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

Chapter 45 Are They Still Together Now

“What the hell is that?”

A slick, unpleasant sensation clung to the bottom of Eric's shoe, sending a shudder up his spine.

He aimed his phone's flashlight downward, only to find that he had stepped on something soft-and clearly

edible.

Disgust twisted his expression as he yanked his foot back.

Irritated, he stomped twice, shaking off the remnants, and then strode forward, his patience already wearing

thin.

Behind him, Hadley threw the door wide open.

She just realized that, without meaning to, she might have dropped her pumpkin soup earlier when she was

startled by Eric's presence at her doorstep.

Turning on her phone's flashlight, she scanned the area, sweeping the beam across the hallway until she spotted

it in the corner. But the sight made her stomach drop-the bowl lay shattered, with soup splattered messily across

the floor.

Hadley released a slow, disappointed breath. “It’s completely ruined,” she muttered under her breath.

Without hesitation, she turned away, reached for a mop, and set to work. It only made sense that she should

be the one to clean up the mess.

Still, she didn’t dwell on the spilled soup for long.

By the next morning, she had put it out of her mind and arrived at the address Elvin had sent, stepping in right

on talongside a small group of other dance stand-ins.

What she hadn't expected was to see Adonis there as well, standing next to the choreographer.

“I'll make this quick,” he said, his tone brisk. “The choreographer and | have already discussed what | want to

present. Every routine they've designed needs to be drilled until it’s flawless. When the cameras roll, | don’t

want a single pause.”

Adonis had built his reputation on filming scenes in a single, continuous take, demanding that his actors,

actresses, and even background dancers perform with the precision and stamina of a Broadway production.

“Yes, sir,” the girls replied in unison.

Hadley gave herself a silent pep talk.

She wasn’t nervous. As a dancer, her job was to execute every move with precision, and she was more than

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Chapter 45 Are They Still Together Now

ready for it.

Rajab’s Family My Boys is Going to Pakistan Rajab is totally Alone now

From morning until well past midday, Hadley and the other girls pushed themselves to their limits under the

choreographer’s watchful eye, sweating through every grueling sequence.

Adonis’ expectations were nothing short of relentless. And this was just for the opening number-or so they'd

been told.

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By the tthe choreographer finally clapped his hands and dismissed them, the clock had already passed two

in the afternoon.

“Make sure you keep practicing when you get home. You all know exactly what Mr. Faulkner expects from you.”

“We will.”

“Alright.”

Hadley gathered up her belongings, pressing a hand to her stomach as it let out a low, impatient growl.

They had been given boxed lunches earlier, but after dancing for hours on end, the energy from that meal had

long since burned away. Now she had a decision to make-grab a burger nearby or drag herself hand make

something for herself?

The thought of cooking-though more economical-felt exhausting. She needed food immediately.

Stopping by a fast-food place nearby, she grabbed a burger, unwrapped it, and took a bite as she continued

walking.

“Hadley?” A voice suddenly called out to her.

Pausing mid-bite, Hadley lifted her gaze.

A middle-aged man stood a short distance away, watching her with an expression that made it seem like he

thought she might disappear at any second.

“Hadley!”

Upon taking a few steps closer, the man’s face broke into an eager, almost disbelieving smile.

“It’s really you! You've grown so much-I barely recognized you...” His voice faded, the rest of his sentence left

hanging in the air.

Hadley let out a quiet scoff, the sarcasm evident in her voice. “Look, could you move? You're in my way.”

The man hesitated, momentarily thrown off by her response. “Hadley, don’t you recognize me?”

“Should 1?” She raised an eyebrow, her tone indifferent. “Are we supposed to know each other?”

For a brief moment, he couldn't tell if she had truly forgotten him or if she was intentionally shutting him out.

Pointing to himself, the man tried again. “It’s been years-five, to be exact. You've changed a lot, but | haven't. If

you just take a second to think, you should-"

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Hadley had no patience for this conversation. “I don’t know you. Get out of my way and stop blocking me.”

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Without waiting for a response, she stepped around him, ready to put the encounter behind her.

“Hadley!”

Out of nowhere, the man reached for her and grabbed her arm. “Wait-just listen for a second!”

The moment his hand closed around her wrist, something deep inside Hadley snapped, like a trigger being pulled

without warning.

“Ah!”

A sharp cry tore from her throat as her eyes widened in pure panic. She struggled violently against his grip, her

breathing turning ragged. “Let go of me! Get your hands offnow!”

“Is something wrong?”

The man stared at her, confusion written all over his face. He didn’t understand why she was reacting as if he

were skind of threat.

“Hadley, I'm not trying to hurt you! | just—"

“No! Don’t touch me!”

Hadley shook her head frantically, terror flashing in her eyes, but no matter how hard she pulled away, she

couldn't break free.

The more she fought, the more his hold tightened. “Hadley, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

“Get your hands off her!”

Before the situation could spiral any further, someone appeared.

It was Eric.

The afternoon sun burned brightly overhead, casting a golden glow that accentuated his striking features,

making him look almost unreal.

Without hesitation, Eric reached out, his fingers clamping around the middle-aged man’s wrist. As he moved, the

crisp white cuff of his shirt slipped into view, revealing a polished platinum cufflink.

Even in a moment like this, there was an effortless smoothness to the way Eric carried himself.

“Eric...” Hadley’s voice cout in a whisper, barely believing he was standing there, defending her.

“I'm here.”

Though her words were barely audible, Eric caught them.

There was something in her tone-a quiet, unspoken reliance on him-that sent an unexpected tightness through

his chest.

His gaze snapped toward the man gripping Hadley’s arm.

“| said let go. Are you deaf?”

“You...”

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Chapter 45 Are They Still Together Now

The middle-aged man finally seemed to recognize him. His grip loosened instantly, his face shifting from

confusion to shock. “Mr. Flynn?”

Eric scoffed, a sharp, unimpressed sound.

With a flick of his wrist, he shook off the man’s hand as if the very touch was beneath him. “So you know who |

am. And yet you still thought you could put your hands on my wife? Get the hell out of my sight.”

He then didn’t spare the man another glance. His attention was solely on Hadley.

Her face was drained of color, her body trembling, her lips pale. She looked completely shaken.

“Hadley?”

Eric's brows pulled together in a frown. Was she really sick?

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Whenever he or any other man-laid a hand on her, she reacted like this, panicked and shaken.

Eric searched his mind for

. This wasn’t how she used to be-not in the memories he had of her.

Back when they were newly married, they had shared a bed. It hadn't been perfect, but it had happened. She

had always gravitated toward him, never hesitating to be

close.

So why was she like this now?

Hadley wobbled unsteadily on her feet, and without thinking, Eric moved to catch her. But the second his hand

lifted, she recoiled, as if his mere presence was something to be feared.

Eric froze, his frown deepening. “I won't lay a hand on you,” he said, his voice steady but firm. “Just tell me

are you okay? Can you walk?

“Yes.” Hadley gave a weak nod, forcing herself to respond, though her voice barely rose above a whisper. “I'm

fine... Thank you.”

That cold, distant politeness struck a nerve.

Hadley had never spoken to him like this before. She had never kept this kind of careful, measured space

between them.

Eric gestured toward the street. “My car’s parked over there. Where are you headed? I'll take you.”

“No...”

“Not up for debate!”

He cut her off before she could refuse. “I made a promise to Grandma that I'd look after you, and | don’t break

my promises. You're in no condition to be on your own right now. How could I just walk away?”

Hadley stared at him, her expression unreadable. Wasn't he capable of that?

There had been plenty of times before when Eric had turned his back on her without a second thought.

“Alright then.” Hadley gave a weary nod, too drained to argue. “I appreciate it.”

Sof the tension in Eric's expression softened. “Con.”

“Okay.”

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They walked side by side, neither closing the deliberate gap between them.

A short distance away, the middle-aged man stood in silence, his brows drawn together in deep contemplation

Though he had stepped back earlier, the middle-aged man had never truly left.

As Eric and Hadley disappeared from sight, he remained rooted in place, his mind working to make sense of it

all.

He knew they had been married once, but he also knew their relationship had been far from easy. Four years

ago, Eric had sent Hadley away, casting her off without hesitation.

Yet now, she was back.

But what did that mean for the two of them? Were they still husband and wife, or had tchanged everything?

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