Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 47

Dr. Chad burst out laughing, clearly amused.

He’d only meant to tease Zinnia a little, never expecting that his offhand comment—“She’s never mentioned you as her husband”—would make Landon’s face go cold.

Landon glanced sideways at Dr. Chad, silent for a couple of seconds before asking quietly, “She’s really never mentioned me?”

Dr. Chad’s smile faltered. Sensing the displeasure in Landon’s tone, he scrambled to smooth things over. “Well… maybe Dr. Quinn just prefers to keep a low profile. After all, Mr. Ford, your position is rather unique. If people found out you were her husband, she might worry it’d bring unnecessary trouble.”

But as soon as he finished, Dr. Chad realized he’d only made things worse.

Landon’s expression grew darker by the second.

Stupid mouth—why did I have to keep talking? Dr. Chad silently berated himself.

A low, mirthless chuckle escaped from Landon. “So it seems Dr. Quinn finds me a bit too embarrassing to claim as her husband.”

The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.

Dr. Chad cast a nervous glance at Landon’s face, not daring to say another word.

Noelle, however, caught something different in Landon’s tone—a hint of genuine hurt. Was he upset because Zinnia never let people know he was her husband? Did he really care that much about being acknowledged as her partner, even to the world?

Noelle’s own expression soured noticeably. The air of innocence she usually wore around Landon slipped away, replaced by something sharper.

Was her insomnia really that bad?

He remembered seeing her at the counseling center earlier—she’d looked utterly exhausted. She’d been carrying a bag full of medication. Was it just insomnia, bad enough to need a therapist? Enough to warrant all those pills?

His mind flashed back to that nightmare Zinnia had described.

She’d called out for him in her sleep, her voice laced with despair, pain, and helplessness…

After that, she’d grown distant, using her troubled sleep as an excuse to move into a separate bedroom.

So, was her recent coldness and withdrawal really just because of that nightmare? Or… was Zinnia hiding something else from him?