Royal Court Intrigue. Love in the Big Apple, #56

In the heart of a rigid royal court, where reputation is survival and secrets are currency, Mary Ashford arrives as a newly appointed diplomatic advisor with everything to prove-and everything to lose. Brilliant, precise, and quietly determined, Mary quickly clashes with Lady Brigit Hawthorne, a high-ranking noblewoman known for her icy control and uncompromising standards. Their rivalry is immediate, sharp, and public.
but beneath the tension lies something neither of them expected: respect. When a diplomatic crisis escalates into evidence of a hidden palace conspiracy, the Queen forces them into an uneasy partnership. Forced proximity turns into reluctant collaboration as they uncover a web of corruption reaching the highest levels of court-led by a powerful noble hiding behind influence and privilege. As danger grows, so does the connection between them.
Shared nights in the archives, near-confessions in candlelight, and stolen moments in silence slowly dismantle the walls they've built. But when Mary is suddenly framed for treason, everything collapses. Imprisoned and disgraced, she faces the full force of the court's judgment-until Brigit makes an impossible choice: defy her family, risk her position, and uncover the truth no one else dares to see.
Together, they expose the real traitors and bring down a conspiracy that threatens the entire kingdom. In the aftermath, the court is forever changed-but so are they. Now standing openly beside each other in a world that once demanded they stay apart, Mary and Brigit must decide if love can survive where duty, politics, and power never rest. A slow-burn, high-stakes enemies-to-lovers romance set in a world of royal intrigue, betrayal, and forbidden attraction-where choosing each other may be the most dangerous decision of all.