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

Chapter 99 Candied Hawthorns

“What else was I supposed to do?” Eric replied, his tone laced with a gentle helplessness, though the warmth simmering beneath it hinted at his quiet devotion. “Dancing is her passion. If she can’t twirl and sway, she is a bird with clipped wings. And if she must dance, doesn’t she deserve the cream of the crop–the finest stage to

shine on?”

It was hard to argue with that logic.

Nyla let out a soft sigh, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?” She squinted at Eric, a playful suspicion flickering in her gaze. “So, you’re truly head over heels for Hadley this time, huh?”

“Grandma,” Eric said, his brow furrowing in genuine bewilderment, “did you honestly think I was just playing

a game?”

Nyla exhaled a slow, measured breath and gave a small nod. “Fair enough. As long as you don’t break Hadley’s heart, I’ll keep my nose out of it. How you sweep her off her feet is your dance to choreograph.”

“Thank you, Grandma.” A faint smile tugged at Eric’s lips, softening his features. “I’m planning to wait until Hadley’s back, and then whisk her off to meet my brother.” His eyes shadowed with a fleeting gloom before he pressed on. “When Linda isn’t around.”

It was no secret that those two women mixed like oil and water.

“Smart move,” Nyla murmured, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush. “No matter how things unfold with Hadley, mind you keep your manners with Linda. She has weathered storms aplenty.”

Nyla sighed again, a wistful note threading through her words. “That child she had lost… It has always been a pebble in Linda’s shoe.”

The rest of them might overlook Hadley’s missteps, but Linda–being the one who had borne the brunt- couldn’t quite let bygones be bygones.

She swore she had moved on, but Eric could see the truth lurking in her eyes; resentment still smoldered beneath the surface.

“I get it, Grandma,” Eric replied, his face shadowing briefly. His voice held steady, firm as an oak. “Rest easy- I’ll handle it with care. Now, please, sip your milk before it turns to ice.”

“Very well.”

Beyond the door, Linda froze, her breath catching in her throat as she tiptoed away.

Her face drained of color, her thoughts swirling like leaves in a tempest.

14:23

<

So that was Eric’s grand scheme–blocking Hadley’s job prospects not out of spite, but to nudge her toward

Blanche’s dance troupe?

And now he was plotting to woo her?

Hadn’t he once vowed to despise her forever? Wasn’t it he who’d vowed, with fire in his veins, that forgiveness would never cross her threshold?

the tides

had everything gone off the rails?

days later, Hadley set out

wet–learning the ropes, meeting the crew, and soaking in the rhythm of the operation. Every detail, down to the train tickets, had been neatly tied up by Blanche’s

had Hadley plopped into her seat than

flashed across

answered, her voice

your way back?” Eric’s tone danced with an easy familiarity, warm and teasing, like a friend who knew her better than she could admit. “When do

the office.”

The his office?!

“Why?

said, dangling the mystery like a carrot. “Don’t fret, though.

can swing by,” Hadley replied, her words polite, perhaps softened by gratitude for the dance gig Eric had paved the way for. “But no need to trouble Sebastian–I’ll

tone carried a faint edge of displeasure. “Why turn down a perfectly good

storm brewing in his voice. “I’m with my colleagues, and your car–well, it’s a bit too much of a peacock’s plume. I only got in thanks to a few strings pulled. I would

That made sense.

sake. “If you’re set on flying

“Hadley, do I get

of absurd question

14:23

O

<

Canded Heathers

hit the end call

her eyes. “Hadley, you alright? You’re pale as a

hand drifted to her cheek, puzzled.

the girl said, gesturing vaguely. “Like a ghost just whispered

a

it feel eerily close

out a soft chuckle, shaking his head

actually hung up on

fair enough. He wasn’t even

into the sea of

had to tie up every loose end before dusk–he was due to swing by his older brother’s

he breezed past the secretarial office later, he caught the faint hum of

double back,

upright, swiping at her mouth in a fluster before shooting to her feet like

dipped his head in a nod, a rare smile tugging at his lips.

into a gallery of wide–eyed spectators. The CEO–smiling at her?

were surely itching to wag.

taken a shine to

indulge a fleeting, fanciful thought. Her

the unspoken heartthrob of half the company.

really favor her