Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 176

Whenever the two of them went out to eat together, she had never once made a mistake.

But tonight…

Landon closed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly, he lost all appetite for the meal in front of him.

He couldn't tell if Zinnia was deliberately ignoring these things, or if she had truly wiped every trace of him from her memory.

Either way, the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He sat in stony silence, barely touching his food.

Zane and Zinnia, meanwhile, paid him no mind at all. They chatted away, diving from one topic to the next—history, geography, politics, stories from their travels abroad and at home. No matter what tangent Zane wandered down, Zinnia kept up effortlessly, like a living encyclopedia, always ready with an answer or a follow-up. She never once let the conversation fall flat.

Zane was absolutely delighted, savoring both the meal and the company.

By the time dinner ended, grandfather and “granddaughter” were all smiles—though, of course, in this case, the “granddaughter” wasn’t Landon, but Zinnia.

“Zinnia, coming back home this time was worth every mile,” Zane said with satisfaction as they stepped out of the restaurant.

“When you have time, you have to play a few games of chess with your old granddad again. I made friends with a chess master down in New Zealand and practiced for months—next time we play, you can’t go easy on me anymore.”

Zinnia paused, then smiled, a little sheepish. “You noticed?”

Zane let out a booming laugh. “I may be old, but I’m not senile! You let me win so many moves—did you really think I wouldn’t pick up on it?”

“Grandpa, I’ve told you a hundred times. Noelle and I are just—”

“Just a responsibility. Yes, yes, I know!” Zane cut him off, annoyed. “Fine, keep tending to your responsibilities. When Zinnia finally gets fed up and divorces you, I’ll give her a handsome dowry and find her someone better.”

“Grandpa!” Landon’s face darkened several shades, clearly stung by Zane’s words.

Just then, a middle-aged man pulled up and walked over—it was Zane’s driver, Zachary.

“Alright, Zachary’s here to pick me up. I’ve got a chess match with old man Giles tonight. Don’t bother about me—just make sure Zinnia gets back to the hospital safely.”

With that, Zane ignored Landon’s sour look and strode off, leaving the two of them standing by the curb.