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Married Before Midnight - Married Before Midnight by Sienna Quinn - Chapter 38
Author: Novels Audio
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Married Before Midnight
Chapter 38: A Calculated Mistake
The lecture hall of Foster Hall hummed with the low murmur of students shuffling papers and tapping on calculators. Hannah Carter adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, her sharp eyes scanning the room as she took her usual seat near the front. Today was the midterm business simulation—a high-stakes assignment that would test their strategic decision-making under pressure. Professor Langley clapped his hands together, commanding attention. "Alright, teams, listen up. This simulation will run in four rounds. You’ll receive market data after each one, and your decisions will impact your company’s performance. The team with the highest cumulative profit wins." Hannah exhaled, rolling her shoulders back. She had prepared for this. Her team—comprised of Daniel, Priya, and Marcus—leaned in as she pulled up their initial financial projections. "We’re going aggressive on product differentiation," she said, tapping the screen. "If we position ourselves as a premium brand early, we can capture market share before the others catch on." Daniel nodded. "But what if the demand shifts? We could get stuck with overpriced inventory." Hannah smirked. "That’s why we hedge with a secondary budget for promotions if we need to pivot." The first two rounds went flawlessly. Their simulated company, "Verve Dynamics," soared to the top of the leaderboard. Hannah’s fingers flew over the keyboard as she adjusted their strategy, her mind calculating every variable. Then came Round Three. The new market data flashed on the screen—supply chain disruptions, shifting consumer trends. Hannah quickly adjusted their pricing model, but as she entered the final figures, her finger slipped. A single digit off—$2.5 million became $25 million in projected ad spend. She didn’t notice until the results rolled in. Priya gasped. "Hannah—our revenue just tanked!" Marcus groaned, rubbing his temples. "We’re hemorrhaging cash. What happened?" Hannah’s stomach dropped as she stared at the screen. The error glared back at her—a misplaced decimal point, a careless mistake. Their company plummeted to third place. Daniel’s voice was tight. "You never make mistakes like this."
The words stung. Because he was right. Hannah didn’t do careless. Class ended with their team scrambling to salvage their position in the final round, but the damage was done. As the other students filed out, murmurs and laughter trailing behind them, Hannah remained frozen in her seat, eyes locked on the leaderboard. The winning team? "Triton Strategies." Led by Caleb Mercer. Her jaw clenched.
Two weeks ago, Caleb had asked her out after study group. She’d declined—politely, she thought. But the way his smile had stiffened, the way his gaze had turned icy… Hannah scrolled back through the simulation logs, her pulse quickening. The number she’d entered—the one that had derailed everything—wasn’t just a random error. It matched exactly with Triton’s revised ad spend in the same round. Too exact to be a coincidence. She pulled up the raw data files, cross-referencing timestamps. The system showed her entry, but the values didn’t align with what she remembered typing. Someone had tampered with it. A shadow fell over her screen. "Problem, Carter?" Hannah looked up to find Caleb leaning against the desk beside her, his smirk lazy. She kept her voice steady. "Just reviewing my mistakes. Unlike some people, I own mine." His grin didn’t waver. "Funny. I heard your team was perfect—until today." Her fingers curled into her palms. "What’s that supposed to mean?" He shrugged. "Nothing. Just… maybe you’re not as untouchable as you think." The implication hung between them, heavy and deliberate. Hannah stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Enjoy your win, Mercer. But games like this? They always have consequences." His laughter followed her out the door.