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

Chapter 29 Someone New
As Eric’s words left his mouth, he sensed his own mistake, discomfort flickering in his eyes.
Yet, displaying vulnerability was not in Eric’s nature, especially not in front of Hadley.
He was committed to his stance once he declared it.
Eric’s tone was resolute, bordering on defiant. “So, are you going to eat or not?”
Hadley perceived his growing impatience. She sighed internally, preferring to avoid any conflict.
She responded affirmatively, “Yes, I’d like to eat.”
Eric’s expression relaxed into a faint smirk as he softened his approach. “What flavor would you like?”
“Anything is fine.”
Hadley had only wished for Paczki, but they were sold out and now she’d just have to take whatever Eric had
chosen for her–just like how things used to be between them.
“Understood,” Eric replied, his eyebrow arching. “I’ll get them. Wait here.”
Hadley settled into a seat, waiting calmly.
Shortly, Eric returned with a tray that surprisingly included donuts and two cups of coffee.
“I’ve got us coffee as well.”
“Thanks.”
Hadley immediately inquired without much thought, “What are these?”
Eric responded casually, “You said anything was fine, so I let them choose.”
That seemed reasonable.
Hadley picked up a donut and took a bite. She then grimaced slightly.

Eric caught her expression. “Something off with the donut?”
“No...” Hadley offered a small smile. “It’s just... it’s really hot; burned my tongue a bit.”
Eric didn’t dwell on it.
He picked up a donut himself and took a bite. “Maple syrup and bacon, huh? Not bad.”
He looked over at Hadley. “Do you like it?”
Hadley swallowed her bite with difficulty. “Yeah, it’s good...”
Good?
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Far from it.
She absolutely hated maple syrup,
After nearly a decade of knowing Eric and sharing countless meals over five years, it baffled her that Eric st hadn’t picked up on
her hatred to maple syrup.
It made sense, though. Eric often overlooked the preferences of those he was indifferent towards
Hadley knew she couldn’t really blame him; he wasn’t obligated to remember her preferences.
Nevertheless, she managed to suppress her discomfort and finished one dou
After that, she stopped eating

“Why have you stopped?” Eric appeared surprised. “Are you full already?”
“Yes,” Hadley replied, patting her mouth with a napkin. “I’m fine now,”
“Really?” Eric’s tone grew skeptical and his expression hardened, “Is that all?”
“Yes.” Hadley affirmed with a nod. “I’ve received your thank–you gift and appreciated it. Thank you.”
Appreciated it?
Eric felt a twinge of annoyance. Was that her idea of appreciation?
“We’re even now.” Hadley reached for her bag, ready to leave. “I need to get going...”
Suddenly, she stopped, a thought occurring to her. “Hey, Eric, when are you available? Now that Nyla’s surgery is over, we
should finalize our divorce.”
“I’m not available anytime soon!” Eric responded abruptly, irritation evident as he glanced at the leftover
donuts.
“What’s the hurry? You can’t wait?”
“No.”
Hadley shook her head, puzzled by his reaction. Rising from her seat, she said, “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy your breakfast.”
She didn’t wait for a reply, shouldering her bag and walking out.
Eric remained seated, frustration simmering inside him.
What was her angle? Did she just give him the attitude?
“She’s been away for years and all she’s learned is how to get under my skin.” Eric fret about.
Returning to her apartment, Hadley took a nap to energize herself for her performance at Galant that evening
Hadley arrived in the late afternoon, ready to get a head start on her preparations for the evening’s dance
performance.

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Lennon had chosen a beautiful outfe for her, a gown of soft, flowing chiffon that seemed almost weightless.
She began dressing and applying her makeup.
Lennon came into the dressing room.
“Mr. Lewis,” Hadley greeted, standing up quickly.
“Relax, keep sitting,” Lennon instructed with a smile, motioning her to continue her makeup. “Just listen while
you get ready”
“Okay,”
Lennon was there to talk about what was coming next.
“We’re launching the Toasting Ceremony in a few days.”
“The Toasting Ceremony?”
“That’s right
It was a clever marketing strategy. As the venue focused on dance, they planned to include dance battles as part of the
festivities, aligning with Calant’s dance queen competition.
Guests would have the opportunity to vote and bet on their preferred dancers.
It was expected that multiple bets might be placed on the same dancer.
What was at stake? The top betting guest on the winning dancer, who would be crowned as the dance queen,
would be honored by having her serve them a drink.
Hadley understood the concept but remained skeptical. “Do you think that will actually attract interest?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Lennon reassured her with a confident smirk. “People here love to spend money for entertainment. They’ll

definitely enjoy this.”
He didn’t mince words. “You’re a guaranteed winner for dance queen. Just a heads–up, you’ll be pouring drinks, so prepare for
that. Are you okay with this?”
“That’s fine,” Hadley responded, her smile easy and assured.
She had understood such responsibilities were part of the job when she joined Galant.
Lennon, feeling confident in her response, said, “Great. Get ready, then. I have to go.”
Meanwhile, outside, the familiar group was back in their usual spot. The booth facing the stage held Eric, Barrie,
Marshall, and Denver, just as before.
Tonight, Eric was more reserved than usual, his silence notable since their arrival.
“What’s going on?” Barrie inquired, noticing Eric’s sour mood. “Something happened?”
“Yeah.” Eric acknowledged with a nod, not attempting to hide his feelings.
His mind was preoccupied, thoughts of Hadley and earlier mishaps lingering.
Marshall, intrigued by his friend’s demeanor, asked further, “Who managed to ruffle the feathers of our Mr.
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Flynn? Share with us; it might lighten the mood.”
Eric responded with a sardonic laugh, but then asked, “What do young women generally appreciate?
This morning’s events had been largely his own doing. He had made promises to Hadley that he hadn’t kept

The issue with the donuts seemed minor, but failing to keep his word was a bigger problem.
Hadley had left Grandma’s Kitchen visibly distressed, and merely bringing her back there didn’t seem suffidem
Eric considered that a thoughtful gift might mend fences, yet he was clueless about her preferences.
All day, he pondered, coming to the realization that he knew nothing about her except for her feelings for him
However, offering himself as a gift was out of the question.
Thus, Eric turned to his friends for suggestions.
“You mean it’s about a woman?”
Barrie and Marshall chimed in simultaneously.
Barrie scoffed, “Are you trying to figure out what Linda likes?”
“Really?” Marshall replied. “After all these years, you should be the expert on her preferences, given all the gifts
you’ve given her.”
Eric’s irritation was apparent. “It’s not about Linda.”
“No way!”
Both Marshall and Barrie were stunned, speaking in unison again.
“You guys are exhausting,” Eric retorted, visibly annoyed.
He was clearly serious this time.
Barrie leaned in, intrigued. “Has Eric Flynn moved on to someone new?”
“It’s not like that.”
Eric immediately regretted bringing it up. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it...”
However, Marshall became more thoughtful. “Generally, women appreciate similar things. Clothes, jewelry, designer bags–it’s
hard to go wrong there.”

Was it really that simple?
It wasn’t a particularly innovative suggestion, yet Eric had considered it as well.
“Okay.” Eric decided to keep it simple and not complicate things further.
“Look over there, it’s S!” Denver interjected excitedly, pointing towards the stage.
“S? Who’s that?”
Everyone else was confused.
“The jazz dancer who performs under a mask last time!”