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

Chapter 96 Haven't Really Been Good To Himself...

“Are you done?”

Hadley’s voice drew Eric from his thoughts. She hadn't turned around yet, clearly waiting for him.

“Have you taken your shirt off?”

A shadow crossed Eric's face, his emotions briefly visible before he regained his composure.

She was just being considerate.

Moreover, she couldn’t see him from her angle.

After a deep breath, he raised his hands and removed his wet shirt. “Done.”

“Here,”

Without looking at him, Hadley threw a dry shirt his way. “Wear this for now.”

“What's this?”

Catching the shirt, Eric immediately recognized it-clearly, it was a man’s dress shirt. His sense of other men’s

clothing was keen.

Where did she find a man’s dress shirt?

Oblivious to his growing unease, Hadley replied nonchalantly, “It’s just a men’s shirt. It should fit you.”

She had intentionally chosen one that was too large.

Picking up his soaked shirt, she said, “I don’t have a dryer, so I'll wash this and hang it to dry. | can return it to

you later, is that okay?”

“Sure,” Eric muttered, his attention elsewhere.

He couldn’t stop wondering-why did she have men’s clothing in the first place?

Hadley moved towards the balcony.

“Hold on.” Without a shirt, Eric followed her impulsively out to the small balcony.

She was standing by the washing machine, tossing his shirt in, and removing spreviously washed laundry.

A single look was enough for Eric's mood to darken.

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“Hadley!”

“Yes?” She turned, puzzled by the urgency in his voice.

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Chapter 96 Haven't Really Been Good To Himself Either

Many of them used this strategy as a precaution.

Could this be the truth?

Eric's features softened, his usual sharpness replaced by a touch of confusion. It was a rare moment where he

seemed completely at a loss.

So, that was the explanation.

He had been wrong about her.

What was he thinking?

Eric should have realized the truth sooner rather than directly leaping to accusatory conclusions and lashing

out,

“Hadley-"

Disinterested in his realizations, Hadley pivoted sharply and exited the room.

“Hadley!”

Eric grabbed the shirt, which suddenly seemed far less offensive than before.

He quickly donned the shirt. To his surprise, it was a perfect fit.

Hadley, paying him no attention, made it clear she was done for the night. “It’s late. I'm going to bed.”

Eric gave a nod, but didn’t look her way.

As he finished buttoning the shirt, he finally moved closer to her, his voice carrying a hint of hope. “Hadley, look-

it fits perfectly. What a coincidence, right? My exact size.”

Hadley remained uninterested. “Are you leaving or not?”

Observing her face, Eric could tell she was genuinely upset this time.

He thought he should give her space and just leave.

“I'll go.” He finally agreed.

Hadley led him to the door.

Yet, at the doorway, Eric hesitated, not quite ready to leave.

“Hadley,” he said gently. “From now on... I'll be good to you.”

For a moment, Hadley paused. She had noticed a change in his behavior recently; he was indeed different from

before.

Yet, so what if he was being nice now?

Did his recent kindness mean she was supposed to forgive his past mistakes and just accept him? If that were

the criteria, there were many others she should have welcomed back into her life long before Eric.

Hadley shook her head. “I appreciate what you did tonight, but like I've said before—"

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< Chapter 96 Haven't Really Been Good To Himself Either

“Listen, Hadley,” Eric interjected with a rare seriousness, his tone touched by self-deprecation. “I admit I've not

been great to you, or to myself, to be honest.”

He had never really lived for himself. His life had been dictated by familial obligations, always putting his

brother, the Flynn family, and their collective interests first.

Yet, he couldn't lay all this bare to Hadley.

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With a light chuckle, as if to shake off the weight of his confessions, he added, “Trust me, I'll show you.”

Before she could argue, he continued, “It’s getting late. Head inside. Goodnight.”

He hesitated, and then seemed to recall something trivial yet personal. “One more thing-your shampoo,

what's the scent?”

Caught off guard by such an unexpected question, Hadley responded almost reflexively, “White tea.”

“Perfect,” Eric said with a slight, knowing smile. “Now close the door. I'm heading out.”

He vanished into the shadowy stairwell.

Hadley lingered in the doorway, pondering Eric's parting words.

That phrase lingered in her mind.

He just said he hadn't really been good to himself either.

What could he possibly mean by that?

Her grandmother and Nyla had been acquaintances for many years, yet Hadley hadn't really known Eric until she

was fifteen, after she cto live with them.

Her early memories of him were straightforward-he constantly shadowed Ernest, adhering to his every

directive.

If Ernest said east, Eric wouldn't think of going west. If Ernest wished for the stars, Eric would strive to fetch him

the moon as well.

Nyla had always seemed pleased with the strong bond between her grandsons.

But was there actually something off with that?

Hadley remained puzzled.

Then something else hit her-Eric’s comment earlier about mantis. Was that a riddle? What could he possibly

mean?

Without missing a beat, she grabbed her phone and typed in the key word-mantis.

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