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

Chapter 106 Smile For Him

Since Denver stubbornly refused to go to the hospital, Hadley had no choice but to stop by the pharmacy, pick

up smedicine, and tend to his injuries herself.

“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked, still uneasy. “If you hurt something internally, it could be serious.”

“I'm fine,” Denver said to her with a grin-though with the bandage on the corner of his mouth, the expression

looked more ridiculous than reassuring. He hesitated for a beat before adding, “I couldng beat Eric in a fight....

Does that makeuseless?”

Hadley blinked, momentarily thrown off. Then-she laughed. Hard. “What kind of ridiculous logic is that?” she

teased, shaking her head. “Since when is fighting the measure of a great man?”

So... that wasn't it?

Denver pressed his lips together, barely suppressing a chuckle. “Relax, | was just messing with you. No need to

get philosophical.”

Hadley let out a soft sigh, but the weight in her chest remained. “I... | think | said too much back there without

proper thinking. Denver, I...”

“I know-" Denver cut in before she could finish. “I know you don’t actually like me. And that’s okay-I never let

myself believe otherwise.”

He met her gaze with quiet understanding, as if he had already made peace with the truth long before this

moment.

“But | do owe you an apology,” he continued. “I acted without your permission. That wasn’t my call to make. |

hope you're not upset.”

Upset? How could she be?

Hadley wasn’t the kind of person who accepted someone's help only to turn around and blthem for it. That

wasn’t who she was.

She shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I'm not mad. I just...”

How was she supposed to explain something she barely understood herself?

“It’s alright.” Denver caught the hesitation in her voice but didn’t push. Instead, he added softly and with rare

honesty, “I won't pretend I did it just for you. | had my own reasons, too.”

Hadley blinked, momentarily thrown by his candor.

“Denver...” Her voice softened, almost hesitant. “I told you before... we're not right for each other.”

“I remember you said that.” He spoke with a small smile, but there was curiosity in his eyes. “What | don’t

understand is-why, exactly, are we not right for each other?”

13357

111

0 <

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

Wasn't it obvious?

Hadley knew the answer all too well. Her tangled past. The weight of her mistakes. A failed marriage that still

cast shadows. No powerful last nto protect her...

She looked away, but Denver had already read the thoughts flickering across her face. “Hadley, have you ever

heard of Marcus Jordan?”

The nsnapped her back to reality.

Marcus Jordan.

Of course, she had. The son of basketball legend Michael Jordan-his nalone carried weight.

And in an instant, she understood exactly why Denver had brought him up. Because Marcus had fallen for Larsa

Pippen. His father’s friend's ex-wife. A woman sixteen years older, divorced, and a mother of four.

Their relationship had been a media wildfire when it surfaced-tabloids, speculation, endless chatter. Even now,

people still whispered about them, as if love needed permission.

Denver's smile was easy, unshaken. “Look at Marcus and Larsa. They didn’t let the idea of being a ‘perfect

match’ dictate their choices. So why should we?”

Hadley opened her mouth, but the words tangled before they could form.

“Hadley,” Denver continued, his voice steady yet warm. “Whether two people ‘fit’ isn’t what determines if they

should be together. What really matters is whether they love each other.”

She barely had tto process that before he pressed on. “I know this is one-sided right now. You don’t feel the

sway, and that’s fine.” His tone was calm, free of expectation or demand. “But just so you know-1 helped

you tonight because | wanted to. Not because | expect anything in return. I'd never twist it into skind of

bargaining chip.”

Because if he did... wouldn't that make him no different from Eric?

Denver let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn’t usually one for long speeches, but this one? He

meant every word.

“You need my help, Hadley, and I'm happy to help you. Don’t push it away just because of my feelings for you.”

Hadley hesitated. He was so frustratingly clear-headed, so reckless in his sincerity.

But she had to make him understand.

“I know this makessound cruel, but I'm not Larsa. And this?” Her voice was quieter now, more measured.

“This isn’t sgrand, romantic story. Any effort you put intowill go nowhere.”

“Then at least I'll know | tried.” His gaze was unwavering, steady with conviction. “If | don’t even h courage to

fight for the girl | like, then | have no right to say I like her at all.”

the

Then, with a slow, knowing smirk, he raised an eyebrow. “Besides... who's to say how this story ends?”

The next day, during her lunch break, Hadley made her way to the hospital-the sone where she'd picked

1337

0

0 <

<

Chapter 106 Smile For Him

up her medication before.

The doctor had been recommended by Colleen, which meant he was already somewhat familiar with her

condition. He'd always been patient, understanding.

As soon as he saw her, he asked, “Are you out of medicine?”

“No.”

In truth, since things had ended with Duran rather unexpectedly, she had barely touched the pills.

The doctor studied her for a moment before motioning toward the chair. “Then what brings you here today?”

Hadley exhaled and sank into the seat, her fingers curling in her lap. The thoughts that had been circling in her

mind for weeks finally slipped out.

“I haven't taken much of the medication lately... but | feel like my symptoms have eased. As long as I'm not

faced with aggression, my reactions aren't as severe. But sometimes... it still feels like | don’t have control.”

“Go on.”

“Alright.”

The doctor listened carefully before nodding. “From what you're describing, it sounds like you're making

progress. Your body is learning when an environment is safe.”

Then, after a brief pause, he added, “Have you considered therapy? It could help. Maybe even lead to a full

recovery.”

Therapy?

Hadley’s chest tightened. Psychological treatment-an expense she couldn’t even begin to afford.

She forced an easy smile. “That won't be necessary, but | appreciate it, doctor.”

The doctor met her gaze, unconvinced but not pushy. “If you ever change your mind, you know where to find

a,

“Thank you very much, doctor. | appreciate it.”

As she stepped outside, the midday sun bore down on her, and she lifted a hand to shield her eyes.

The truth was, money wasn’t the only thing stopping her. Therapy meant peeling back layers of the past- digging

up wounds she had spent years trying to bury.

And that? That was a door she refused to open. Not now. Not ever.

By five in the afternoon, Hadley was free to leave. Since she had only recently joined the studio, she hat been

given any performance slots yet.

For now, that meant finishing on time, slipping out of her practice clothes, and heading toward the subway

station without a second thought.

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

“Hadley!”

She turned at the sound of her name, spotting Denver jogging toward her, his signature bright smile in place.

13357

[I

[e]

<

Chapter 106 Smile For Him

“You're here?” she asked, surprised. “What for?”

“Thought I'd cpick you up from work,” he said casually-then, with a sudden shift, his voice dropped. “Don’t

look around. Just focus on me.”

Hadley blinked. “What?”

“Eric's car is up ahead,” he murmured.

Her breath hitched. Eric? Again?

A flicker of unease passed through her. Had he really not let this go?

Before she could react, Denver stepped in closer, angling himself just enough that, from a distance, they looked

like a couple lost in quiet conversation.

His voice was barely a whisper near her ear. “I think he’s starting to doubt that we're actually together.”

Which, of course, was entirely true.

“Good thing | saw this coming.” Denver's grin turned playful, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Figured he'd be

watching, so | thought I'd make an appearance. If we're going to put on a show, we might as well give it

everything we've got.” Then, leaning in slightly, he murmured, “So, con, Hadley. Smile for him.”

What?

She hadn't planned on smiling-not even a little. But his words, so over-the-top and theatrical, completely caught

her off guard. Before she could stop herself, laughter bubbled up.

And just like that, she wasn’t faking it. She looked genuinely amused.

Recommended for you

The CEO's RUNAWAY

The CEO’s Runaway Wife

To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed door...

7.6M views

Read

Too Late, Mr Billionaire You Can't Afford MA How