When Charles 'Charlie' Edward Ryder unwittingly places his trust in the wrong people, he faces the cruellest of betrayals. Now, with the gallows in plain sight, he has to face the harsh reality that time has just run out, and he won't get the opportunity to do something about his love for the woman who has captured his heart.Hetty is an unlikely heroine, but knows that if she doesn't do something, Charlie, and her brother, will die for crimes she knows they did not commit.Both Charlie and Hetty soon discover that the only thing they can place their faith in is the love that lies between them, and Charlie's friends from the Star Elite, but will that be enough to keep them alive?