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Married Before Midnight - Married Before Midnight by Sienna Quinn - Chapter 45
Author: Novels Audio
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Married Before Midnight
Chapter 45: Closed Circle
The moment the encrypted file vanished from Hannah’s laptop, the air in the Carter home thickened with tension. Lucas was already on his knees beside the router, fingers flying over his own device as he traced the digital intruder’s path. His jaw tightened as the screen illuminated a familiar MAC address. “Maplewood University library,” he muttered, voice low. “This device connected there before—when you and Isobel accessed Leigh’s server.” Hannah’s stomach twisted. “Someone doesn’t just know what we have,” Lucas whispered, eyes dark with suspicion. “They know where we are, and when.” A cold dread settled over her. She had trusted Isobel implicitly—had laughed with her, confided in her. Now, every shared moment felt tainted. Eleanor entered the room, her brow furrowed. “What’s happened?” Hannah hesitated, studying her mother’s face.
Had Eleanor ever mentioned Leigh’s old colleagues? Had she ever seemed… evasive? “Mom,” she began carefully, “do you remember anyone who worked closely with Leigh? Anyone who might have had a grudge?” Eleanor’s fingers tightened around her teacup. “It was so long ago, darling. Why?” The hesitation was slight, but Hannah caught it. Her pulse quickened. Even her mother wasn’t entirely transparent. --- By midday, Hannah and Lucas stood in Leigh’s abandoned office in the research wing, armed with frequency scanners and a determination to leave no inch unchecked. The room was musty, untouched since Leigh’s death, and the weight of his absence pressed heavily on them. “If Leigh knew he was in danger,” Lucas murmured, running a hand along the ceiling tiles, “he wouldn’t have left everything in one place.” Hannah’s fingers brushed against a loose panel. With a sharp tug, it gave way—revealing an external hard drive wrapped in insulated aluminum. Her breath hitched. “He hid it.” Lucas exhaled sharply. “Because he knew someone would come looking.”
Back at home, Hannah set her trap. She drafted a fake email to Isobel, her fingers trembling slightly over the keys. Lucas uncovered something critical—the identity of the person who copied internal data in 1992.
We need to talk. She embedded tracking software into the message. If Isobel forwarded it—if Dawson’s team accessed it—she’d know. The reply came faster than expected. Meet me at the old tea shop at 7 PM. There’s something important about Leigh. Come alone. Lucas’s expression darkened. “It’s a trap.” Eleanor, who had been silent until now, set down her knitting. “Or the last chance to know which side Isobel is really on.” Hannah swallowed hard, her heart a heavy, aching weight in her chest. “Tonight,” she whispered, “I’ll find out.”