Ella Ashbourne never meant to fall for a prince. She only wanted one night of freedom. No titles. No scrubbing floors. No hiding who she really was.

Disguised in a borrowed gown, Ella sneaks into the royal ball for a single evening of escape. But everything changes when she shares a stolen kiss with Prince Edward-the wickedly charming heir who mistakes her for a noblewoman. When she vanishes at midnight, leaving behind only a borrowed slipper, Edward launches a kingdom-wide search to find the mystery woman who saw him, not just his crown.

Now swept into a whirlwind romance she never asked for, Ella is trapped inside a golden cage of royal expectations. The palace wants her polished. The court wants her perfect. And the Prince wants the fantasy she accidentally created.

But the real Ella? She's messy, mouthy, and definitely not princess material.

As pressure mounts and secrets unravel, Ella must decide: keep playing the perfect fairytale heroine-or fight for a future where she gets to be real.