Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 26

Zinnia hesitated for a moment, then nodded and greeted him softly. “Good morning.”

Landon set the breakfast down on the table and waved her over. “Breakfast is ready. Come eat.”

Her footsteps faltered for a second.

Since marrying Landon, this was the first time he’d ever made breakfast for them.

Usually, unless she was working a hospital night shift, she would always be the first one up, quietly preparing breakfast for the two of them.

She used to imagine that if they could just share breakfast together every morning, leave for work side by side, maybe then they could call themselves a normal married couple.

She clung to that fantasy, day after day, weaving herself deeper into the dream.

If it hadn’t been for the trip to Norway, for the avalanche that nearly claimed her life, she might never have snapped out of it.

But, it wasn’t too late.

She finally understood.

Besides Landon, she still had her parents, her family, her friends, and a career she loved. She didn’t need to pour all her energy into Landon alone.

They’d be ending their marriage in two months. She needed to start looking ahead, to learn how to live without him.

It was better to part with dignity and kindness than to end things in anger and chaos.

With that thought, she nodded, walked over, and sat down at the table. “Thank you.”

Landon sat across from her. Hearing her so polite and distant, he paused, looking up at her with an unreadable expression.

She kept her head down, quietly eating her breakfast, not sharing funny little stories from her day like she used to.

“You—”

He had just started to speak when her phone, lying beside her on the table, chimed several times in quick succession, cutting him off.

Zinnia picked it up and glanced at the screen. It was from Yuri.

Have you had breakfast?

Heading out soon?

Don’t forget what I said—make an appointment with a therapist when you get a chance. Don’t just tough it out.

Every time Zinnia replied, Yuri would send several more messages in a row.

She’d noticed this habit of his back when she was in the hospital in Norway. He never sent long, rambling texts—just short lines, one after another, so her phone would beep and beep like popcorn popping in a pan.

It always made her imagine Yuri as a fussy old monk, bald and robed, which made her laugh out loud.

Thank you, Dr. Ford. I’ll remember.

Across from her, Landon could only listen as her phone kept chiming, making it impossible for him to get a word in.

And when he saw the little smile tug at her lips as she texted back, it was all he could do not to show just how much it bothered him.