Time-Limited Love: A Contract Expired, Not Renewed novel Chapter 369

Zinnia learned from Landon that it was Juniper who’d hit her with the car, all for revenge.

Yuri had gotten dragged into this mess for no reason, but now that he was safe, Zinnia didn’t feel as guilty as she might have.

She had no idea her words made Yuri’s guilt hit an all-time high.

An innocent bystander? No—if anyone was truly caught in the crossfire, it was her. If it weren’t for him, she never would have been noticed by his stepfather, never would have suffered like this.

Yuri tried to force a smile, tugging at the corner of his lips to seem more relaxed. But no matter how hard he tried, the moment he met Zinnia’s clear, earnest gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to even fake it. His guilt crashed over him, relentless, threatening to drown him whole.

“Cozy, don’t say that,” he managed, his voice trembling just a bit.

Zinnia noticed something was off with his mood. Even though that nickname—Cozy—still felt strange every time Yuri used it, she let it slide.

“Yuri, what’s wrong? You seem really upset,” she asked, frowning with concern.

Yuri’s jaw tightened. He glanced away and muttered, “I’m sorry, Cozy.”

Zinnia assumed he was apologizing for not visiting her sooner. She rushed to reassure him, “Really, it’s fine. I’m not that sensitive—am I supposed to get mad at you for not coming to see me? Honestly, I’m just so relieved you didn’t get caught up in the accident.”

She reached out and squeezed his trembling hand, adding softly, “I know you don’t want to see Landon or Zane right now. It’s okay if you don’t come by—I’d never blame you for that.”

Yuri stared down at their joined hands. The words he’d meant to say caught in his throat and died there. He looked up at her and forced a self-deprecating smile. “Seems like I’m the sensitive one after all. Now you’re the one comforting me, Zinnia.”

Fortunately, the deadline hadn’t passed yet.

That day, she took the initiative and called Landon.

He arrived quickly. “Zinnia, you wanted to see me?”

It had been ages since Zinnia last called him. For her to reach out like this made Landon feel oddly flattered.

He found her sitting on the couch in her hospital room, and only then noticed she’d changed out of her hospital gown and was wearing her usual clothes.

“It’s been over two weeks since we filed for the waiting period. I’m feeling better now, so I thought maybe we should go finalize the paperwork today. If we wait any longer and miss the deadline, we’ll have to start all over again.”