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

Chapter 163 At Least, She’s His Now

As the car approached the dance studio, Hadley suddenly broke the silence. “Pull over up ahead. We need to

talk.”

“Alright.”

Eric flicked his gaze toward her, sensing the weight in her voice. Without hesitation, he nodded and steered the car to a gentle stop by the roadside. Shifting slightly in his seat, he studied her with cautious curiosity.

“What’s on your mind?”

Was she having second thoughts?

A flicker of doubt crossed Hadley’s face before she finally spoke. “You told your grandmother about us way too soon. That wasn’t the right call.”

Eric’s jaw tightened, his confidence faltering for a moment.

“Why not?” His voice was steady, but a hint of defensiveness crept in. “We’ve already made our choice, haven’t we? It’s only natural that our families would find out eventually.”

Hadley met his gaze, her expression firm. “That’s not necessarily how it works.”

Hadley’s lips curled into a faint smile, laced with a hint of mockery. “If you’d kept quiet, we might’ve broken up without her ever knowing.”

Broken up?

Eric’s stomach twisted. This was getting out of hand.

He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay composed. “Alright, maybe I jumped the gun. But can we not talk about breaking up when we’ve barely even started?”

Hadley arched a brow, almost amused by his reaction.

“But eventually… we’ll go our separate ways, won’t we?”

She really thought that?

Eric’s chest tightened, his mind reeling. Was that how people approached relationships now? Like an expiration date was already stamped on them? Wasn’t the whole point of being together to build toward something fasting–marriage, family, a future?

“No…” His voice came out quieter than he intended, confusion flickering in his eyes.

“Is that really how you see this? Just something temporary?”

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Chapter 163 At Least. She’s His Now

Hadley held his gare, unwavering.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I wanted to make clear. We can be together, but that’s it. No expectations. If it stops working, we walk away. Simple.”

Bal That easy?

Eric buffed a quiet laugh, though there was no humor in it. Unbelievable! They had barely begun, and she was already planning for the end.

Pushing down the irritation prickling at his skin, he asked, “And what if things do work out?”

almost scoffed at

with their own pasts,

she swallowed the words. Arguing

voice calm but firm. “We’re in this as equals, Eric.

tightened. With a light shrug, she added, “Of course, if you lose interest

Eric’s voice came

trying to hold onto something solid. “We’ve been through a failed marriage before–I get why you’re wary. But Hadley, what I told my grandmother today… I meant every word.

Hadley barely reacted.

as if dismissing

other–nothing serious. If it stops working, we walk away. No mess, no drama.

frozen, blindsided.

night, he had been filled with anticipation,

air had shifted–he hadn’t expected her to treat this relationship so lightly, like it was

like it?” she said, lips curving in something between disappointment and inevitability. “Fine. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened-”

out, Eric leaned over, his hand closing around her

*Don’t go!”

catching the faintest trace of her scent–something familiar, something he wasn’t ready to let go of. Frustrated but helpless against

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Least, She’s His Now

thick with unspoken thoughts. He agreed? So he really was thinking the same way–just going along with the moment, taking things as they came.

lips as she turned back to face

“Deal.”

Did she think this was some

quiet, breathless laugh, shaking his

shaking it, he brought it to

skin.

a sigh, he murmured,

But that was

least, she was his.

wrapped up, it was no surprise

car, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. The streetlights cast long shadows, and when he caught sight of

wave.

her brows knitting together as she lifted a hand

the cigarette against a

smell,” she

expelling the last traces of nicotine from his

the car

we going?

had to maintain her figure for

of

considered her options.

of their arrangement, playing coy felt pointless. Besides, she preferred when

was quiet, and soon, the urban glow faded,

“We’re here.”

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163 At Least, She’s His

to open the

the view. Were they going out to

on,” he

toward a sleek yacht bobbing under the moonlight.

and Barrie–already lounging on the deck, drinks in