‘I’m not going to do what you tell me just because you own half of Facebook,’ I replied as he attempted to stand up very, very slowly.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he slurred. ‘I sold my shares in Facebook years ago.’

‘Good for you,’ I said, nervously noticing how many people had started to stare. ‘But now I’ve really got to go.’

‘I said stop!’

I winced at the unholy screech of a man who was not used to having to repeat himself all that often. Before I could make my escape, he was at my side.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘But I’ve got somewhere else I need to be.’

‘Where?’

‘Literally anywhere.’ Looking past Andrew along the edge of the room, I saw the wall hangings flutter as a man in a waiter’s uniform slipped into the ballroom. ‘Please leave me alone,’ I begged. ‘I’m not the princess, I’m a thirty-two-year-old temp from Sheffield who really just wants to go back to her room.’

‘Whoever you are,’ he whispered, leaping in front of me as his glassy eyes misted over. ‘I’ve been searching for you all my life.’

It all made sense now, it was a pheromone thing, I was irresistible to billionaires. It was the only logical explanation given I’d never exactly had to fight men off in the real world.

‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,’ I groaned as he dropped awkwardly to one knee.

‘You’re a rebel, I love it,’ Andrew said, his breath absolutely toxic. ‘Marry me.’

He thrust out his arms and promptly fell over again.

Before he could find his way to his feet, I turned on my well-cushioned heel and took off at a sprint without a single care as to who might be watching. Let them watch, let them talk, let them take photos on their illegal phones, all I wanted was to get out of there. Andrew was still yelling when I reached the break in the curtains and, without looking back, I sliced through the fabric and hurled myself on to the other side.

It was pitch black, just like before, a slender shaft of light dancing up and down in the dark as the curtains fluttered closed behind me. Feeling my way around the darkness, I tried to remember my route through the storeroom, but not a single thing was in the same place I’d found it a few hours earlier. Everything had changed.

Moving slowly but purposefully across the floor I walked face first into something big, hard and invisible.

‘Don’t bleed on the dress, don’t bleed on the dress,’ I whispered with watery eyes, pinching my nose with one hand and feeling my way around the large, round obstacle with the other. Behind me, the curtains rustled and Andrew clattered across the room with a drunk man’s interpretation of stealth.

‘Hello? Princess?’

‘Fuck off,’ I whispered in response.