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

Chapter 43 Pumpkin Soup

Behind the scenes.

“Hadley!”

Grinning widely, Lennon made his way over to Hadley once more.

He was disappointed by Eric’s absence tonight.

Yet, despite Eric's absentee, an unexpected late-night treat arrived.

“What's going on, Mr. Lewis?” Hadley inquired, rising to greet him with a grin.

“Just a second...”

With a flourishing gesture, Lennon gestured to the doors of the dressing room and called out to those at the

entry. “Go ahead, bring everything inside.”

No sooner had he issued the invitation than a group of seven or eight individuals entered, each carrying an item.

With evident delight, Lennon instructed them, “Set everything down on the middle table.”

This large table at the center of the dressing room served as a communal spot for meals, casual drinks, and

occasionally to host Lennon's talks.

The group, clad in delivery uniforms, was clearly there to drop off takeout.

“What is this about?”

Whispering to one another, Hadley’s colleagues clustered around her, curious about the unfolding scene.

Hadley shrugged and answered candidly, “I'm just as clueless.”

As they unpacked the takeout, the logo on the packaging caught their eye-it was from the Red Shell Bistro.

“Look, it's desserts from the Red Shell Bistro!”

“Seriously? Mr. Lewis, this is quite the treat!”

After all the items were set on the table, the delivery crew departed.

Gathering everyone's attention with a clap, Lennon announced, “Ladies, we've got desserts from the Red Shell

Bistro here, plenty for all!”

“Wow!”

The room erupted in cheers.

“Thank you, Mr. Lewis!”

“Wow, Mr. Lewis, you've really outdone yourself.”

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“Not at all.” With a dismissive wave and a knowing look towards Hadley, Lennon said, “Actually, | didn’t pay for

it. Give your thanks to Hadley! This treat is courtesy of Mr. Flynn on her behalf!”

“Amazing, Hadley!”

“Truly, we're fortunate to have you as a friend, Hadley.”

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“Let's dive in then!”

“Thanks for this, Hadley!”

Confronted with her colleagues’ playful remarks, Hadley managed a tight smile.

“Hadley.”

Approaching with a grin, Lennon said, “Though Mr. Flynn couldn't be here tonight, his generous act spec

volumes. Remember that.”

Hadley compressed her lips, nodding. “Understood.”

Having other tasks to handle, Lennon didn’t stay. “Make sure you get stoo. It was Mr. Flynn's treat

especially for you-don’t let them finish everything!”

“Got it.”

Once Lennon was gone, Hadley’s smile quickly faded.

What was Eric thinking? Was he genuinely taken with a dancer? And did Linda have any clue?

Could he really risk igniting Linda’s jealousy?

Would he feel deceived when he realized that the person behind the mask was his former wife?

Displeased, Hadley had no desire to indulge in the desserts.

Rising, Hadley made her way towards the bathroom.

Right outside the dressing room, she unexpectedly bumped into someone she knew.

Denver had quietly slipped in. Even though this corridor was meant for Galant’s staff, the door usually

remained unlocked.

He wasn’t sure why he had entered, but his cousin had sent a late-night treat to S under Eric's name...

What would her reaction be?

Would she appreciate how much Eric seemed to value her?

“Hey...” Hadley paused, blinking. “Couldn’t find the bathroom again?”

“Not this time...”

Denver was taken aback by the immediate encounter.

Peering into the dressing room where the desserts from Red Shell Bistro were being enjoyed, he hesitated before

inquiring, “You're not joining them?”

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“What?”

Hadley was briefly thrown off before she caught on.

“Those desserts? Nothing there really appeals to me, so | passed.”

Denver's eyes brightened, his smile hinting at a thought. Not a fan of those desserts?

This might imply a couple of possibilities.

Perhaps she simply didn’t enjoy them like she claimed. Or maybe, she disliked the person who had them sent...

In either case, it was promising news for Denver.

Denver hesitated, and then asked, “What do you enjoy then?”

Caught off guard, Hadley inquired, “What's prompting your question?”

“I... uh...” Denver's face flushed at her question. “I was just curious. You don’t have to answer.”

“Okay, I'm heading out.” Hadley gestured forward.

With a nod of resignation, Denver watched her depart, his gaze lingering.

Abruptly, Hadley spun around.

Denver snapped to attention. What was that?

After a brief pause, Hadley said, “Pumpkin soup.”

With those words lingering in the air, she departed without a backward glance.

“Pumpkin soup,” Denver muttered under his breath, his smile gradually spreading.

She had given him an answer.

“Perfect!”

His pulse quickened with anticipation.

Returning from the bathroom, Hadley shook off their brief interaction and turned her attention to preparing for

her show.

Once finished, she wiped off her makeup, changed out of her costume, and got ready to head home.

“Hey!”

Just as she was leaving Galant, someone called out.

Uncertain if the call was for her, Hadley turned and saw Denver sprinting towards her with a bag in hand.

She halted, waiting to see what he wanted.

“What's going on?”

Huffing slightly from his jog, Denver approached Hadley with a slightly red face, handing her the bag with a

restrained grin. “I brought this for you.”

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Curious, Hadley eyed the bag warily. “What's inside?”

Denver, pressed for time, knew his cousin and Barrie were expecting him. They would tease him endlessly if they

knew he'd been out searching for S.

“Please, just take it,” he insisted.

In his rush, Denver pushed the bag into her hands.

Hadley’s brow furrowed as their hands briefly touched before he quickly withdrew his.

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“Got to go!”

With a smile, Denver turned to dash away.

“Wait, what's inside this?” Hadley called after him.

Over his shoulder, Denver called back with a wave, “Pumpkin soup!” before sprinting away.

Pumpkin soup? Perplexed, Hadley peered into the bag. Indeed, the soup was still warm.

She'd mentioned it offhand, and he'd actually gone and gotten it?

Did he have feelings for her?

Exhaling deeply, Hadley shook her head in disbelief.

Was he just a spoiled rich kid chasing a whim, or a clueless one caught up in his first crush? Either way, she

didn’t

dre.

For now, a new relationship was off the table for her.

Still, she was grateful for the pumpkin soup.

With the bag in tow, Hadley returned to her apartment on West Twelfth Alley.

In her building, where elevators were unheard of, the stairwell was dark; the lights were faulty across multiple

floors, her own included.

Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved her phone and activated the flashlight feature.

The beam cut through the darkness when suddenly...

“Ah!”

Startled by the figure looming at her doorstep, Hadley nearly lost her grip on her phone.

“You've finally returned.”

A voice emerged from the shadows.

What?

The familiarity of the voice sent a buzz through Hadley’s mind. Could it be someone she knew?

Hesitantly, she aimed her phone’s light once more.

“Hey!”

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The light hit Eric’s eyes, prompting him to shield them with a hand, his irritation evident. “Hadley, are you trying

to blind me?”

Hadley found herself at a loss for words.

Was it really Eric standing there?

Ignoring her initial reaction to withdraw, she directed the flashlight more intently towards him.

A closer look confirmed it was indeed Eric.

She wasted no tand turned to flee.

“Hadley!”

Eric quickly stepped forward and caught her long ponytail. “Where do you think you're going?”

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