Marly is a former art gallery owner. She was in a relationship with Alain, a con artist. He used her gallery to sell a fake artwork to a collector. When the fake was discovered, Marly's gallery was ruined. She found herself without a lover or a business, and her whole world was destroyed. At the beginning of the novel, Marly is wearing last year's designer jacket. She feels a mess with no prospects, dependent on the kindness of a friend for a place to live. At this low phase, Marly is hired by a billionaire art collector to find an unknown artist. At first, the job seems like a dream come true, but sensitive Marly begins to realize that there is more to the job than she realizes.