Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 172

Zane didn’t press the issue.

“I know you two are busy. I won’t keep you—let Landon drive you back to the lab,” he said.

Landon stepped forward quickly. “Dad, Mom, let me and Zinnia take you home,” he offered, glancing at Zinnia as he spoke.

Zinnia opened her mouth to refuse, but with her parents and Zane watching, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Elijah, however, immediately caught the reluctance in his daughter’s eyes and turned down Landon’s offer outright. “No need. Lyle’s already on his way to pick us up,” he said.

Lyle was one of Elijah’s PhD students—the only one, in fact, making him something of a golden child in Elijah’s eyes. Zinnia knew him well enough.

“Dad, if Lyle’s coming to pick you and Mom up, you shouldn’t keep him waiting. You two should head off,” she said hastily, anxious for her parents to leave before Landon insisted on escorting them himself.

She understood why Zane had arranged for Landon to drive her parents back; it was a transparent attempt to smooth things over between her and Landon. But as far as she was concerned, there wasn’t much time left, and frankly, it wasn’t worth the effort.

Now that her father mentioned his student was coming, she was all too eager for them to leave.

Landon heard the urgency in Zinnia’s voice and immediately guessed what she was thinking. He shot her a look, and the light in his eyes dimmed a little.

Once Elijah and Jessica had left, Zephyr found some excuse to slip away as well, leaving just Zinnia and her grandfather in the reception room.

“Grandpa…” Zinnia began, intending to find her own excuse to leave, but Landon cut her off.

“Zinnia!” His voice was firm and commanding, effectively shutting down whatever she’d been about to say.

If her parents and grandfather hadn’t arrived when they did, she was pretty sure Landon would have been scheming how to help Noelle wriggle out of trouble—judging by that thoughtful look on his face.

Landon was so frustrated by her mocking expression that he couldn’t get a word out. Once again, he could read exactly what she was thinking just from her eyes.

So, in her mind, him dragging the Zuma father and son in with a team of bodyguards this morning was just another way to shield Noelle?

Landon’s face darkened further, and he glared at Zinnia as though he could swallow her whole. But in the end, he actually found himself letting out a bitter laugh.

“Zinnia, how did I never realize just how infuriating you can be?” he said.

Zinnia bit back the retort on the tip of her tongue: Because I used to love you—so I could forgive anything. Now? You’re nothing to me.