Esmeralda Sterling returns to Sunset Pines with only one goal: to avenge her father's wrongful imprisonment that ruined her family life. She knows her father was framed by a woman named Mirabelle Ellison.

Fifteen years after she left, many things in Sunset Pines have changed, but a lot has also stayed the same, including the dominance of Mirabelle Ellison over the small town.

As Esmeralda breathes new life in her father's defunct newspaper, old secrets and resentments slowly start to come to the surface, and perhaps Esmeralda isn't as safe in the small town as she thought she would be.

Nevertheless, Esmeralda presses ahead with her plans of revenge, not counting on the ruggedly handsome Matt Williams, who not only is the sheriff of Sunset Pines, but who also happens to be Mirabelle Ellison's nephew.

While tensions rise and deep feelings of love are awakened Esmeralda's mission starts to take on a new meaning and direction. Things finally reach a boiling point and Esmeralda has to make a decision which not only will affect her own life, but that of some of the residents of Sunset Pines as well.