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

Chapter 829:

“Ah!” Robin’s scream echoed through the house.noveldrama

Ernest didn’t even look back. He simply tightened his hold on Elissa and continued walking.

Quentin, alarmed, hurried after him. “Sir—your leg! Are you alright?” That kick came from deep fury—and Ernest didn’t hold back.

“I’m okay,” Ernest replied flatly, shaking his head.

The only thing worth worrying about now… was Robin’s manhood.

In the car, Ernest kept Elissa close, never loosening his hold. She rested limply against him, and he sat rigid—tense, uncertain, almost afraid to breathe.

At first, she was still. Peaceful, even.

Then suddenly, as if trapped in a bad dream, she began to cry. The sound was soft—barely more than a kitten’s whimper—and yet it pierced straight through him.

Ernest stiffened, completely at a loss.

What was he supposed to do now?

After a beat of hesitation, he awkwardly lifted a hand and patted her trembling back.

To his surprise, the crying quieted. As if… that small gesture had somehow soothed her.

He looked down at her in silence, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. “So easy to calm?” he murmured, puzzled. Then, he paused to take a deep breath. “This… this is all my fault.”

He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen, but the truth was undeniable—her suffering had started because of him.

As he gazed at her sleeping face, the faint lines of another emerged in his mind. There it was—that same delicate outline. Elissa and Locke… they looked so much alike.

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Filming had just wrapped for the day when Hadley stepped out of the studio—and spotted Eric waiting outside. He had clearly been there for some time. He brought news.

“Elissa,” he said. “Ernest took her to the hospital, got her patched up. She’s back at Redmarsh now.”

Hadley blinked, caught off guard. “Ernest is always so thoughtful. He’s genuinely kind, isn’t he?”

Eric didn’t respond. His silence stretched, heavy and tense.

She glanced at him. Something was off. “What is it?” she asked. His eyes narrowed slightly, shadows playing over his striking features under the low light.

“I have to head to Laventown tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, I’ll be back in a week. If not, maybe half a month.”

Without warning, he leaned down and drew her into his arms. “Come back to Silver Villas with me tonight, Hadley.”

Hadley froze. Her body was still, but inside, her thoughts were racing. This was it. The voice in her head—quiet but persistent—screamed that this was her chance.

She had spent weeks biting her tongue, avoiding conflict, trying to stay on his good side. All of it was for this—the right moment to escape.

And now, it had come.

A perfect window. One to two weeks—that was all she needed, enough to disappear from Srixby completely.

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