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

Chapter 869:

He knew Hadley’s heart had closed to him.

She had loved him deeply once—but not anymore.

Eric’s fingers snapped the box shut, tossing it into the glove compartment with a flick of his wrist.

At the stroke of noon, after Joy had savored her lunch, she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

As if orchestrated by fate, Hadley’s phone chimed precisely then. It was Eric, his message short. “I’m downstairs.” He had arrived bearing Joy’s medicine.

Hadley tossed on a coat and went down to meet him, ready to collect the remedy.

Eric gestured toward the bag with a nod. “The instructions are crystal clear on the box, and—mark your calendar—she’ll need a weekly injection at the hospital. I’ll also give you a nudge when it’s time.”

“Got it,” Hadley replied with a brisk nod, clutching the bag and poised to head back. “Thank you. Don’t let me keep you any longer.”

“Hadley,” Eric called out, halting her in her tracks, his voice laced with concern. “You know I’m just a shout away if you need anything, right?”

“Sure thing,” Hadley said, offering another nod.

“Hadley…” Eric pressed again, his brow knitting together as if words were stuck on the tip of his tongue.

Hadley flashed a faint smile, teasing lightly, “What is eating you? Cat got your tongue?”

Did he want to spend time with Joy? Or maybe tell her he was her father?

Instead, Eric’s gaze dropped to her midsection, lingering on her flat belly.

His tone tightened like a coiled spring. “How are you holding up?” Hadley had recently weathered surgery for an ectopic pregnancy—a storm that, even when navigated well, left its mark on the body.

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“I’m hanging in there,” Hadley answered with a calm shrug. “No complaints so far.”

“That is a relief,” Eric murmured, though his face still bore the weight of unspoken thoughts.

His hesitation was starting to fray Hadley’s nerves. “Come on, out with it—what’s on your mind?”

“I…” Eric clenched his jaw, and then let it spill. “You heard the doctor today. I would like to hear what you’ve got in mind for the future.” What had she got in mind?

He didn’t need to spell it out—Hadley caught his drift.

He meant the doctor’s third option, bringing another little one into the picture.noveldrama

Her brow furrowed as she mulled it over. “It’s too soon to chew on that. Six months down the road, maybe.”

“I get that,” Eric said, his eyes locking with hers. “But what about after those six months?”

“What about it?” Hadley paused, caught off guard.

Eric pushed on. “For Joy’s sake, we’ve got to look ahead. What if we’re still empty-handed on a donor by then?”

If that happened, the third option would be their last card to play. Hadley’s chest tightened, surprise creasing her forehead. “What do you mean by ‘looking ahead’?”

Was he hinting at rekindling their old flame?

“No need to fret,” Eric said quickly, reading Hadley like an open book after all their years together.

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