Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 27

When Landon saw Zinnia finally laugh out loud, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

“So who’s been messaging you non-stop this early in the morning?” he asked, trying to sound casual, though a hint of annoyance slipped through.

“Hm?” Zinnia glanced up, just as another message from Yuri came through—this time, a voice note.

Landon suddenly set his fork and knife down onto his plate with a little too much force, startling Zinnia.

Her finger slipped and accidentally tapped on Yuri’s voice message.

A calm, pleasant voice played through her phone:

“An emergency just came in. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Zinnia quickly typed a reply:

“Alright, take care.”

When she looked up again, Landon’s expression was dark and icy—so cold it almost frightened her.

They’d been married for a while—maybe not in love, but always polite and respectful. Yet Zinnia had never seen Landon glare at her like this.

She remembered her earlier conversation with Yuri and realized Landon disliked it when she used her phone at the table. Normally, she avoided it too, hoping to make the most of their rare time alone together. Today, she’d let her guard down, probably disrupting his breakfast.

Feeling guilty, Zinnia set her phone aside, her face a little sheepish.

“Sorry—I didn’t mean to disturb your breakfast.”

As she spoke, she stood up, went to the kitchen, and wrapped Landon’s homemade sandwich in cling film.

...

Landon sat frozen at the dining table, staring at the empty seat across from him, lost and unsure.

It was the first time he’d seen Zinnia chatting with someone on her phone during breakfast. More than that—it was the first time in days he’d seen her smile, truly and freely.

But that smile hadn’t been for him.

She hadn’t argued with him; she was still polite and gentle as always. And yet, Landon felt her drifting further and further away.

The realization panicked him. He stood up abruptly, heart racing, not even sure where this sudden anxiety was coming from.

By the time he gathered his thoughts, Zinnia was already gone, the elevator doors closing between them.