Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 119

Even though she’d signed that contract with the intention of building a real relationship with Landon, Zinnia had always kept a certain distance—perhaps subconsciously. She tested the waters with care, never letting herself get too close. Her personal belongings never encroached on Landon’s space, and though she was the one who had arranged most of the things in this apartment, very little here actually belonged to her.

She’d already packed up everything she needed to take with her days ago.

“I’m heading out now. Let me know if you need anything,” her coworker called out.

“Got it, thanks,” Zinnia replied.

She was scheduled for the graveyard shift tonight, so she planned to visit Dapper at the animal clinic during her dinner break. After tidying up a bit, she headed out to Furbaby Clinic.

On her way there, her ride-share happened to pass right by Landon’s conspicuous Bentley.

At that very moment, Landon was glancing at his phone, his eyes lingering on Zinnia’s contact name. Somehow, as if sensing something, he looked up just as a passing ride-share rolled by. He stared after it for several seconds before lowering his gaze again.

Once he’d parked, he dialed Zinnia’s number.

The phone rang twice before she picked up.

“Hello?”

Since that awkward conversation a few nights ago, Landon had been avoiding her. Hearing her voice now hit him with an unexpected wave of bittersweet emotion.

“I, uh… I came to your clinic to get my bandages changed.” He tried to sound casual, making up a reason just to hear her voice—doing his best not to sound too obvious.

There was a two-second pause. “Okay. Just go to the treatment room and ask a nurse to do it.”

“Yes, I’m here with him. If there’s nothing else, I need to go—I have something to take care of.”

“Zinnia—” Landon started, but she ended the call before he could finish.

He stared at his phone, dumbfounded, the dead line buzzing in his ear.

Rage and jealousy surged through him, making his vision blur. “Zinnia… seriously? Do you even remember you have a husband?”

With a sharp crack, he hurled his phone at the windshield. The screen shattered instantly, splintering into a spiderweb of broken glass.

Back at the animal clinic, Zinnia couldn’t shake a sense of guilt. That secret feeling of hiding Dapper from Landon gnawed at her, making her heart pound just a little faster.