Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 56

Landon froze for a moment, blurting out without thinking, “I don’t know.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he caught sight of Charles’s expression—a look that seemed to say, “Where do I even begin?” Landon opened his mouth, but the image of Zinnia’s distant demeanor flashed through his mind. Suddenly self-conscious, he rubbed the tip of his nose, feeling inexplicably guilty.

Then, like a light switching on, he remembered the flowers Zinnia tended to on the garden terrace. His eyes lit up.

“She’s not allergic,” he said at last.

Charles nodded, finally able to continue.

“Then you should buy your wife a bouquet of flowers she actually likes. Find a restaurant she enjoys—somewhere nice, maybe with candles—and take her out for a proper dinner. And while you’re at it, pick out a piece of jewelry you know she’d love. Put in the effort, really make her feel cherished, and trust me—she’ll be happy.”

Landon had never done anything like that before. Just hearing the suggestion made his brow furrow with discomfort.

Charles could read his boss like a book. When Landon looked like that, it was clear—his CEO was downright allergic to anything remotely romantic.

“That’s all it takes?”

Charles nodded confidently. “That’s all it takes. Honestly, it’s not about the gifts; it’s about showing your wife you care. As long as she feels your sincerity, everything else is just icing on the cake.”

Sincerity?

Landon thought of how, over the past two days, he had repeatedly asked Zinnia to have dinner with him, only to be turned down every single time.

Wasn’t that sincere enough?

The more he dwelled on it, the more a trace of unfairness welled up inside him.

“That’s enough. You can go now,” Landon said, waving Charles away with clear impatience.

Well, looks like the boss didn’t hear a word I said, Charles thought to himself. Some people just can’t be helped!

He slipped quietly from the office, humming a cheerful tune in his mind, all politeness as he closed the door behind him.

—

By the time Zinnia got home, the afternoon was already fading.

She showered, changed into comfortable loungewear, and took the medication Naomi had prescribed. Afterward, she lay down for a nap.

Maybe it was the medicine, but for once, she slept deeply and well.

Almost immediately, Landon responded:

[I’ve made a dinner reservation. I’ll pick you up at home—we can talk over dinner.]

It was the fastest Landon had ever replied to her messages.

Zinnia let out a wry, self-mocking laugh. So even the mighty Landon could reply instantly—she had Noelle to thank for that.

She sent a simple [Okay], then put her phone aside.

Remembering her plan to look for a new place to live, she opened her laptop and started browsing real estate listings.

—

On the other side of town, Landon stared at the single word reply—[Okay]—his expression complicated.

On the one hand, she’d agreed to have dinner with him, and he felt an involuntary sense of relief.

But seeing her answer with nothing more than a curt “Okay,” with no extra words, left him uncomfortably unsettled.