CHAPTER NINETY SIX – TIME FOR THE CEREMONY

Later that night, as the party wound down and the guests departed, Cassie found herself alone in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of the dishes. The events of the day swirled in her mind – Frida's cryptic warnings, the overheard conversation, Karl's thinly veiled threats. "Cassie?" Florian's voice made her jump, nearly dropping the glass she was drying. She turned to find him standing in the doorway, looking more uncertain than she had ever seen him. "Florian, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for tomorrow?" He stepped into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. "I couldn't sleep. Cassie, I... I need to talk to you." Cassie's heart raced. "Florian, please. It's late, and tomorrow's your wedding day. Whatever it is, can't it wait?" Florian shook his head, his eyes intense. "No, it can't. Cassie, I've made a decision. I can't go through with this wedding." Cassie felt the world tilt beneath her feet. "What? Florian, you can't be serious. Your family, the