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 | 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 cout 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 | 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

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already planning for the end.

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

Hadley almost scoffed at his words.

The thought was ridiculous. Two people with their own pasts, their own unspoken wounds? They weren't built for

forever.

But she swallowed the words. Arguing wouldn't change anything.

Hadley arched a brow, her voice calm but firm. “We're in this as equals, Eric. If one day | decide I'm done, | have

every right to walk away.”

She caught the flicker of tension in his jaw, the way his grip on the steering wheel tightened. With a light shrug,

she added, “Of course, if you lose interest first, you can say so too.”

“Enough” Eric's voice cout sharp, raw.

He didn’t want to hear any more. His hands clenched around the wheel as if trying to steady himself, trying to

hold onto something solid. “We've been through a failed marriage before-I get why you're wary. But Hadley,

what | told my grandmother today... | meant every word. | will treat you well.”

Hadley barely reacted.

A nonchalant “Uh-huh” was all she offered, as if dismissing the weight of his words.

Then, with a casual air, she continued, “Look, we're just seeing each other-nothing serious. If it stops working,

we walk away. No mess, no . So, do you agree or not? If you do, we move forward. If not, let's forget this

ever happened.”

Eric sat frozen, blindsided.

Just last night, he had been filled with anticipation, unable to sleep from excitement.

Now, in a matter of minutes, the air had shifted-he hadn't expected her to treat this relationship so lightly, like it

was a passing whim.

“Don’t like it?” she said, lips curving in something between disappointment and inevitability. “Fine. Let's pretend

this conversation never happened-”

Before she could step out, Eric leaned over, his hand closing around her wrist.

*Don’t go!”

He exhaled, catching the faintest trace of her scent-something familiar, something he wasn’t ready to let go of.

Frustrated but helpless against her, he muttered, “Fine. Have it your way.”

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Chapter 163 At Least, She’s His Now

Hadley paused, the stillness between them thick with unspoken thoughts. He agreed? So he really was thinking

the sway-just going along with the moment, taking things as they came.

A slow smile played on her lips as she turned back to face him, extending her hand.

“Deal.”

What was that? Did she think this was skind of business arrangement?

Eric let out a quiet, breathless laugh, shaking his head in exasperation.

Still, he took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss against her

skin.

With a sigh, he murmured, “Hadley...”

She didn’t trust him-not yet. But that was fine. Twould prove everything.

For now, at least, she was his.

That night, after the performance wrapped up, it was no surprise to find Eric waiting outside the studio.

He had been there for a while, leaning against his car, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. The

streetlights cast long shadows, and when he caught sight of Hadley stepping out, he lifted a hand in a casual

wave.

She hesitated for a beat before walking over, her brows knitting together as she lifted a hand to block the

drifting smoke.

Eric noticed and, without a word, pressed the cigarette against a nearby trash can, extinguishing it. “Not a fan of

smoke?”

“I don’t like the smell,” she replied bluntly.

“Got it.” He exhaled to the side, as if expelling the last traces of nicotine from his system. “I won't smoke around

you anymore.”

With that, he pulled open the car door. “Hop in.”

Hadley eyed him, wary but intrigued. “Where are we going? You know | don’t eat this late.”

She had to maintain her figure for work-strict discipline was non-negotiable.

“I know.” Eric rested a hand on the roof of the car, smirking. “Relax. | promise you'd like this.”

Hadley considered her options.

Given the nature of their arrangement, playing coy felt pointless. Besides, she preferred when things moved

forward rather than idling in uncertainty.

Without another word, she slid into the passenger seat. The drive was quiet, and soon, the urban glow faded,

replaced by the open expanse of the sea.

“We're here.”

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Chapter 163 At Least, She’s His frow

Eric stepped out first, circling around to open the door for her. “After you.”

Hadley frowned slightly as she took in the view. Were they going out to sea?

“Con,” he said easily.

Eric took her hand, leading her down the dock toward a sleek yacht bobbing under the moonlight. “They're all

waiting for us.”

Once on board, Hadley spotted two familiar faces-Marshall and Barrie-already lounging on the deck, drinks in

hand

“Wow!” Barrie whistled, eyeing her with playful intrigue.

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“Who's this? Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend here?”

Clearly, they hadn't expected Eric to show up with company. And naturally, men loved to tease.

“Relax,” Eric muttered, though the smirk tugging at his lips betrayed his amusement. He threw a glance at

Hadley before making the introduction.

“You all know her. This is Hadley,” And then, with deliberate ease, he added, “My girlfriend.”

That was the part that mattered.

A beat of silence, then-“Wow!"

“Ohhh...”

Another round of laughter, teasing remarks flying, but Eric didn’t seem to mind.

“You're all too damn loud!”

Eric laughed, shaking his head as he swatted away his friends’ teasing remarks. Ignoring their whistles and

knowing smirks, he took Hadley’s hand and led her into the yacht’s cabin.

“We'll stay here tonight,” he said casually, glancing at her. “In the morning, we'll watch the sunrise over the

sea.”

Huh? Hadley blinked, caught off guard.

That... sounded dangerously romantic.

Wait-was this something they were supposed to be doing?

For a normal couple, sure, this plan would make perfect sense. But they were anything but. She had no illusions

about what this was-no promises, no expectations.

“What's wrong?” Noticing her hesitation, Eric frowned slightly. “You don’t like it?”

He had taken this first date-if it could even be called that-seriously. He had chosen this moment carefully,

bringing her here to share something special: the sunrise spilling over the endless sea.

Hadley snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head. “No, it’s not that.”

She reassessed the situation. Maybe this was just part of keeping up appearances-bringing her around his

friends, making their relationship look real enough to avoid suspicion from Ernest and Linda.

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20:43

Fine. She'd play along. “A sunrise at sea sounds interesting,” she said at last, her tone light. “I've never seen one

before.”

Eric's posture relaxed, a small smile playing at his lips. “I think you'll like it.”

Hadley glanced around the room, and then back at him. Arching a brow, she asked, “Are we sharing this room?”

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