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

Chapter 132 Is This Your Version Of Devotion

Denver, his nerves frayed with anticipation, shoved his phone into his pocket and bolted for the door-be had to

see Hadley!

But the moment he stepped into the hallway, a familiar obstacle stood in his path.

“And just where do you think you're going?”

“Mom,” Denver said exhaling, frustration simmering beneath his breath. “I am an adult. | have every right to

make my own choices.”

“Humph.”

Wilma sneered, “So you wouldn't tell me? Fine. Letguess-you are in such a hurry to see Hadley, aren't you?”

Denver hesitated briefly. It was no surprise that his mother had figured it out, and he had no reason to deny it.

“Yes,” he admitted,

“Hal” Wilma pointed a finger at him and laughed mockingly. “Try stepping out of this house today, | dare you.”

“Mom?”

Denver frowned, failing to understand her reaction. “I am not a child anymore. You cannot dictate my every

move.”

“Dictate your every move? Are you accusingnow?”

Wilma’s eyes narrowed as she took a slow step forward, her voice laced with scorn.

“And how could you talk tolike that? | raised you, funded your education, and now you are working at the

Moran family’s company. Everything you own, everything you have achieved, cfrom this family.”

Denver's face paled slightly at her words. “Mom, what are you trying to say?”

“What am | trying to say?” Wilma'’s voice turned cold, like the bite of winter's wind. “If you insist on being with

Hadley, then leave this house. You are no longer a part of this family.”

Hearing this, Denver stood frozen.

Never had he even intended to issue such an ultimatum to force his parents to accept Hadley, yet here his

mother was, pushing him into a choice he had not planned to make so soon.

“I will not give up on Hadley.” Denver let out a deep sigh. “If that is truly what you want, then fine... I will leave.”

Without another word, he turned back toward his room.

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Wilma was caught completely off guard Without hesitation, she hurried after him, her pulse rekening in she

watched in disbelief he was actually packing his bags

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Panic flared in her eyes, and she snapped, “Do you think walking away is that easy? | will freeze prat w*xtx*

too!”

Denver hesitated mid-motion “Mom?”

Believing she had finally struck fear into him, Wilma let out a triumphant smirk “feeling scared now? That's

more like it! You were really about to throw everything away for that woman

“Enough”

Denver's jaw tightened as he swallowed his anger. No matter how furious he was, she was still his mother. Ste

did not want to cross a line he could not return from

But that did not mean he would just stand there and take it.

“Mom, Hadley is the woman | love. The least you can do is show her srespect. Do whatever you want, but

my decision is final”

He knew one thing for certain-leaving this house would not spell his doom. He would survive. But Hadley? He

couldn't give up on her.

Without another word, Denver zipped his suitcase shut, grabbed the handle, and turned to leave.

“What is happening here?”

Roderick arrived just in tto witness the unfolding scene. His chest tightened as he reached for his son’s arm

“Where do you think you are going? We should talk this through!”

“Let him go! Do not stop him!” Wilma shot her husband a withering glare and snapped, “Denver has lost all

sense! If he is so determined to leave, then let him!”

“Dad.” Denver freed himself from his father’s grasp, his expression calm yet unwavering “1 am leaving Take

care of yourselves.”

With that, he strode toward the stairs, his suitcase rolling behind him.

“Hey...” Roderick called after him, voice laced with hesitation.

“Let him go!”

Wilma latched onto her husband’s arm, watching their son’s retreating figure with thinly veiled frustration. “He

actually believes living on his own will be a walk in the park? He has never faced a real struggle-let us see how

long he lasts!”

Roderick blinked, caught off guard. “Well... if that is what you think.”

The following day, Eric heard from Marshall about Denver's abrupt departure from his family home.

Barrie let out a low whistle. “So he really got kicked out?”

“Yes.” Marshall nodded. “Aunt Wilma is serious. She has warned all relatives and friends not to extend a

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< Chapter 132 is This Your Version Of Devotion

helping hand unless they want to be on her bad side.”

With that decree in place, who would dare to defy her?

“Wow” Barrie clicked his tongue. “That is brutal. Looks like she has no intention of ever accepting Hadley.”

As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward Eric

“Why are you looking at me? Do not tellyou think | orchestrated their relationship?” Eric narrowed his eyes.

He exhaled a sharp breath and pulled out a cigarette, taking a slow drag

From the very beginning, he had said Denver and Hadley were not a good match.

A divorced woman with no powerful family backing? How could a high,standing family like Denver's ever

approve?

Only Nyla had indulged in such wishful thinking.

Barrie shifted his focus back to Marshall, “So where is Denver staying now? Is he managing?”

“He still has friends, alright? He is crashing with one of them,” Marshall replied, shaking his head. “But word is,

Hadley is not speaking to him. She blocked him.”

“What?” Barrie gawked. “So he is left with nothing?”

Then, after a beat, he nodded to himself, as if making sense of it. “Well, Hadley is not wrong. Clinging to

Denver now would be reckless-"

“Why would that be reckless?” Eric, who had been silent until now, suddenly cut in.

He stubbed out his half-burned cigarette in the ashtray. “Was she the one clinging to Denver? Wasn't it Denver

who insisted?”

Denver had known what he was getting into from the start.

“If he chose this path, he should see it through.”

The weight of his words settled over the room like a dense fog.

Barrie and Marshall exchanged glances but said nothing.

The next day.

At Lightning Studio.

Eric had been parked outside for ten minutes, his sharp gaze never straying from the entrance.

Afraid to even blink, he waited, his patience wearing thin.

At last, she appeared.

“Hadley!”

Eric stepped out of his car and closed the distance between them with purposeful strides.

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Hadley turned, startled by his sudden presence. “Is there... something you need?

“Yes.” Eric nodded toward the vehicle idling at the curb. “Get in first.”

Her fingers tightened around her bag strap. “What is this about? We can talk right here”

Did she think he was ssort of threat? The way she was acting, one might asshe was out to go he

Eric felt a dull ache in his chest. If he had not been the reason she ended up a divorces, he would not be wasting

his there.

Clearing his throat, Eric spoke with an awkward stiffness. “Well Denver is holding up for now. But

relationships are a two-way street. He can’t be the only one fighting for it while you stand on the sdeines

doing nothing.”

“What?”

Hadley was caught off guard, the weight of his words throwing her off balance.

“I heard,” Eric continued, his voice steady with purpose. “You blocked Denver-so what now? Are you planning to

erase him from your life entirely?”

Hadley stiffened. How did he know? More importantly, why was he here? Was he about to strung am her ins

reconsidering just because she turned Denver away?

“Are you being reckless?”

Eric had no idea what thoughts were racing through her mind.

His tone was as sharp as a blade. “Denver got thrown out because of you! The man refuses to back down yet the

moment you hit a rough patch, you throw in the towel? Did you not say you hired him? Is this your version of

devotion?”

Hadley was struck silent, caught between disbelief and hesitation.

“What are you waiting for? Get in the car!”

Eric studied her expression, smugly convinced that he was, without a doubt, the most exceptional ex-trustend in

existence.

“Where are we going?”

“To see Denver, of course!” Eric let out an exasperated sigh. “Must | spell it out? Right now, you should be at his

side, ensuring he can’t get you out of his head!”

Men understood their own kind better than women never could.

“A man never forgets the woman who stood by him when the world turned against him. Mark r get in!”

words! Now