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

Chapter 187 Wife And

Girlfriend Are Different

Elissa’s tears had cso suddenly and intensely that Hadley couldn't bring herself to press further.

She left the apartment building with a heavy heart, her mood noticeably subdued.

Sensing Hadley’s unease, Eric reached over, gently breaking the silence. “Still thinking about your friend?”

Hadley nodded quietly, eyes fixed absentmindedly on the passing scenery.

Eric tapped thoughtfully against the steering wheel, and then spoke carefully, choosing his words with sensitivity.

“There's something I'd like to say-but promise you won't take it the wrong way.”

Hadley glanced over briefly, signaling him to continue.

“Elissa’s your friend, and it's natural to care about her, even help whenever you can. But her choices, her life-

you can’t take responsibility for that.” Eric paused, his voice.softening. “Try not to carry too much of her burden,

alright?”

“You're right,” Hadley whispered softly, nodding again, yet unable to shake the heaviness from her chest.

Her mind drifted back to Elissa’s strange reaction.

Earlier, she'd explicitly mentioned Robin being married, but Elissa hadn't shown even the slightest surprise. She

clearly already knew.

But then, why continue to entangle herself with Robin?

Elissa wasn’t the sort of person to willingly involve herself with someone married... was she?

Hadley’s thoughts turned restless, a troubling question echoing persistently within her-what exactly went wrong?

The drive to Silver Villas passed quietly, both lost in their own thoughts.

As they approached the gate, the security guard greeted them cheerfully, “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Flynn!

Welcback.”

“Thanks,” Eric replied smoothly, a pleased smile flickering across his lips.

Hadley snapped her gaze toward him, startled. Right-earlier, with Robin and Elissa, he introduced her as his wife

as well.

A faint frown crossed her face, discomfort bubbling beneath the surface. She then asked sharply, “Why did he

just callMrs. Flynn?”

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“Oh, that?” Eric said casually, clearly unbothered. “Because I told him to.”

Hadley’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you suffering from memory loss now? Have you forgotten we're

divorced?”

Eric was momentarily speechless. The car eased into the garage, and as he parked, he turned to face her

directly.

His gaze darkened thoughtfully, caught off guard by her intensity.

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Finally, he softened his voice and apologized. “Sorry-it’s just habit. You've been my wife for years, and the

divorce... well, it’s still pretty fresh. | haven't quite adapted yet.”

Really?

Hadley wasn’t convinced. She narrowed her eyes slightly, voice firm. “There's a clear difference between a wife

and a girlfriend. Please remember that.”

Eric hesitated briefly, but then nodded in reluctant surrender. “You're right. I'll be more careful.”

Yet, even as he agreed, a restless unease stirred within him.

Unable to hold back, he spoke again, disguising sincerity with playful charm.

“still, Hadley,” he said cautiously, a hopeful glint entering his eyes. “If things between us keep improving... who

knows? Maybe someday we'll reconcile and-"

“Not a chance!”

Hadley’s interruption was instant and decisive, slicing through his words with merciless certainty.

Eric froze, taken aback by how swiftly and harshly she rejected the idea. Her reply landed hard, sending an

unexpected ache straight through his heart.

A wave of stubborn frustration surged through Eric. “Why not?”

“Because it's obvious,” Hadley replied firmly, reaching for her bag.

“We already tried marriage once, and we both saw how that turned out. Why should we repeat the same

mistake?”

Without waiting for his reaction, she opened the car door and stepped out, leaving Eric momentarily frozen in

disbelief.

After a brief pause, Eric got out too, his expression darkening with quiet displeasure.

Later that evening, freshly showered, Hadley relaxed on the bed, idly scrolling through videos on her tablet.

Eric soon joined her, slipping under the covers and drawing her close against him. “What are you watching?” he

murmured softly into her ear.

“Here.” Hadley didn’t glance up, merely pointing distractedly at the screen.

Eric glanced over her shoulder, eyebrows lifting slightly. “Oh, I've seen this one before. Not bad actually.”

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< Chapter 187 Wife And Girlfriend Are Different

As he spoke, his hold around her waist tightened slightly, his touch growing restless. He pressed a gentle kiss

against her hair, slowly trailing down toward her cheek.

“Ugh...” Hadley sighed impatiently, lowering the tablet. “Are you trying to annoyon purpose?”

“Annoy you?” Eric laughed softly, voice low and inviting.

“Far from it.” His eyes sparkled with playful intensity as he studied her face. “Hadley, it's been too long.”

Indeed, it had been a while since they'd shared a bed like this.

And he, after all, was just a man.

Having such a captivating woman lying next to him every night, yet unable to do anything-it was becoming

unbearable.

Eric gazed at her pleadingly, voice tinged with desire. “Hadley, can’t you have a little mercy on me?”

But Hadley’s heart remained stubbornly unmoved.

With a gentle yet firm push, she created distance between them. “I told you, I'm just not in the mood.”

Eric sighed, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. “You've said that already-but hasn't it been long

enough?”

“What, you can’t handle it?” Hadley raised a teasing eyebrow, deliberately provoking him.

“If it’s too difficult, maybe you should find someone else-"

“Hadley!”

His sharp voice cut her off abruptly. Eric's expression hardened, his lips tightening into a thin, tense line as he

fought to control his irritation.

“If you don’t wantnear you, fine. But don’t say things like that just to push my buttons.”

Without another word, he tossed aside the cove.

surprise.

and strode to the bathroom, leaving Hadley frozen in

She stared after him, bewildered by his sudden reaction. What was that? Was Eric actually choosing self-

restraint... for her sake?

Her pulse quickened slightly at the possibility.

But she swiftly shook the thought away. No-it couldn't be.

For them, respect and devotion were dangerous emotions, warning signs she couldn't afford to ignore.

The following day was a rare break for Hadley, and Eric had arranged his schedule so he could accompany her to

the golf course.

Although he’d planned sbusiness there, Eric arrived early, determined to spend quality twith her first.

Such informal settings were often where crucial business decisions took shape, a reality Eric navigated

effortlessly.

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Chapter 187 Wife And Girlfriend Are Different

Hadley, having been groomed meticulously by Nyla as part of her upbringing, was no stranger to these refined

social pastimes.

Golf, in particular, had been one of Nyla’s requirements.

Though Hadley rarely played these days and felt her skills were only passable, she could manage comfortably

enough in casual settings.

After watching her swing, Eric's eyes widened slightly in pleasant surprise. “Not bad. You're better than |

expected.”

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Hadley lifted an eyebrow, casually shrugging, “It’s been a while-I'm rusty.

Just then, Marshall approached from a distance, accompanied by a pair of men clearly waiting for Eric.

Hadley glanced toward Eric and nodded gently. “They're waiting. You should go.”

“Yeah, it's okay.” Eric didn’t rush to meet them. Instead, he gently removed the towel from his neck and leaned

closer, carefully wiping away the fine sheen of sweat from her forehead.

“Dry yourself off,” he said softly. “You'll catch a chill when the wind picks up.”

Eric squeezed her hand lightly, nodding toward a nearby resting area. “If you get tired, you can just relax over

there.”

Nearby, a lounge offered a comfortable spot with a pleasant view of the course-perfect for unwinding while she

waited.

“Alright,” she said, waving him off. But Eric still lingered.

He hadn't always been this clingy. Was Eric getting older, or was something else changing in him? The way he

fussed over every small detail suddenly reminded Hadley of her grandmother-warm yet endlessly nagging

“Wait here for me,” Eric said warmly, pulling his hand back without protest. “I'll take you somewhere nice for

lunch later.”

Hadley made a face, clearly displeased. “Eating surrounded by a bunch of scheming businessmen? I'll lose my

appetite.”

“Relax, it'll just be you and me.” Eric chuckled, genuinely amused by her frankness. He found her blunt honesty

refreshing.

“I'm going,” Eric replied, smiling fondly as he turned away.

“Okay, go already!” she said, waving him off impatiently.

Once he was gone, Hadley swung the golf club a few more times but quickly lost interest With a small sigh, she

headed toward the lounge.

Eric, glancing back every so often as he talked business, noticed she'd stopped playing sooner than expected A

quiet satisfaction settled within him. Was she bored because he wasn’t by her side?

Had Hadley grown that accustomed to his presence already?

The thought brought an involuntary smile to his lips, but his amusement was then shattered by a sudden,

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< Chapter 187 Wife And Girlfriend Are Different deafening bang!

Then canother, louder explosion.

Eric spun around, heart slamming against his chest. In the distance, flames surged upward, thick smoke spiraling

into the sky from the direction of the lounge!

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