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

13:46

Chapter 137 Never Saw His Feelings

Elises printed at the pearle adorning the hate the “This peate we of que high quality, but for a bar te, it's a

fle on the small sida”

“How much do you think this would coet?” Hartley sket

Elises did a quick estimate. For these few, the market price would ently be over a thousand, at the very least”

expressiosetiad[Jsiercing. Catching the shift in Hadley’s expression, the tilted her head is orosity. “Wat-you d’t

buy this hair te yourself?”

Hadley shook her head. “No.”

She could never justify spending that Kind of money on herself if she had knows how excunqgent End's gift was,

she would have never accepted it.

Each evening before their performance, the dance troupe members would have an early meal

Before their busy evening started, Hadley and Elissa took a quick detour to the commercial street beside the

stuto grab a bite.

On their way back, a familiar figure cinto view under the glow of a streetlamp

Denver stood there, tall and lean, a bag in his hand, his gaze fixed expectantly on Hadley as she slowly

*approached.

Elissa stole a glance at Hadley before tactfully excusing herself. I'll head in first.”

“Okay,”

With no way to avoid the encounter, Hadley cto a stop in front of Denver, her brows knitting slightly.

“You...”

“Here.”

Before she could finish, Denver raised the bag in his hand-yet again filled with desserts from Red Shell Bistro.

Hadley didn’t reach for it, instead sighing in exasperation. “Denver, do you really wantto bec | can’t stand?”

“Please don’t be upset,” Denver said gently, watching her with quiet caution. “I just wanted to see you.”

omeone

“Denver...”

13:46

“I'm leaving Srixby. Tonight.” Before she could say anything else before she could cut him down with another

cold remark-Denver hurriedly spoke again. “I won't be able to see you every day anymore.”

What? Hadley’s breath caught. Her mind reeled at his words.

“What do you mean? Where are you going?”

Denver caught the flicker of concern in Hadley’s eyes and smiled reassuringly. I've found a job. A friend of mine

started a company, and I'll be joining as a technical partner.”

Without the support of his family, all he had left was his own skills.

“It’s a small company, still in its early days, with only a handful of employees,” he explained. “There's a lot to do,

and | have to go to Tidebourne to meet with two of our potential partners.”

Hadley blinked, momentarily stunned.

She hadn’t expected him to act so quickly.

A young man who had grown up in luxury, now navigating a life stripped of privilege-yet he hadn't wasted a

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

moment on self-pity.

Living in a cramped, old apartment, he had never once blamed her. Instead, he had quietly pressed forward,

determined to carve out his own path.

“Hadley.”

His eyes shone with conviction, unwavering and bright.

“I know exactly what I'm doing. | don’t need my family’s wealth to live well. | won't give up on myself, and |

won't give up on you.”

Hadley parted her lips to respond, but no words came.

“This is for you.” Denver took Hadley’s hand, pressing the bag into her palm.

“I have a train to catch,” he said, his voice steady but tinged with something deeper. “I'll see you when | get

back.”

Stepping back, he offered her a lopsided smile, one that held no regret, no resentment-only quiet resolve.

“This isn’t goodbye.”

Then, with a final glance, he turned and walked away.

Hadley stood frozen, her fingers tightening around the bag. The weight of it, so small yet so heavy, sent a sharp

ache through her chest.

Denver had lost everything, yet he carried himself with grace, his resilience unwavering.

With each passing moment, Hadley found herself understanding Denver's mother more and mo

ow could

a mother stand by and watch her exceptional son be dragged down by someone like her?

As the performance cto an end, Hadley sat before the mirror, wiping away the remnants of her stage

makeup. Her fingers brushed against the pearl hair tie resting beside her-right, she had almost forgotten about

i)

13:46

Polling or key on the Mury apt to 977

“How more ad the green pay the mooey?

free she way bar to tipin shaven won the phone yout de grubs on the mos

Why did Malay sexly want to pay in

the

the the Agwe ou owed as her way of drawing boundary of turning him dom

the pew tightened she “sation, taketo daginning berce Studio?

“Yes, My Flyn

As they need these datason, tre finally responded.

“I'm almost at the studio, let's talk in perso

Hadley stared at the reply, momentarily confused, What did he mean te was atost at the studio? Was he just

passing through or what?

Brusting aside the thought, the tethered her things and be the stuwith Elissa

“I've been troubling you these past few days, 1 can go htonight”

Blissa scoffed, looping an arm around Hadley’s. “What do you mean ‘troubling? if you ever need anything, just

cto me.”

As they stepped through the gate, Hadley’s steps slowed. Eric was there, leaning casually against his car, his

gaze fixed on her as if he had been waiting all along

Hadley exhaled. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

Elissa smirked, “See ya,”

Hadley jogged over to Eric, slightly breathless, wasting no ton pleasantries.

“How much do | owe you?”

Eric’s brows drew together, his tone firm.

“Hadley... | didn’t chere to collect money from you.”

She blinked, caught off guard. If that wasn’t why he was here, then what was this about?

“Oh...”

A beat passed before realization struck.

“| get it-you bought it on a whim. To you, this hair tie might be nothing. But to me, it’s different... it's too

valuable.”

“Wait...”

Eric’s expression darkened instantly. “Hold on-you think | bought it on a whim?”

13:47

<

Hadley hesitated. “Wasn't it?”

A dry, bitter laugh escaped his lips.

“Yeah. Sure. A whim.”

But inside, something twisted painfully. What had he been expecting?

When she first insisted on paying him back, he had feared the worst-that she wanted to draw a line between

them, that she was rejecting him outright.

But this? This was even worse.

She hadn’t even considered the possibility that he had chosen it just for her. That he had held her old, worn hair

tie in his hands, searching for something that could resemble it.

How utterly ridiculous he must have looked-chasing after a detail so small, putting thought into something she

dismissed as a meaningless trinket.

And what was more pathetic than rejection?

Realizing she never even saw his feelings to begin with.

Hadley frowned, watching the way his expression shifted-anger, frustration, something deeper beneath it all.

“Eric?”

“What?”

Eric snapped out of his thoughts, but the flicker of pain in his eyes didn’t disappear fast enough.

Hadley hesitated, but then reminded him, “You still haven't toldhow much it costs.”

“Hadley...”

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

He didn’t answer right away. “Did you ever think about...” That he had searched for a hair tie just like hers, not

because it was convenient, but because it was hers?

Unfortunately, the words hovered on the tip of his tongue.

Hadley tilted her head, blinking at him. “Think about what?”

“Nothing.”

Eric shook his head, his jaw tightening as he forced the lump in his throat down. Then, with a casual shrug, he

threw out a number. “200 bucks.”

Hadley instinctively nodded. “Oh... okay.”

Then her head snapped up. “Wait-what? What did you just say?”

Was he somehow mistaken?

Elissa said it was worth at least a thousand.

“Didn't hearthe first time?”

“No, | heard you... | just didn’t expect it to be that cheap. It looks expensive, you know.”

65.9%

13:47

[I

[e]

Chapter 137 Never Saw His Feelings

Eric's brows drew together, his patience thinning. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this? | bought it,

so | think I'd know the price. If you want to transfer the money, then go ahead. If not, just forget it. | don’t

have tto argue over 200 bucks!”

Hadley hesitated, but then nodded. “Alright... fine.

What else could she do?

Pulling out her phone, she quickly sent the payment.

“Done!”

A soft chcfrom Eric's pocket, but before Hadley could even tell him the transaction was complete, he

had already turned away.

“We're done here, right? I'm leaving.”

Hadley opened her mouth. “Take care-"

But the words barely left her lips before he was already striding off, his handsface set in a cold, unreadable

expression.

Why had he even bothered buying anything for her?

If he ever did something this pointless again, he really would be a fool.

Eric's chest felt tight, his emotions tangled in frustration he couldn't quite shake. Just then, his phone rang

Nyla.

The second he answered, her usually calm voice spilled through the line, edged with urgency. “Eric, something's

wrong! Your brother and Linda are in a huge fight-it’s bad!”

< Too Late, Mr. Billionaire: You Can't AffordNow