Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 80

“Yes, sir.”

Richie answered promptly, then hurried to the front console storage, grabbed an umbrella, and handed it to Landon.

Landon stepped out of the car, rain drumming steadily on the pavement. He made his way toward the surgical wing, dialing Zinnia’s number as he walked.

The phone rang and rang, but Zinnia never picked up. Eventually, the call cut off on its own.

A shadow crossed Landon’s face, his expression darkening. Raindrops splashed up from the ground, flecking his trouser cuffs with water.

Logic told him this was the moment to turn around and leave. He shouldn’t let Zinnia lead him by the nose. But his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, carrying him straight to the entrance of the surgical building.

“Mr. Ford?”

A woman’s voice, tinged with surprise, called out. Landon looked up and saw Zoey.

He gave her a curt nod, his version of a greeting.

Because of Landon’s chilly treatment of Zinnia, Zoey had never liked him much.

“Are you here to see a friend, Mr. Ford? This is the surgical wing, not the inpatient floor.”

Her tone was frosty. Landon could hear the edge in her voice—Zinnia’s best friend clearly didn’t care for him.

He didn’t seem bothered. “Where’s Zinnia? I’m here to give her a ride home.”

Zoey looked momentarily taken aback. Then she gave a sharp, almost mocking laugh. “You’re late, Mr. Ford. Zinnia left the hospital about ten minutes ago.”

Landon fell silent, his face growing even grimmer.

After a short pause, he simply said, “Thank you.”

Once the drip was done, she fed him some canned food meant for recovering pets, then headed to the attending physician’s office to ask about his progress.

She’d just stepped through the doorway when she caught Dr. Warner, usually so calm and collected, humming to himself as he spritzed cologne into the air.

As Zinnia entered, a cloud of the scent drifted onto her.

She recognized it instantly—the grounding, mellow woodsy fragrance Landon favored.

“Sorry, sorry!” Dr. Warner quickly apologized, snapping back into his usual professional demeanor. “Ms. Quinn, I didn’t mean to spray you just now.”

He gave an awkward, sheepish smile and apologized again.

“It’s fine,” Zinnia replied, glancing at his desk. There was a gift bag from a trendy boutique and a bouquet of roses sitting beside it, and suddenly, she understood.