Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 62

He realized she didn’t like it when he kept bringing up the past.

Landon pressed his lips together, hesitating for a moment, then offered her a gentle smile.

“All right, I won’t mention it anymore. Since you’ve accepted my apology, please—just accept my apology gift, okay?”

His voice softened as he said the last word, the upward lilt giving it an unmistakable warmth and tenderness.

Zinnia didn’t see the point in arguing over something so trivial. She simply nodded and took the small box holding the ring, dropping it into her handbag without another glance.

Throughout dinner, Landon kept searching for things to say, trying to bridge the silent gap that hung between them.

Zinnia replied here and there, but her answers were listless at best.

Conversation was never Landon’s strong suit, and soon enough, the two slipped into silence again.

He tried once more. “Last night, when you were operating on Xander, I was watching from the gallery.”

Zinnia paused, her fork halfway to her mouth.

Her first thought was that Landon didn’t trust her skills as a surgeon—that he felt the need to keep an eye on her.

Without really thinking, she blurted out, “What was it, Mr. Ford? Worried I’d mess up and hurt your friend?”

Her tone was light, almost teasing, but there was a faint, unmistakable edge of sarcasm behind her eyes that made Landon suddenly uneasy.

He rushed to explain, his words tumbling out, “No, that’s not it—I trust you.”

His voice was quicker than usual, as if he was afraid she’d misunderstand.

Zinnia smiled, lips curving faintly. “Relax. I was joking.”

She had no desire to continue the conversation, so she said nothing more and focused on her meal.

At last, the tasteless dinner was over.

Zinnia picked up a warm napkin and dabbed the corner of her mouth. Just then, her phone lit up—a message from a colleague at the hospital, sending her the latest vital signs for Xander.

She opened WhatsApp and forwarded the file to Landon.

When his phone chimed, Landon glanced at the screen, noticing her name pop up as the sender. His eyes brightened, almost in spite of himself.

“What, you can’t just—” Landon started, a small smile threatening at his lips, but he stopped short when he saw the message was a PDF titled “Xander.”

“This is Xander’s current status report from the ICU team. He’s stable for now. As long as the nursing staff follow the care plan, he should recover without any long-term effects.”