Nola

After fleeing an abusive stepfather in Kansas, Nola travels to New York City in search of her biological father. She spends her first night sleeping in Central Park, hoping for a fresh start. The city's neon offers both danger and possibility as she weighs her next move.

Shortly after arriving in NYC, Nola is hired by the owner of a small diner. Ben, a frycook who is also in night law school, takes her in and she begins staying with him while she figures out her plan. Their tenuous living arrangement forms the base from which her options will diverge later.

Ben’s landlady, Margaret, reveals she is the real diner owner and offers Nola a job as her assistant for an escort service. Nola is shown a luxurious room and initially resists the idea before agreeing to talk with Ben over a meal. The shift marks a turning point in her options and safety net.

Back at Ben's, Nola explains the abusive history with her stepfather, who coerced her into discovering which prescriptions elderly residents have so he and her mother could rob and get high. She recounts her 18-year-old longing to become someone in a harsh world. Her story clarifies why she fled home and why New York represents a chance at control.

Nola explains that her primary reason for coming to NYC is to find her father, who unknowingly impregnated her mother. She admits she removed a page from Ben's phone book, and that a newspaper ad she placed yielded crude responses. The revelation deepens the mystery of her origins and her drive for a new identity.

Nola agrees to work for Margaret's escort service, and her first major client is billionaire Niles Sterling. The session goes wrong when Niles wants rough play with a trans woman, but another client, Wendy, pushes boundaries too far. Niles reacts with rage, threatening consequences if his demands aren’t met.

Meanwhile, Ben's law professor, frustrated by his lax attitude, suggests he take on a pro bono case to gain real experience. The suggestion pressures Ben to consider a more serious path beyond his night-school studies. The moment foreshadows how his legal side intersects with Nola's situation.

Nola tells Ben the truth about Wendy and the investment banker, which leads to a newspaper mugging story. The public narrative complicates the case against the escort service and strains Margaret. The revelation connects personal history to media scrutiny.

Niles demands Margaret rough Wendy up or call the police, escalating the stakes for everyone. Nola helps by dolling Wendy to look battered and bruised, then arranging her disappearance abroad while documenting it with photos. The plan shows how far Niles' power can reach.

Niles follows through by arranging a subpoena for Margaret to appear before a grand jury and directly threatens Nola by threatening to reveal details about her upbringing. Journalist Lionel Treblanc is assigned to the story on escort services, and Niles specifically asks for his tough, investigative approach. Tension between the service, the press, and Nola intensifies.

Niles pushes Nola to meet him in a high-class restaurant as a display of his power, attempting to intimidate and manipulate her. She stands her ground, turning the con front into a test of nerve. Margaret learns of the meeting and worries about the consequences, while Nola vows to be careful.

Ben arrives to represent Margaret in court and argues that the case is a vendetta, earning the judge's skepticism and a light verdict for the defendant. Margaret receives only a slap on the wrist, highlighting the uneven leverage in the case. The courtroom dynamics blend family loyalty with legal maneuvering.

Niles sends his driver to take Nola to him, keeping her mother captive to coerce compliance. Simultaneously, Ben consults with Leo about Nola seeking her father, and Leo reveals he has located Hutch, her biological father. The convergence of threats and family search pushes Nola toward a dramatic confrontation.

Nola is forced into a disturbing roleplay where she pretends to be a housewife, while her captor demands sexual degradation. She defends herself long enough for Ben, Leo, and Margaret to intervene and rescue her. Leo uses his connections to secure Nola’s mother’s rehab placement, cutting the power of the abuser.

Ben takes Nola to meet Hutch, the man Leo has tracked down as her father, with Margaret and Leo present. Hutch acknowledges the connection, revealing himself as her father. After a farewell moment where Nola sings for Ben, she kisses him and slaps Leo, telling him he has much to make up for.