Laura della Scalla has finally adjusted to the monotinous routine of daily life in the convent where her father banished her when news comes that she must come back to her home in Venice. Instead of being able to relish the new freedoms of her old life, Laura reels with the shock of her sister's death and the revulsion of having to marry her sister's hideous old fiancee. Just when she thinks there is no hope left, Laura is approached by a member of the secret sociey of women in Venice, the Segretta. These women have the power to change Laura's fate, but they require one dangerous entry fee - a secret. Laura must balance her new responsibilities of her newfound life, as well as deal with her increasing attraction towards a mysterious painter and the powerful yet dangerous members of the Segretta. Laura struggles to accept her sister's passing as it seems more and more apparent that her death was no accident, reminding her of the danger of meddling with the wrong people in Venice, as well as the power even one secret can have.