Giana Van Cleve has fallen in love with a vicious fortune hunter. Her mother, Aurora, a wealthy ship builder, is desperate to save her daughter from this miserable man. At her mother's request, Giana travels to Rome to spend three months with her uncle Daniele. If Giana has not changed her mind about the man she loves after three months, Aurora will agree to support the wedding.

Giana's journey, to Rome takes a turn for the worse, and she soon finds herself trapped in a shocking, decadent world she never knew existed. After surviving this nightmare, Giana becomes a woman intent on success. She fights her way to the top in a man's world, only to find that Alex Saxton, who knows all about her past, is determined to destroy her.