away.

Something tightened in his chest, a nagging weight he couldn’t shake. He didn’t know what to call it, but it

lingered, gnawing at him long after she was gone.

By the tnight fell, Srixby was pulsing with its usual evening energy.

But tonight, Galant was bursting at the seams.

It was the long-awaited grand finale of the dance-off competition.

Long before the finals even began, the club was packed wall-to-wall. Security had to turn people away just to

keep the crowd from spiraling out of control.

Every competitor gave it their all, but when it was over, there was no doubt.

“S|! Dance Queen!”

“S|! Dance Queen!”

“S|! Dance Queen!”

The chants shook the club, the electricity in the air still buzzing as Hadley slipped backstage. Even with the walls

between her and the audience, their cheers still rang loud in her ears.

Lennon had seen this coming, and watching it unfold exactly as he expected only made him more satisfied.

But what he hadn't predicted was that Eric wouldn't be here to see it.

Lennon let out a sigh, pressing his fingers to his temples. “Tsk. What a waste... Mr. Flynn didn’t even show up.”

Hadley looked unimpressed. “Mr. Lewis, he hasn't been around for days. That night might've just been him

talking big for show.”

“Huh?” Lennon blinked, taken aback. “Wait, seriously?”

He scrambled for evidence. “But what about the flowers? The late-night snacks? He sent all that, didn’t he?”

“Sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s nowhere to be seen tonight,” Hadley pointed out, keeping her

tone even. “So what now? I'm supposed to give a toast to the most generous patron, right?”

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< Chapter 46 He Just Got The Wrong Person

With Eric not showing up, skipping the toast wasn’t exactly an option.

Lennon hesitated. “Well... Mr. Flynn did say he'd always top the highest bid by half a million.”

Hadley let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, really? Did he seal that promise with a pinky swear, or did he put it in writing?

Did you get the money upfront?”

There was no contract, no official agreement-just words.

She pushed further. “He hasn't even shown up in ages. What if he forgot? You can’t just assthings will go

your way on a verbal promise alone. You've got to think this through.”

Lennon chewed on her words. She had a point.

“How about | just go out there and do the toast now?” Hadley suggested.

“Not happening!” Lennon snapped, his jaw tightening. “That toast is for Mr. Flynn and no one else.”

“Why?” Hadley didn’t see the logic. “It’s not like you're the one ditching. He is.”

“Oh, Hadley, my dear!” Lennon groaned, his laugh tinged with exasperation. “Sure, if he doesn’t show, | miss

out on his money. But if he remembers later and hears we went ahead without him, I'll be the one paying for it!*

Hadley pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

There was no denying it-Eric’s nstill carried serious weight in Srixby.

“And what about the crowd?”

The audience outside was still waiting for the Dance Queen to raise a glass to the top patron.

It was the real finale of the night, and without Eric making an appearance, everything had cto a standstill.

The tension was mounting, and the impatience in the air was impossible to ignore.

“Leave it to me,” Lennon said with a dismissive flick of his wrist. “I'll throw Mr. Flynn's nout there and see if

anyone's foolish enough to question it.”

That settled it.

Hadley had no further arguments. Lennon had made his stance crystal clear.

“I'm heading out front,” Lennon announced, smoothing back his pomade-slicked hair before puffing up his chest.

With a confident stride, he made his way toward the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for!” His voice rang out, commanding the room's

attention. “Tonight's top patron will receive a personal toast from none other than our shining star, Miss S! And

now, the big reveal. The title of tonight's top patron belongs to... Mr. Eric Flynn!”

The crowd erupted. “No way!”

“It’s him! Mr. Flynn!”

The audience went wild, their cheers surging through the venue like a tidal wave.

After all, nothing stirred up a crowd quite like the spectacle of a billionaire backing a breathtaking dancer.

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