Elena didn’t come for the crown; she came for her mother. Instead, she’s been tethered to a throne that feels like a cage and a ring that pulses like a deadline. To survive a court of high-born vultures, she must orchestrate a perfect deception with the only man who knows the secret: Prince Raphael. In a palace where every breath is a calculated risk, their fake engagement is the only shield they have. But in the shadows of the capital, the truth is more infectious than any poison—and twice as lethal. Two hearts. One lie. A throne built on cold iron.