In post-war Flanders Adelais de Wolf’s family is slowly coming apart after an event neither of them will talk about, her mother evermore lost to religious devotion, her father to alcohol. But with the death of a beloved uncle, Adelais finds herself in receipt of an unexpected legacy, a shuttered house in a rundown district, and its contents, contents that hold the promise of wealth and independence. All that is required is application, nerve, and a willingness to operate outside of the law. Adelais takes the plunge, and her life is transformed. But with her rise comes complications- her victimless crimes may not be as victimless as she supposed. Nor has she counted on the singular fanaticism of Major de Smet of the Federal Gendarmerie, a brutal man who never forgives and never forgets. Embroiled in a game that has gone on too long, will Adelais find the cost of her fortunes too high?