Too Late, Mr. Billionaire: You can’t afford me now

Chapter 899:

So, he chose patience.

He’d wait for the moment when Joy was fully healthy and thriving. Until that time came, he refused to burden Hadley with any expectations.

His choice to wait was his own, separate from her obligations. Maybe, once Joy was well, Hadley and Eric wouldn’t reconcile after all. That could be his opening.

But even if fate swung the other way, and Hadley chose Eric, Denver wouldn’t harbor regrets. At least he had tried and done his best.

Smiling faintly, he reached…

He reached up to catch a drifting snowflake in his palm. “I’ll hold onto this hope for myself, whatever comes.” After all, hope still lingered in the air.

When Hadley stepped back into the apartment, Joy was already tucked into bed, freshly bathed and fast asleep.

Melba bustled about, and Hadley’s eyes landed on the dining table, cluttered with ingredients, treats, and some curious objects.

“What’s this?” she asked, lifting one with a puzzled look, unable to place it.

“Those are for the Christmas tree,” Melba chuckled. “You don’t recognize them? Haven’t you ever decorated your own Christmas tree before?”

At that, realization dawned on Hadley. “Oh, I remember now—it’s just been ages since I last did it.”

As a child, she had eagerly decorated the Christmas tree each year alongside her grandmother.

Later, living with the Flynn family, such chores fell to the staff. And in Blathe, she’d been too strapped for cash while raising Joy to bother with such things.

Hadley let out a small smile. “They look nice. We should get a Christmas tree tomorrow.”

“Indeed,” Melba said with a nod.

𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅: ⲅ𝗮𝗅𝖓𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀․𝖼𝗈𝗆

Looking at the colorful decorations, Hadley felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. “Christmas is almost here. Time slips by so quickly.”

“Doesn’t it just? The older we get, the faster time seems to go,” Melba agreed. “You can start with those window clings and leave the rest for when we get a proper tree.”

Hadley crossed to the window, parted the curtain, and pressed each colorful cling onto the glass, smoothing it carefully.noveldrama

“It’s lovely,” she said softly.

But as she let the curtain fall, something caught her eye. She pulled it back again, peering out. A black Bentley sat parked outside the building—too distant to make out the plates.

Who else would park a car like that here?

It had to be Eric. Why was he back, though?

Frowning, Hadley snapped the curtain shut.

Yet, the night unfolded without incident—no calls, no texts, no knocks at the door.

As she showered and slipped into bed, she wondered if she’d misjudged the scene entirely. Maybe it wasn’t Eric after all.

The next morning, Hadley rose quietly, leaving Joy to sleep on. While freshening up, she heard a tap at the door.

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