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

hapter 176 She Had Been

All Alone

The car was steeped in silence.

Eric's gaze dropped to the woman in his arms. Hadley’s eyes were tightly shut, her face turned away as if

refusing to acknowledge him. But the redness at the corners of her eyes-still damp with unshed tears- betrayed

her.

Was it just a physical reaction? Or... was she crying for someone else?

The thought sent a chill through him, and his expression darkened.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice devoid of warmth.

Releasing her, he stepped out first, walking around to the passenger side before gathering her into his arms. The

moment he lifted her, he felt the faintest tremor run through her body.

Eric's frown deepened. “What's wrong?”

Hadley shook her head, silent.

She didn’t have to say it-he already knew. He had lost control earlier, had let his emotions override his restraint.

He had been too rough. Did he hurt her?

His arms tightened around her as his pace quickened, carrying her from the garage straight into the house.

Entering the master bedroom, he gently laid her down on the bed.

Reaching out, he brushed aside her disheveled hair, but-Hadley turned her face away, avoiding his touch.

Eric froze. His hand hovered for a moment before he withdrew it.

Finally, his voice broke through, quieter this time. “Rest. I'll run you a bath.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode toward the bathroom.

The moment she heard the water start running, Hadley’s eyes snapped open. A mist of unshed tears blurred her

vision, leaving her gaze red and puffy.

Afraid he might cback at any second, she threw off the covers, slipped out of bed, and rushed straight for

the door.

By the tEric returned, a fresh set of pajamas in hand, he was completely unaware of what had just

happened.

“Hadley, the bath is-

0.0%

Chapter 176 She Had Been All Alone

He sat down at the edge of the bed, reaching to pull back the blanket. But the moment his hand brushed against

it, an odd sensation gripped him.

Something felt off. Frowning, he yanked the blanket back-Empty.

His chest tightened.

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

“Hadley?”

Eric shot to his feet, scanning the room. His heart pounded as he checked the bathroom, the closet, the balcony -

nothing.

A surge of panic crashed through him as he bolted out of the bedroom, tearing through Silver Villas like a man

possessed.

No matter where he looked-she wasn’t there.

He grabbed his phone and dialed her number.

The ringtone echoed immediately.

Eric turned toward the sound, eyes locking onto the living room sofa-where Hadley’s bag sat, untouched.

A quick scan of the room revealed more-her coat still hung by the entrance, her shoes neatly in place. The only

thing missing were a single pair of indoor slippers.

She went out in nothing but a thin sweater and slippers?

Eric's hands clenched into fists, frustration and regret colliding in his chest.

Leaving without a phone, without a coat-how would she manage?

He shut his eyes for a moment, fingers pressing against his temples as his mind reeled.

Earlier in the car... He had lost control. He knew that.

Hadley and Denver... nothing had happened between them last night.

As a man-as her man-he would have known the moment he held her.

And yet, blinded by jealousy, he hadn't been able to think straight.

Then later, anger had turned into something else entirely.

He really lost control. He wasn’t even sure why. Years ago, these things had never mattered to him. But with

Hadley, every little thing got under his skin. Every look, every word.

Especially when she kept insisting... that he wasn’t as good as Denver.

And now, here they were.

Hadley had been right about one thing-he really was a bastard. But that didn’t matter now.

Right now, there was only one thing that mattered-Finding her.

Eric strode into the study, his movements swift, his mind racing. Pulling up the surveillance footage, he fast-

forwarded until he spotted Hadley. She had left less than twenty minutes ago.

21.1%

20:48

The grainy black-and-white footage showed her stepping out of the house, wrapped only in a thin sweater, her

arms crossed tightly over her chest against the biting cold.

Eric’s heart clenched at the sight. Damn it. Where could she have gone?

She didn’t have many friends in Srixby, which meant there was only one place she could have gone-her

apartment at West Twelfth Alley.

Wasting no time, Eric grabbed his keys and tore out of the house, driving straight into the snowstorm.

“Hadley, Hadley!”

Eric pounded on the door of her apartment, his voice raw, his breath misting in the frigid air.

“I'm sorry, okay?” Eric murmured, pressing his forehead against the doorframe. His voice was low, almost

pleading. “Please... open the door, okay?”

No matter how many times he knocked, no matter how many times he called her name-Nothing.

She was still furious. He had expected that. But still—

“Why are you out here making so much noise?”

Eric turned as a neighbor cracked open his door, his expression laced with irritation. “Quit making a scene! No

one lives there anymore-who are you even looking for?”

What?

Eric’s body stiffened. His fingers curled at his sides. How could that be?

The man huffed, folding his arms. “Tenant moved out weeks ago. Place has been empty ever since.”

The neighbor shot him a smirk, sizing him up. “Guess you two weren't as close as you thought, huh?”

Then-slam. The man door shut in Eric's face.

Eric stood motionless, the world tilting slightly beneath him. Hadley didn’t live here anymore. She was gone. She

didn’t even mention it to him!

Eric's vision dimmed for a moment, his frustration mounting.

Where could Hadley have gone?

Leaving the building, he wasted no time-calling property management, Phillips, anyone who could help.

By the the made it back to Silver Villas, the surveillance footage had already been retrieved. His gaze locked

onto the screen. There she was-Hadley-hurrying out of his house, slipping into a taxi.

But the footage only captured part of the license plate. Just a few digits. Not enough to trace.

“Phillips!”

“Yes, Mr. Flynn.” He didn’t need to ask-he already knew what Eric wanted. “I'll have someone look into it right

away.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a lead. They had the car's color, model, and partial plate number-that gave them

something to work with.

46.4%

20:48

But that wasn’t enough. They needed more. Hadley hadn't been back in Srixby long, and her circle was small.

She didn’t have many places to turn.

Eric’s mind raced. Her colleagues at the dance troupe-there was one person she had trusted before. What's her

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

nagain? Right, Elissa!

He vaguely remembered Hadley staying at Elissa’s place once to avoid Denver. And if memory served him right,

that place was in-Redmarsh.

Without another thought, he stepped on the gas and sped toward Redmarsh.

Unfortunately, Elissa wasn’t home. At this hour, she was at the dance troupe, just like the rest of Hadley’s

colleagues-none of whom had seen her.

Eric’s hands tightened into fists. Where else could she have gone?

She had no deep connections in Srixby. When she had cto the Flynn family, she had been all alone.

But then-His heart pounded.

There was still... Denver.

He didn’t want to admit it, but Denver was probably the person Hadley trusted most in Srixby.

Would she have gone to him?

He didn’t waste another second.

According to Marshall, Denver hadn't been staying at his usual residence-he had been at his villa in Lion Bay

since his return.

Eric arrived at the villa within minutes, his mood dark and stormy. The door swung open, revealing Denver, who

looked genuinely surprised to see him.

“Eric? What are you doing here?”

Eric didn’t respond.

His gaze swept over Denver briefly before stepping past him without a word, moving through the house with

purpose. He checked the living room. The hallways. The side rooms. Then, without hesitation, he made his way

upstairs.

It was clear-he was looking for something.

“Eric!” Denver caught his arm, stopping him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Are you trying to stop me?” Eric’s voice was low, tense. “Are you hiding something-or someone-upstairs?”

The conflicting emotions inside him threatened to boil over. Did he want to find Hadley here, or not?

He wanted her to be safe-but not if it meant she had run to Denver.

“What?” Denver frowned in utter confusion. “What are you even talking about?”

“Mr. Flynn!”

Eric spun toward the entrance, where Phillips was answering a call. “There's news about Hadley.”

100.0%

N

20:48

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

Chapter 177 Give Her Back