In 1835 Paris, the scandalous libertine Ryno de Marigny is poised to marry the pure, wealthy aristocratic virtuous woman Hermangarde de Polastron. Eager to secure her granddaughter's future but wary of Ryno's notorious reputation, the Marquise de Flers demands a full accounting of his past. Ryno confesses to a volatile, decade-long history with Vellini, a fiercely passionate Spanish courtesan, but vows that the destructive bond is permanently broken. However, shortly after the wedding, Vellini resurfaces in the couple's coastal retreat, refusing to relinquish her hold. Unable to resist his consuming obsession, Ryno plunges into a deceptive extramarital affair with his former lover, turning his back on his unsuspecting, betrayed wife and igniting a toxic cycle of infidelity that threatens to ruin everyone involved.