CHAPTER NINETY TWO – ALL THE HELP SHE CAN GET

Over the next few weeks, Cassie and Florian fell into a routine of secret study sessions. Under his patient guidance, complex economic theories began to make sense, and Cassie's confidence grew. But as Cassie's academic performance improved, Vivian's efforts to undermine her intensified. Rumors swirled around campus, each more outlandish than the last. One afternoon, as Cassie left her Advanced Financial Management class, she overheard a group of students whispering nearby. "I heard she's blackmailing one of the professors," one girl said. "That's why her grades suddenly improved." "No way," another replied. "I bet she's sleeping with that rich guy... what's his name? Florian?" Cassie's cheeks burned as she hurried past, pretending not to hear. She knew Vivian was behind these rumors, but proving it was another matter entirely. Later that day, as Cassie served tea to Frida in the mansion's solarium, the von Steiner matriarch fixed her with a penetrating gaze. "You seem troubled,