

For eighteen years, I, Althea Quinn Calder, wanted nothing more than torn shorts, hiking boots, and a detector in my pocket. My family was known across the stars as a glamorous treasure-hunting team, but what most people never knew was that our real fortune came from finding alien artifacts hidden inside ancient ruins. At a charity gala on Sobek Space Station, I was forced into an elegant dress and high heels, only to discover that the night was not just another social event. Our old rival, Alistair Draven, appeared again, watching us like a predator and hinting that he already knew about the secret mission my father had planned. Even worse, my father had hired a new intern without telling me. His name was Kaelan Frost, a brilliant student with green eyes, a Capellan accent, and the most dangerous effect on my concentration. I hated the idea of adding anyone to our team—until he joined our next expedition to New Haven, where a dive into the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge led me to a hidden metal box, a ruby ring, and a cipher connected to the lost lover of the infamous space pirate Edward Teach. The clue pointed us from a sunken ship to a protected estate, then to a secret garden where another message revealed something far bigger: Teach had hidden not only pirate treasure, but the missing fortune of a destroyed Spanish treasure fleet. Every clue brings Kaelan and me closer, but it also brings Alistair closer to us. He has followed every expedition we ever took, and this time, if he discovers what I am carrying, the next treasure we uncover may become the one that gets us killed.

Stella Hart, once a wealthy heiress, is lost and taken in by her foster mother, Serena Cook, who arranges a betrothal between her and her son, Jason Vale. After Jason suffers an accident, Stella sells herself to a childless couple to save him. However, once the couple adopts her, they later have twins and decide to abandon her. Stella’s grandmother, unable to bear her suffering, takes her in and cares for her with great love, leading a life of mutual dependence. Meanwhile, Jason and his mother work tirelessly to find Stella, and eventually, Jason becomes the president of a publicly listed company. On the other hand, Stella faces a series of misfortunes, including betrayal and mistreatment by a man she thought she loved. When Jason finally finds Stella, the person he has cherished since childhood, he vows to make up for all her suffering. As their story unfolds, Stella’s true identity gradually reveals itself, and they eventually reunite, with true love prevailing in the end.