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

Chapter 136 Take It Or

Leave It

Disappointment was inevitable.

But Denver had braced himself for it-it was nothing unexpected.

He extended the bag toward Elissa, his expression unreadable. “Can you give this to Hadley?”

“Yeah, of course.”

She accepted it without hesitation, her eyes flicking to the logo-Red Shell Bistro. A bag full of desserts.

“Appreciate it.” Denver offered a faint smile, barely there. “I should get going.”

“Alright. Take care.”

A curt nod. “Yeah.”

Elissa watched as he walked away, exhaling softly before turning on her heel and making her way backstage.

Elissa set the bag down in front of Hadley with a casual tap. “Here. He dropped this off for you-desserts from Red

Shell Bistro. Fancy stuff.”

Hadley stared at the bag, an unshakable heaviness settling in her chest.

“Hadley?” Elissa hesitated, but then leaned in just a little. “Are you... avoiding him? He seems nice-polite, even.

What's the problem? Don’t you like him?”

Hadley let out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it.

“Her eyes lingered on the bag for a second before she shook her head. “He’s indeed nice. Too nice. That's

exactly

why | can’t get close.”

Elissa’s brows furrowed. “What? That makes no sense.”

Hadley inhaled deeply, as if steadying herself. “He comes from money.”

Understanding dawned in Elissa’s eyes. “Ah...” She nodded slowly, processing it.

“Then yeah, | guess... better to keep our feet planted where they belong.”

“Exactly.”

For a brief second, Hadley thought she caught something in Elissa’s tone-an odd shift, something wistful,

almost... off.

But before she could ask, Elissa straightened, brushing it away with a lighthearted smile. “Anyway, I'll grab your

costume.”

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< Chapter 136 Take It Or Leave It

Hadley nodded, her voice softer this time. “Thanks.”

Eric pulled up outside the dance studio’s side entrance, parking just out of the way. He had been waiting for

nearly half an hour, watching as staff and performers trickled out one by one.

Then, finally-there she was.

Hadley strolled out, arm in arm with another girl, their laughter light and unguarded. She had no idea he was

there.

That changed the moment he stepped out of the car.

“Hadley!”

His voice cut through the air, sharp enough to make her pause mid-step.

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

She turned, surprise flickering across her face. “Eric?” Her tone was cautious. “Do you... need something? Is Nyla

looking for me?”

At that, his expression darkened instantly, irritation flashing in his eyes.

“What, so the only reason I'd be here is because Grandma sent me?” His jaw tightened. “Can’t | clooking for

you myself?”

Hadley stiffened slightly. There it was-his sudden shifts in mood, as unpredictable as ever.

“Hadley...” Sensing the tension, Elissa glanced between them and tilted her head toward the side. “I'll wait over

there.”

“Mm, okay.”

Hadley exhaled slowly, relief washing over her as Elissa stepped away. She never knew what to expect with Eric,

and the last thing she wanted was to set him off-his moods shifted like the wind.

She kept her voice even, careful. “So? What is it?”

“Here.”

Eric reached into his pocket and pulled out bought from Evergrand Mall.

hair tie-the sstyle as the one she had left in his car,

freshly

Without warning, he tossed it toward her.

Hadley’s reflexes kicked in as she reached out, barely managing to catch it before it slipped through her fingers.

The moment she saw it, even under the dim glow of the streetlights, she knew. Her brows knit together. “This

isn’t mine.”

“I couldn't find yours.” Eric's tone was as firm as ever. “I tried to give it back yesterday, but you

uldn’t take

ie.”

He hesitated, something rare for him-his words faltering slightly.

“So... | just bought this one. Take it or leave it.”

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< Chapter 135 Take It Or Leave It

Hadley barely had tto process before he fixed her with an expectant stare.

“Well?” His voice was sharp, but there was an odd tension behind it. “Isn't it nice? Don’t you... like it?”

Hadley blinked, completely thrown.

Then, before she could even think of a response, his expression darkened. Impatient. “I'm asking you a question.

Do you like it or not?”

What was this about? And why was he behaving so aggressively?

Hadley sighed inwardly. With him like this, refusing wasn’t an option.

“Mm,” she murmured, nodding. “It’s nice.”

If it was meant to replace hers, she might as well accept it. No big deal.

As for the pearls on it? She had no idea of their value. To her, it was just a simple, inexpensive hair tie.

She absently slid it onto her wrist. The small motion didn’t mean much to her, but Eric's gaze flickered to it.

Against her smooth skin, the delicate band stood out, and for a fleeting second, something in his expression

shifted-a quiet satisfaction surfacing at the edges of his lips.

“I'll get going then.”

Hadley glanced toward Elissa. “Great! My friend's waiting foranyway.”

Eric gave a small nod. “Go on ahead.”

“Okay.”

Without another word, Hadley turned and jogged toward her friend. “Elissa!”

Elissa grinned. “All settled?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Laughing, the two girls linked arms and disappeared down the sidewalk. Eric watched them for a long moment,

eyes lingering on Hadley’s retreating figure. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, he exhaled, turned, and got

back into his car.

Quietly, as discreetly as possible, he followed them.

The bus rumbled through the dimly lit streets, weaving its way into an old residential district nestled in the old

part of the town.

Eric trailed behind in his car, slowing as he reached the entrance of the neighborhood. His eyes flicked to the

faded sign at the intersection. “Redmarsh.”

He remembered this place.

A quiet hum left his lips as he tapped the steering wheel, and then, without hesitation, turned the car around and

headed toward Poseidon’s Realm.

The private room was lively tonight-filled with the low murmur of conversation, the clinking of glasses, and

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Chapter 136 Take It Or Leave It

the occasional burst of laughter.

Barrie, the mastermind behind the gathering, spotted Eric's arrival and made his way over. “You actually showed

up? Thought you'd bail.”

Eric merely leaned back against the plush sofa, unconcerned. “Mm.”

“Oh!” Barrie raised a brow, and then smirked knowingly. “Well, someone’s in a good mood tonight.”

He nudged Eric with his elbow, his tone teasing. “Con, tell me-does this have anything to do with Hadley

and Denver not working out?”

Eric nearly choked on his drink, eyes narrowing as he shot Barrie a sharp glare.

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

Barrie only grinned. “Deny it all you want, but your face says otherwise.”

He could've pushed further, but he knew when to back off.

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

Instead, Barrie shrugged, casually adding, “Listen, if you actually have feelings for her, this is your chance. Don’t

overthink it. Just go for it.”

With that, Barrie stood and wandered off, leaving Eric alone in his seat.

Could this really be his chance?

Maybe... just maybe, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

Dawn broke over the city.

Hadley ran a brush through her hair, lost in thought, when Elissa walked past-only to stop mid-step and

double back.

“Hadley?”

Hadley glanced up, puzzled. “What's up?”

Elissa didn’t respond right away. Instead, she bent down and picked something up from beside the sink. With a

slight frown, she held it out.

“This...” she murmured, turning the delicate pearl hair tie between her fingers. “Is this yours?”

“Yeah, it is,” Hadley said easily, but Elissa’s expression gave her pause.

“Why?”

“It’s just that...” Elissa hesitated, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Hadley, don’t take this the wrong way -I

don’t mean anything by it. But... this doesn’t really seem like something you'd buy for yourse

Hadley furrowed her eyebrows. “Why not? What's wrong with this hair tie?”

Elissa tilted her head, still studying the hair tie. “There's nothing wrong with it, it’s just...”

She trailed off before shrugging. “You're usually careful with money.”

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Chapter 125 Take It Or Leave it

It was an observation, not a judgment-Hadley’s frugality showed in everything, from the way she dressed to the

simple meals she chose. That was why this felt... different.

Realizing how it might sound, Elissa quickly added, “Not that there's anything wrong with treating yourself now

and then.”

“Wait...” Hadley, however, was already frowning as she ran her fingers over the hair tie. “Are you saying this is

actually expensive?”

Elissa gave her a knowing look.

“Yeah! You didn’t know?”

“How was | supposed to know?”

Hadley turned the hair tie over in her hands, studying it closely. It wasn’t hers-but it looked nearly identical. The

sdelicate design, the ssmall white beads embedded along the band.

Wait, white beads...

A sudden thought struck her.

“Wait...” She lifted her gaze, a flicker of disbelief in her eyes. “Are they real pearls?”

Elissa nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely. The real deal. The finest ones actually.” She crossed her arms,

her expression firm. “Con, Hadley, what do | do for a living? You think I'd get this wrong?”

Elissa was a fashion designer, well-versed in materials and craftsmanship. Spotting the difference between

cheap knock-offs and genuine pearls was second nature to her.

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