In a sweltering South American prison, Philip Alexander Maseden faces his final hours. Resigned to his fate but unbroken in spirit, his countdown to the firing squad is interrupted by a bizarre proposition from a local financier. A mysterious, heavily veiled American woman needs to marry immediately for reasons unknown, and a condemned man makes the perfect, temporary husband. Amused by the absurdity and driven by a streak of cynical defiance, Maseden agrees. The hasty, surreal ceremony is performed, the vows are read, and his nameless bride vanishes back into the night. But destiny refuses to let Maseden die. Against all odds, a twist of fate spares his life, and he escapes the prison walls. Thrust into a whirlwind Edwardian adventure, Maseden finds himself navigating treacherous waters, enduring a harrowing shipwreck, and hunting for a legendary treasure trove. Yet, amidst the physical perils, one psychological mystery consumes him: Who is his unknown wife, and what happens when their paths inevitably cross again?
