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

Chapter 99 Candied Hawthorns

“What else was | supposed to do?” Eric replied, his tone laced with a gentle helplessness, though the warmth

simmering beneath it hinted at his quiet devotion. “Dancing is her passion. If she can’t twirl and sway, she is a

bird with clipped wings. And if she must dance, doesn’t she deserve the cream of the crop-the finest stage to

shine on?”

It was hard to argue with that logic.

Nyla let out a soft sigh, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “You've really thought this through, haven't you?”

She squinted at Eric, a playful suspicion flickering in her gaze. “So, you're truly head over heels for Hadley this

time, huh?”

“Grandma,” Eric said, his brow furrowing in genuine bewilderment, “did you honestly think | was just playing

a game?”

Nyla exhaled a slow, measured breath and gave a small nod. “Fair enough. As long as you don’t break Hadley’s

heart, I'll keep my nose out of it. How you sweep her off her feet is your dance to choreograph.”

“Thank you, Grandma.” A faint smile tugged at Eric’s lips, softening his features. “I'm planning to wait until

Hadley’s back, and then whisk her off to meet my brother.” His eyes shadowed with a fleeting gloom before he

pressed on. “When Linda isn’t around.”

It was no secret that those two women mixed like oil and water.

“Smart move,” Nyla murmured, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush. “No matter how things unfold with

Hadley, mind you keep your manners with Linda. She has weathered storms aplenty.”

Nyla sighed again, a wistful note threading through her words. “That child she had lost... It has always been a

pebble in Linda’s shoe.”

The rest of them might overlook Hadley’s missteps, but Linda-being the one who had borne the brunt- couldn't

quite let bygones be bygones.

She swore she had moved on, but Eric could see the truth lurking in her eyes; resentment still smoldered

beneath the surface.

“| get it, Grandma,” Eric replied, his face shadowing briefly. His voice held steady, firm as an oak. “Rest easy- I'll

handle it with care. Now, please, sip your milk before it turns to ice.”

“Very well.”

Beyond the door, Linda froze, her breath catching in her throat as she tiptoed away.

Her face drained of color, her thoughts swirling like leaves in a tempest.

14:23

<

So that was Eric's grand scheme-blocking Hadley’s job prospects not out of spite, but to nudge her toward

Blanche’s dance troupe?

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And now he was plotting to woo her?

Hadn't he once vowed to despise her forever? Wasn't it he who'd vowed, with fire in his veins, that forgiveness

would never cross her threshold?

When had the tides turned?

Where had everything gone off the rails?

Two days later, Hadley set out for home.

Still a fresh face in the troupe, she hadn't yet been handed a spotlight role. Blanche had dragged her along

mostly to get her feet wet-learning the ropes, meeting the crew, and soaking in the rhythm of the operation.

Every detail, down to the train tickets, had been neatly tied up by Blanche’s assistant.

No sooner had Hadley plopped into her seat than her phone buzzed to life.

Eric's nflashed across the screen.

“Hello?” answered, her voice a curious lilt.

“You're on your way back?” Eric’s tone danced with an easy familiarity, warm and teasing, like a friend who knew

her better than she could admit. “When do you roll in? I'll send Sebastian to pick you up and bring you to

the office.”

The his office?!

Hadley’s brow crinkled. “Why? What's brewing?”

“You'll see when you get here,” Eric said, dangling the mystery like a carrot. “Don’t fret, though. It's good news,

not a storm cloud.”

“I can swing by,” Hadley replied, her words polite, perhaps softened by gratitude for the dance gig Eric had

paved the way for. “But no need to trouble Sebastian-I'll make my own way over.”

Eric's tone carried a faint edge of displeasure. “Why turn down a perfectly good ride?”

“Don’t get angry,” Hadley interjected swiftly, catching the storm brewing in his voice. “I'm with my colleagues,

and your car-well, it’s a bit too much of a peacock’s plume. I only got in thanks to a few strings pulled. | would

rather not wave a red flag and draw more eyes than | already have.”

That made sense.

“Alright,” Eric conceded, softening for her sake. “If you're set on flying under the radar, I'll let you call the shots

this time.”

A low chuckle rumbled from him before he tossed out. “Hadley, do | get a ‘good boy‘ when I actually benu an ear

to you?”

What kind of absurd question was that?

14:23

[e]

<

Chapter 99 Canded Heathers

Caught off guard, Hadley’s finger hit the end call button swiftly.

Her seatmate-a lithe fellow dancer-tilted her head, curiosity glinting in her eyes. “Hadley, you alright? You're

pale as a winter moon.”

“Pale? Hadley’s hand drifted to her cheek, puzzled.

“Yeah,” the girl said, gesturing vaguely. “Like a ghost just whispered in your ear.”

Hadley’s lips quirked into a faint, wry smile

Hearing those absurd words from Eric-didn’t it feel eerily close to the sthing?

Eric let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he stared at the silent phone.

“She actually hung up on me!”

Well, fair enough. He wasn’t even miffed-wouldn’t dream of it.

Tossing the phone aside, he dove back into the sea of work awaiting him.

He had to tie up every loose end before dusk-he was due to swing by his older brother's place and carve out

stwith Hadley.

As he breezed past the secretarial office later, he caught the faint hum of chatter and the sight of the staff

nibbling on their afternoon delights.

He strode on, only to pivot abruptly and double back, pausing at one of the cluttered desks.

“M-Mr. Flynn!” The young secretary jolted upright, swiping at her mouth in a fluster before shooting to her feet

like a soldier caught slacking

Eric dipped his head in a nod, a rare smile tugging at his lips.

Instantly, the room turned into a gallery of wide-eyed spectators. The CEO-smiling at her?

Tongues were surely itching to wag. What was afoot?

Had the elusive Mr. Flynn taken a shine to this unassuming secretary?

Even the secretary herself couldn't help but indulge a fleeting, fanciful thought. Her pulse quickened.

Eric Flynn-young, wealthy, and the unspoken heartthrob of half the company.

Could fortune really favor her so boldly?

But then Eric spoke, and her daydream shattered like glass under a hammer.

Eric gestured toward the crinkled brown bag on her desk. “What's that?”

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

“This?” The secretary fumbled to retrieve a small, glossy, sugar-coated treat. “Oh-these are candied hawthorns,

sir.”

“Are they any good?”

Chapter 99 Candied Haxos

“Oh, sudhaly They're divine perfect balance between sour and sweet. Great to go with both coffee and tea” The

seermary bobbed her head with enthusiasm. “Would you like a taste?”

Eric wayed off the offer with a casual flick of his hand. “No, thanks Just tellwhere you got them. Could you

get a pack for me-no, make it two”

The secretary blinked, dumbfounded. “Huh?”

Was he serious? He had swooped in just to send her on an errand?

Eric arched a brow. “Is that a problem?”

“N-no, not at all the secretary sputtered, snapping to attention. “I'll order them right this second!”

Sure, her romantic bubble had burst, but there was something oddly charming about the mighty CEO of Flynn

Group craving such treats.

“Um, I'm not sure they've still got any, though... Can | have you number, so | can update you when | get there?”

the secretary ventured eagerly,

“Right.” Eric nodded, casting a glance over his shoulder at his assistant. “Phillips, deal with it.”

With that, he sauntered off.

Phillips barely flicked the secretary a look as he trailed his boss. “Ctowith the receipt after the

meeting.”

“Yes, Mr. Brown,” the secretary mumbled, deflating slightly. No windfall for her today.

The moment they were gone, the office erupted into a chorus of teasing.

“Caught you daydreaming, huh? Mr. Flynn's not the type to play Romeo!”

“Get over it already-you're still his candied hawthorns errand girl!”

“Two packs, don’t forget!”

Laughter bounced off the walls, filling the air with mirth.

Once the meeting wrapped up, Eric strolled back to his office, only to find Linda already perched within.

“Linda? To what do | owe the pleasure?”

She'd swept in mere minutes earlier, barely settled in.

Eric’s query was light, a breezy bit of chitchat meant to fill the air. Yet, ever since Linda had caught wind of his

hushed exchange with Nyla, a nagging thorn of doubt had taken root. Now, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that

his welcmat wasn’t exactly rolled out for her.

“What's this? Have | worn out my welcalready?”