Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 180

At that, she let out a mocking laugh. “Just don’t blame me if you end up making her depression worse. That’s not a responsibility I’m willing to take.”

“That’s enough.”

Landon’s face was thunderous as he cut her off, his voice cold as steel.

His eyes, dark and shadowed, locked onto Zinnia’s face with a chilling intensity.

“Why do you always have to drag Noelle into our issues?”

Zinnia blinked, caught off guard. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to use Noelle as leverage with me?”

“Zinnia!”

For the first time, Landon genuinely questioned his own judgment.

Had he been blind all this time? How had he ever thought Zinnia was easy to get along with?

No one could get under his skin the way she did.

“When did I ever try to negotiate with you about Noelle? Can you stop bringing her into everything?”

He glared at her, jaw clenched, practically seething. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the armrest, the tension audible in the silence.

She really had a talent for getting on his last nerve.

Seeing Landon’s eyes rimmed red with anger, Zinnia realized she’d misread the situation. She shut her mouth, finally backing down.

“Well, I suppose at this point, you wouldn’t want anything to damage my reputation.”

She muttered the words almost to herself.

If her reputation took a hit, so would Ford Group’s. When it came down to it, Landon would always choose the company over Noelle.

A businessman through and through—childhood bonds couldn’t hold a candle to the interests of a corporate giant.

Zinnia grumbled these thoughts silently, her lips pressed in a thin, cynical line.

But Landon understood the implication behind her words, even the ones she hadn’t voiced.

Damn it. The ache in his chest flared again, stoked by fury.

Just then, Zinnia’s phone buzzed with the familiar chime of a WhatsApp notification.

Ding.

Zinnia had grown used to Yuri’s style—checking in with message after message, each sent separately. She didn’t mind. She replied, tapping out a quick response before locking her phone.

When she looked back at Landon, the playful smile she’d worn just moments ago was gone, replaced by cool indifference.

The change was so stark, it made Landon’s chest tighten.

“Typical for a lapdog—he really knows how to sweet-talk you, doesn’t he?” Landon’s tone was icy, his words laced with sarcasm.

Clearly, in his mind, the guy sending those messages—this Dapper—was some coddled boy toy Zinnia kept on the side.

Landon’s hostility toward him only deepened.

For a second, Zinnia didn’t even register what Landon was talking about. Then, with a small frown, she snapped back:

“Do you just enjoy calling everyone a dog?”

Men like Landon, always looking down on others, had no idea how to treat people with basic respect.

“You called me an idiot dog last time, and I let that slide. Now you’re calling my friend a dog too?”

Her voice was icy as she demanded an answer, catching Landon completely off guard.