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Married Before Midnight - Married Before Midnight by Sienna Quinn - Chapter 42
Author: Novels Audio
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Married Before Midnight
Chapter 42: Ripples
The morning air was crisp as Hannah stepped onto campus, her breath forming small clouds in the early chill. Something felt different—charged. Students huddled in tight clusters, their voices hushed but urgent. A few glanced her way, then quickly looked away. Isobel fell into step beside her, her usual sharp gaze scanning the crowd. "Someone leaked part of the investigation," she murmured. "Anonymous post on the department’s Reddit page—'What happens when professors play god?'" Hannah’s stomach twisted. "Who would do that?" "Either someone trying to warn us," Isobel said, "or someone who wants this to explode." --- Dawson’s class was a battlefield of tension. The professor strode in, his expression unreadable, but Hannah noticed the way his fingers tapped restlessly against his lecture notes. A few students—ones who had always lingered after class to flatter him—quietly slipped out before he even began. Then came the whisper from behind her. "If you’re making all this up," a voice hissed, "you’re not just ruining careers. You’re ruining lives." Hannah turned to see Mark, Caleb’s former lab partner, glaring at her. His jaw was tight, his eyes accusing. "I didn’t leak anything," she said evenly. "But the truth isn’t a weapon—it’s just the truth." Mark scoffed. "Tell that to Leigh Anderson." The name hit her like a punch. Before she could ask, Dawson cleared his throat, and the room fell silent. --- Later, in the dim glow of the computer lab, Isobel let out a sharp exhale. "Found something."
Hannah leaned over her shoulder. On the screen was a hidden student feedback comment, encrypted but simple enough to crack. "No one believed her. She vanished the next term." Hannah’s pulse quickened. "Who wrote this?" "Anonymous. But it was posted last month." Isobel’s fingers flew over the keyboard. "And look—this isn’t the first time Dawson’s name has come up in these hidden comments." Hannah’s mind raced. She wasn’t the first. Just the first who fought back.
The library archives were musty, the silence oppressive as Hannah flipped through old enrollment records. One name stood out—Leigh Anderson. Top of her freshman class. Withdrawn without explanation in her second year. Hannah traced the name with her finger. "What happened to you?" A shadow fell over the page. Isobel stood there, arms crossed. "You’re not seriously considering meeting this anonymous tipster alone, are you?" Hannah hesitated. "If there’s even a chance it leads to the truth—" "It’s a trap." "Or a door," Hannah countered softly.
That night, the Carter kitchen was alive with noise—Olivia kneading dough, Eleanor stirring a pot of soup, the twins bickering over homework. But when Hannah walked in, the room stilled. She took a deep breath. "I need to tell you all something." By the time she finished, the air was thick with tension. Lucas, who had been silent until now, pushed away from the table. "You’re not going alone," he said, voice firm. Hannah opened her mouth to argue, but Eleanor cut in. "Lucas is right. This isn’t just about evidence anymore. Someone’s playing games." Lucas met Hannah’s gaze. "I’ll be there. Out of sight, but close enough." For the first time in weeks, Hannah felt the weight on her shoulders ease—just a little.