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

Chapter 229 Must You Be

So Unreasonable

A response arrived with the swiftness of a summer breeze.

“Mr. Flynn, we've been ringing your brother non-stop, but the line’s as dead as a doornail!”

How peculiar could that be?

Eric paused for a heartbeat, casting a fleeting glance at the woman beside him.

Inclining toward Hadley’s ear, he murmured softly, “Hadley, | need to slip out for a quick call.”

Hadley turned her gaze to him, her curiosity evident in the tilt of her head, though she refrained from prying.

With a simple nod, she replied, “Go on, then.”

Eric rose from his seat, stepped into the cool evening air outside, and punched in a number on his phone.

The line connected almost instantly.

It was Linda’s agent, her voice crackling with urgency. “Mr. Flynn.”

Eric cut straight to the chase, his tone clipped. “What has happened?”

The agent’s words tumbled out in a rush. “Linda collapsed on set just moments ago!”

“Pardon?” Eric's face darkened like a storm cloud rolling in, his brows knitting together in concern. “Get an

ambulance then! Why waste tringing me? Do | strike you as a physician?”

“No need to fret, Mr. Flynn, we're already in the ambulance.” The agent hastened to assure him, her voice

trembling slightly. “But given the gravity of the situation, I thought it best to notify you-and your brother, of

course.”

Eric massaged his temples, tamping down his rising irritation. “How is she holding up?”

“We're not certain yet,” the agent admitted. “The doctor with us suspects it might be sheer exhaustion...”

Linda had been burning the candle at both ends, juggling wedding preparations with her relentless work

schedule, pushing herself to the brink.

“Very well, I understand;” Eric replied, his voice steady but laced with concern.

“Mr. Flynn,” the agent ventured cautiously, “will you be coming to the hospital?”

Eric didn’t commit, his response measured. “I'll call Ernest.”

With that, he ended the call and immediately dialed Ernest's number. True to the agent’s words, the line wouldn't

connect-Ernest was utterly unreachable.

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Chapter 229 Must You Be So Unreasonable

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What in the world was going on?

Eric’s mind churned with questions. Ernest hadn't returned to work yet, and today marked no doctor

appointment. Shouldn't he be lounging at hat this hour?

He decided to ring Flynn Mansion.

Kira picked up, her voice warm and familiar. “Mr. Flynn.”

“Kira, is Ernest there?” Eric asked.

“No, sir. He stepped out this afternoon with Quentin. Has something happened?”

“No, nothing pressing,” Eric replied, though his tone betrayed a flicker of unease.

After hanging up, his brow furrowed deeper, a tangle of thoughts knotting in his mind.

Ernest had gone out with Quentin? Since the afternoon? What could they have been up to all this time?

It wasn’t that Eric wanted to harbor doubts about his brother, but ever since Ernest had gained consciousness,

too many things seemed off-kilter.

Tucking his phone away, Eric turned back toward the cinema.

Hadley remained in her seat, her eyes glued to the screen, a soft laugh escaping her lips as the film's story

unfolded, delighting the audience around her.

“Hadley,” Eric called gently, reluctant to shatter the serene moment but left with little choice.

“You're back.” Hadley noted, her attention still half-caught by the flickering images before her.

“Hadley, listen.”

With no alternatives left, Eric leaned closer, his voice a hushed murmur near her ear. “Linda collapsed on set and

was rushed to the hospital. | can’t get ahold of my brother, so... | might need to head over there.”

“What?”

Hadley froze mid-laugh, her eyes snapping to his with concern.

A pang of guilt twisted in Eric’s chest, a faint sheen of sweat dotting his brow. “Hadley, I'll only go to check on...”

“I get it.” Before he could finish his plea, Hadley waved a hand breezily, cutting him off. “Get going, then.”

She turned her gaze back to the glowing screen, resuming her immersion in the film.

Her nonchalant dismissal and air of indifference only deepened Eric's unease.

He gently grasped her hand, his voice tinged with worry. “Are you upset? | wasn’t planning to go at first, but with

my brother missing in action, | feel | have no choice.”

“Shh.”

Hadley pressed a slender finger to her lips, signaling for silence.

“We're in a cinema-let’s not bother everyone else. | already told you to go, didn’t I? So go.”

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Chapter 229 Must You Be So Unreasonable

Fearing Eric would persist, she added, “I'm not angry Honestly, I'm fine.”

Was she, though?

Eric scrutinized her face, searching for any hint of her true feelings, but her expression remained an enigma

Past experiences gnawed at him, leaving a lingering unease in his gut.

Still holding her hand, he suggested, “Why don’t you calong with me?”

“And why would 1?” Hadley shot him a pointed look, slipping her hand free from his grasp with a shake of her

head. “You go look after her. I'd rather stay and finish this film-it’s quite good.”

“Hadley...” Eric tried again, his tone softer. “Must you be so unreasonable?”

Hadley’s patience was fraying now, a trace of irritation creeping into her voice. “It’s bad enough you won't stay

to watch with me, but now you won't even letenjoy it in peace? I'm really enjoying this movie.”

“Hadley...” Eric pressed.

But Hadley turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze or offer another word.

Eric watched her in silence for a few lingering moments before finally relenting, “Fine, keep watching”

He glanced at his watch, mentally calculating the time.

#I'll arrange for Sebastian to pick you up afterward,”

Hadley said nothing

“I'll take my leave now.”

This time, Hadley didn’t bother with a reply, merely flicking her hand in a dismissive gesture.

Eric’s brow creased slightly as he exited the theater.

Pausing at the entrance, he hesitated before sending Hadley a quick message.

“If I can wrap things up in time, I'll cback to fetch you myself. If | couldn't make it, please givea ring

when you gets home.”

The message went through, but no response followed.

Perhaps she was too engrossed in the film to notice? Eric sighed softly. She would likely see it once the credits

rolled.

With that, he left the cinema and made his way to the hospital.

By the the reached the hospital, Linda had been settled into a room and was awake, albeit frail.

“Eric, you came.” Linda propped herself against the headboard, her complexion pale and wan. “Sorry to drag you

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all the way here. It’s nothing dire-just low blood sugar from skipping lunch while rushing through the

shoot.”

She gestured to the IV drip beside her. “A couple of these, and I'll be right as rain.”

Then she turned to her agent and assistant with a playful scolding. “You lot always make a

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molehill.”

“They're only looking out for you,” Eric said, pulling up a chair to sit by her bedside. “But honestly, with all the

wedding preparations on your plate, why push yourself so hard at work?”

Linda managed a faint chuckle. “Well, a job worth doing is worth doing well, isn’t it?”

Her gaze flickered past Eric, a shadow of disappointment crossing her face. “Ernest didn’t come?”

Though Eric harbored his own doubts about his brother, he wasn’t one to speak ill of him in front of others- not

even Ernest’s own fiancee.

“I told them not to bother Ernest just yet,” he explained smoothly. “Wanted to check on you myself first, so he

wouldn't worry needlessly.”

“Oh.” Linda nodded, accepting his words at face value. “That's considerate of you. Ernest is still recovering, after

all.”

“Indeed,” Eric replied, his tone neutral but his thoughts elsewhere.

Just then, his phone rang in his pocket.

“Ill step away to handle this call.”

“Very well.”

Swiveling on his heel, Eric answered the call, his countenance shadowed with displeasure. “Ernest, where on

earth are you?”

“I'm already at the hospital, just moments from her floor.” cthe reply.

“Alright.”

Eric ended the call with a flick of his thumb and strode purposefully toward the elevator. His eyes quickly caught

sight of Ernest and Quentin emerging from the elevator.

“Eric.” Ernest inclined his head in greeting, his poised and sophisticated features betraying a trace of weariness.

“How is Linda faring? Is she out of danger?”

“Ernest.” Eric fixed his brother with a steady gaze, sidestepping the question entirely. Instead, he countered,

“Kira mentioned you stepped out this afternoon. Care to enlightenon what's been occupying your time

lately?”

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