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

Chapter 61 Shameless

Woman

What?

Eric's anger burned hotter, his eyes flashing as he tried to process Hadley’s defiance.

She actually thought he was overstepping? It was absurd. People always cto him for help. No one had ever

dared speak to him this way before.

“Hadley, you-"

“Go!” Hadley snapped, cutting him off, her voice laced with frustration.

She had no tfor this. The ring. The one Eric had carelessly tossed away, a symbol of Duran’s promise. She

had to find it, and fast.

Without another word, Hadley spun around and ran toward the spot where Eric had thrown the ring. Under the

dim streetlights, she crouched low to the ground, her fingers trembling as she searched the pavement,

determined to find it no matter what.

The alley was dim, the faint glow of the streetlights doing little to illuminate the cracked pavement. Hadley’s

hands shook as she searched the ground, the darkness swallowing up every inch she covered.

Frantic, she yanked out her phone, flicking on the flashlight. The beam cut through the black, but it only

highlighted how small and insignificant the ring seemed in the vast emptiness of the alley. How could she even

find it?

A quiet, desperate whisper slipped from her lips. “Please, please...”

She didn’t know who she was asking, but she needed to find it. She had to.

What if Duran found out? What if he knew she’d lost his gift the moment she turned her back? The thought

clenched her chest. She couldn't let that happen.

Across the street, Eric watched, his eyes narrowing as he observed Hadley kneeling in the dim light. His chest

burned, a cold, simmering anger building inside him, spreading like wildfire, choking everything else

Did she really care that much about that ring from Duran?

“Hadley!”

Eric stormed over, his grip tight on her shoulder, yanking her back with a force that made her stagger. “Stop

looking! Do you hear me?”

“Let go!”

Hadley whipped her head up, her face flushed with anger and frustration. Her eyes were red, the weight of

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everything crashing down on her. “Eric, don’t push me... I'm starting to hate you more every day!”

She just said she hated him.

The words hit Eric like a slap.

He froze, his chest tightening. “You hate me?”

“Yes!” Hadley snapped, her voice cracking with raw emotion. “When | was younger, | couldn’t leave you alone.

That was my mistake! I've already paid the price for being so foolish. Please, Eric, just letgo.”

Eric let out a bitter laugh, disbelief flashing across his face.

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“Unbelievable,” he muttered, his gaze cold and cutting.

“Ungrateful. Fine, do whatever you want.”

In one swift motion, Eric yanked his hand away from her and turned on his heel, his expression hard as stone,

anger radiating off him.

If she was so set on degrading herself and chasing after that old man, then so be it.

Eric’s mind roared, “I'd be a damn fool if | let myself get involved again!”

As Eric reached the corner of the alley, something tugged at him, forcing him to glance back. There she was-

Hadley, still crouched, scouring the ground under the dim light, determined but helpless.

With a flick of his wrist, Eric pulled the diamond ring from his pocket, his fingers curling around its cold, sharp

edges.

A cruel smile tugged at his lips.

“You'll never find it,” he thought, the words echoing in his mind like a dark promise.

His grip on the tiny ring tightened, the metal digging into his palm until it almost hurt.

Without another look, Eric spun on his heel, yanked out his phone, and dialed a number.

“Mr. Flynn,” Phillips‘ voice cthrough, crisp and professional.

Eric’s voice was cold and precise as he gave his order. “Leak Duran’s little affair to his family.”

“Yes,” Phillips responded, his tone businesslike.

Eric was well aware that Duran was divorced, but the man also had a son and a daughter, both adults. The

timing would be perfect.

Hadley hadn't found the ring.

Frustration and worry gnawed at her. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Duran might say when they met

again and she didn’t have the ring on her finger-how would she explain losing something so precious that he'd

just given her?

Luckily, Duran was preoccupied with other matters over the next few days. He didn’t show up at Galant, nor did

he ask Hadley out. Their conversations remained confined to the phone, keeping a small but crucial

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distance between them.

But Hadley knew it was only a matter of tbefore they’d have to face each other again.

Unexpectedly, Eric showed up at Galant again one evening.

As soon as Eric entered, Lennon was notified and rushed to greet him.

“Mr. Flynn, it's been a while! What brings you here tonight?” Lennon asked, his voice cheery but cautious.

Eric offered a faint smile, though his eyes were anything but warm. “What, do | need to explain myself to you

now?”

Lennon froze for a moment before awkwardly chuckling. “Of course not. I'm just glad to see you.”

“Great.”

Eric gave a slight nod, and then, almost casually, he asked, “Does she have a performance tonight?”

Lennon's heart sank. So Eric was still fixated on Hadley... This was bad news. Hadley was already involved with

Duran, for the tbeing.

“Yes, she does,” Lennon said, his voice tight.

He nodded quickly, his mind racing. He feared Eric would demand to see Hadley right then and there. What was

he supposed to do in that case?

But to Lennon's surprise, Eric just waved him off. “Alright, you can go.”

“Okay,” Lennon muttered, relief flooding him as he turned to leave.

He wiped the sweat from his brow. What was Eric up to? He asked about Hadley and then just dropped it? So

was he still interested in her or not?

Lennon couldn't make sense of Eric's intentions. Shaking his head, he walked away, still uneasy.

Later, Lennon quietly slipped into the dressing room. “Eric’s here. He's in his usual spot.”

“What?” Hadley froze, a frown tugging at her lips.

He was here again? What was he after this time?

Lennon sighed, a mix of frustration and concern in his voice. “I don’t know what he’s thinking, Hadley, Just...

be careful.”

“Got it.”

Hadley gave a small nod and stood up, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. It was tfor her to

go on stage.

Everything seemed normal.

Hadley performed like she always did, moving through her set with ease. It all went smoothly, until she finished

and made her way back to the dressing room, wiping the makeup off her face.

She figured Eric was here for business.

After all, he used to frequent the place.

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Once she finished removing her makeup, she slipped into the dressing room to change. But even from inside the

dressing room, she could hear raised voices. It sounded like an argument.

Could it be Eric?

No, it wasn’t him. The voice that cut through the air was sharp, unmistakably female.

Hadley hurried to change, her fingers moving faster than usual, and then she pushed open the door to step

outside.

“Letthrough! I'm going to tear that little vixen apart today!” A woman's voice screeched.

It was high-pitched, nearly unbearable.

“Hey! You can’t go in there!” someone yelled.

“Stop her!” another voice called out.

“Move!” the woman shouted.

The dressing room door was suddenly thrown open-more like it was kicked in.

Hadley had just regained her balance when a young woman, around her age, stormed in with an air of fury.

“You!”

The woman jabbed a finger toward Hadley, her stance full of disdain and superiority.

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“You bitch!”

“What?” Hadley blinked, completely confused. She had no idea what was going on.

The woman took two sharp steps forward, her gaze locking with Hadley’s.

“Are you Hadley Pearson?” She raised an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.

Hadley stood frozen, her mind racing as she nodded. “Yes, that’s me...”

Before she could say another word, the woman's hand shot up, and in a swift motion, slapped Hadley hard

across the face.

The force of the blow caught Hadley completely off guard. She instinctively raised her hand to her cheek, her

brows knitted in pain.

With a burst of anger, Hadley glared at the woman.

“How dare you glare at me?” The woman sneered, lifting her chin in defiance. “What? Don’t women like you, with

no shame, deserve to be slapped?”

Hadley was completely lost. She had no idea where this was coming from.

“Hadley...” Lennon said, stepping in behind the woman, waving his hands frantically and mouthing something.

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Madley squinted, trying to catch the word tenson was silently saying Duran?

here because of tras

be his wife

wasn't be divorced? Besides, this woman looked too young to

“Hadley

The woman cut through her thoughts, pointing a finger at Hadley with an air of superiority.

Pointing sharply at Hadley’s nose, the woman spoke with an icy command

I'm telling you now-stay away from my dad! Girls like you, who sleep around and pretend to be innocent, only

want his money and power. He might be fooled, but | won't stand for it!*

So, this was Duran’s daughter

Hadley smiled, rubbing her still-tingling cheek

“Miss Murray,” Hadley said with a cool calmness, “may | ask if your father knows you’re here today?”

The young woman, Vera Murray, froze, her face tightening. “My dad's blinded by you, you little vixen! He doesn’t

need to know about this. I'll make him see the truth about you! I'm warning you-leave him alone, or don’t blame

Vera glared at Hadley, her eyes burning with such hatred it felt like she wanted to strike her down right then and

there.

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