Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 58

Zinnia smoothly averted her gaze, turning her head to watch the blur of morning traffic outside the window.

Inside the car, only the radio host’s voice filled the heavy silence, the easy chatter from the speakers doing little to ease the awkwardness between them.

Landon glanced over, searching for something—anything—to break the ice.

“I made a reservation at a French place. Is that alright with you?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

At his words, Zinnia drew her attention back from the window. “That’s fine. I’m not picky,” she replied, her tone light and unbothered.

Just then, her phone chimed—a welcome interruption.

To Zinnia, stuck riding alone with Landon, the message was a lifeline thrown into deep water. She felt a quiet wash of relief as she reached for her phone and unlocked it.

Predictably, it was another message from Yuri, checking in on her.

*Seen the doctor yet? What did they say?*

Zinnia typed back quickly:

*Yeah, I saw a specialist. They gave me some medication. It’s working—I didn’t have any nightmares last night.*

She had barely hit send before Yuri’s replies started coming in rapid succession:

*That’s great news.*

*Remember to rest, don’t overwork yourself.*

*You should keep up the regular check-ins with your therapist. It’s the only way to really get better.*

Landon’s expression darkened visibly.

Zinnia caught it, hesitated, then added, “If you want to ask about Xander, you could just do it at home. No need to book a restaurant just for that. I’ll have one of the ICU nurses send over his latest records—”

“I’m hungry. We’ll talk after we eat,” Landon snapped, cutting her off.

Zinnia let it go, neither arguing nor bothering to see whether Landon was angry or not. She simply silenced her phone, but kept chatting with Yuri, who continued sending message after message, each one split into its own line.

Even with her notifications muted, the faint buzz of incoming texts lingered in the air, grating on Landon’s nerves. More than once, he had to bite his tongue to keep from cursing out loud. His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel, veins standing out on the back of his hand.

“We’ve been married how long? And I never knew you had such a chatty friend,” Landon muttered.

Zinnia paused, then answered offhandedly, “Everyone has their own Instagram circles. Doesn’t mean both sides need to know every single friend.”