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

Chapter 166 She Wanted Them Both

Weekend had come.

Standing near the entrance to Mayfield Road, Hadley waited patiently for Eric to cpick her up.

Tonight marked a special occasion-the entire Flynn family planned to attend her show.

They had a dinner arranged at Winterley Restaurant before the show, which started at 8:20 PM.

Within five minutes, Eric pulled up beside her.

Stepping out of the car, he seemed nervous as he inquired, “I didn’t make you wait too long, did 1?”

“Not at all,” Hadley replied, shaking her head lightly as she slid into the car seat. “Honestly, | had nothing better

to do, so | arrived early. | know you're trying to be thoughtful, but you didn’t need to trouble yourself picking me

up-1 could’ve managed on my own.”

They had discussed this earlier over the phone, but Eric had dismissed the suggestion outright.

Now, upon hearing her repeat it, irritation crept into his expression.

Eric paused, holding onto the car

firmly as his frown deepened slightly. “Hadley, picking you up isn’t an

inconvenience. It's something | genuinely want to do. Can't you see that?”

Wa

bo

Surely, as her boyfriend, offering her a ride his privilege and obligation, right?

Although Hadley sensed his irritation, she neither fully understood its source nor felt inclined to find out.

She offered a distracted nod, saying casually, “Yes, | get it.”

But did she really?

Eric doubted it but nonetheless shut the door after her and headed to Winterley Restaurant.

Inside the restaurant's private dining area, Nyla and the rest of the Flynn family were already seated

comfortably.

“Hadley, over here-sit next to me!”

Nyla beckoned eagerly, guiding Hadley to a seat next to her, with Linda on the other side. Ernest and Eric found

spots slightly farther away.

“It feels wonderful to see you two finally together,” Nyla said warmly, visibly delighted at this turn of events.

“We're meant to be family, after all! Let's celebrate this special night with delicious food.”

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Chapter 166 She Wanted Them Both

Family?

Was that presumption not a bit premature?

Keeping her doubts to herself, Hadley simply smiled in agreement. “I'm sure today will be special. It's been years

since | last visited Winterley Restaurant.”

Years ago, dinners at Winterley Restaurant with the Flynn family were a common occurrence.

Yet, somehow, four long years had passed in a heartbeat.

“Really?”

With an accusing look, Nyla glanced sharply at Eric. “Are you tellingyou've never brought her here since she

was back in town?”

Eos fleas”

Caught off-guard, Eric stumbled over his words.

There wasn’t much Eric could say in his defense. He'd always wanted to invite Hadley, but her agreement was

necessary. Besides, they'd barely started dating again.

“Relax, Grandma. If she ever craves something in the future, I'll make sure she gets it,” Eric finally reassured

her, sneaking a hopeful look toward Hadley.

Yet Hadley sat quietly, acting as if his promise had gone unheard, her attention focused elsewhere.

At that moment, a waiter pushed open the door to their private room, carefully bringing in the freshly prepared

dishes.

“Please enjoy your dinner.”

After placing everything on the table, the waiter quickly exited, leaving them alone.

Without warning, Ernest lifted his hand and began spinning the lazy Susan around.

Surprised, Linda quickly reached out to steady him. “Ernest, what is it? Just tellwhat you want. I'll pass it to

you.”

“That's not it...”

With a gentle shake of his head, Ernest continued moving the table until he sof certain dishes were now in

front of Hadley, smiling warmly.

“Eat more, Hadley.”

Glancing downward, Hadley realized every dish before her now was something she loved.

Did Ernest still recall what she enjoyed eating?

A soft warmth filled her chest. “Thank you, Ernest.”

“Mm-hm,” Ernest responded softly, withdrawing his hand with a contented smile.

Determined not to be outdone, Eric quietly rolled up his sleeves and carefully picked up sfood for her,

adding a generous helping of corn.

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Leaning close, he murmured softly, “Do you want more? | can have them prepare extra corn if you'd like.”

Corn had always been her favorite staple.

“This is plenty, Eric,” Hadley said, stopping him. “There's already more food than we can finish.”

“Okay,” Eric said, but then began to shell shrimp and place them into Hadley’s plate.

“It’s good protein. You can have plenty of these without worrying about your figure.”

Glancing down at her plate, already brimming with food Nyla had eagerly added, Hadley felt slightly

overwhelmed. “You should stop. There's no way I'll finish all this-it’s just wasteful.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eric responded with ease. “Start eating. I'll finish whatever you don’t.”

He shot her a playful smile.

Meanwhile, Linda observed the scene, a sense of unease growing within her.

Had everyone in this family completely forgotten about her existence?

As Hadley leaned forward to eat, strands of her hair slipped forward. Eric instinctively reached out, carefully

tucking them behind her ear.

“I've got it,” Hadley said, pulling a hair tie from her purse and swiftly tying her hair into a bun.

A sudden shock flickered through Linda. That hair tie looked suspiciously like the one Eric had dropped earlier.

Oh, now it made sense.

Was the hair tie originally Hadley’s? Or perhaps Eric had purchased it specifically for her?

This was intriguing.

Nearly done with their meal, Hadley excused herself to the restroom.

Exiting the stall shortly after, she saw Linda standing at the sink, carefully reapplying her makeup.

Hadley ignored her and quietly walked to the sink, getting ready to wash her hands.

“Hadley?”

Caught off guard, Hadley lifted her head, puzzled by Linda's attempt to speak to her.

“Could you helpwith something?” Linda requested cheerfully, nodding toward her makeup bag resting

nearby. “Can you passa cotton pad? My lipstick got smudged.”

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Linda briefly waved both hands, which were occupied at the moment.

Hesitating briefly, Hadley exhaled softly, reached out, and unzipped the makeup bag.

“There's a little pink pouch inside,” Linda added helpfully.

Pink pouch?

At first glance, Hadley found nothing matching that description, yet the moment she fully opened the bag, her

eyes landed directly on a hair tie-a perfect duplicate of the one securing her own hair.

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Her gaze immediately darted upward, locking onto Linda’s face.

“Hmm?” Linda acted as if nothing was amiss. “Is there a problem?”

With a faint, knowing smile, Hadley quickly realized exactly what Linda intended for her to discover.

Suspicion sharpened her expression as she studied Linda more carefully.

“Why are you looking atlike that?” Linda asked, feeling uneasy under Hadley’s gaze.

Maintaining her composure, Hadley tilted her head, saying softly, “I'm impressed. You're ambitious enough to

pursue both brothers at once. Does shever cross your mind?”

What?

Linda reeled, color draining from her face as embarrassment took over. “Have you completely lost your mind,

Hadley?”

Removing the hair tie from her own hair, Hadley held it out towards Linda. “You wantedto see this, didn’t

you? To hint at something special between you and Eric?”

“-lL

Linda faltered, caught completely off guard.

Yes, that was precisely her intention. She had wanted Hadley unsettled, jealous even. But now, the way she

called her out...

“Funny,” Hadley chuckled, sarcasm edging her voice. “Your efforts were unnecessary. I've known all about your

questionable closeness for years. You didn’t have to resort to this childish trick to remind me.”

“Stop talking nonsense, Hadley!”

Humiliation flooded Linda, anger coloring her cheeks bright red. She had wanted Hadley uncomfortable, yes, but

she hadn't expected such accusations!

“You're disgusting. Eric and | share a bond from childhood that you couldn’t possibly grasp

“Oh,” Hadley replied indifferently. “Well, | have no interest in grasping it.”

Casually, she dropped the hair tie into the trash bin.

Looking up, she noticed Eric, who had appeared at the doorway sometduring their exchange

Chapter 167 Why Are