This Cinderella doesn't need a prince charming, but she would like a happily-ever-after.

Silly me, I thought I'd beaten the Grimm Effect when I ditched the old man who wouldn't stop chasing me at the ball. However, here I am, decades later, with my fairy godmother popping back in for round two.

No thanks. I intend to marry for love and not because of a curse.

Avoiding the marriage trap might be easier if I wasn't roped into acting as a liaison for a certain European prince. A good thing he's at least charming compared to his assigned protective Grimm Knight.

The upcoming ball for the prince's birthday is turning into a chaotic mess, with hundreds of Cinderellas showing up determined to lose their shoe. While I'm busy trying to screen them before they come near His Royal Highness, I'm being plagued by oddities, some of which are threatening my life.

As the curse does its best to force me into playing my role, I am equally determined to fight it. The question is, will my refusal to conform ruin my chance at happiness?