Tonight or Never

Nella Vargo, a Hungarian prima donna, stars in Tosca in Venice, earning praise from the audience. Her music teacher Rudig openly questions whether she can become history's greatest singer until she performs in New York. After a sharp criticism that she lacks soul, she becomes angry and notices a mysterious man on the street, which plants the seeds of a new possibility.

Nella is smitten after spotting the mysterious man on a Venice street. Rudig claims the man is a gigolo whose latest client is Marchesa Bianca San Giovanni, a former diva with a notorious past, fueling Nella's curiosity and jealousy.

That night, Nella heads to Budapest with Rudig, her butler Conrad, her maid Emma, and her fiancé Count Albert von Gronac, whom she does not love. She is shocked to discover the mysterious man is also on board, traveling with the Marchesa. Rudig emphasizes that love is a prerequisite for true artistic greatness.

The next day, Rudig announces that Fletcher, an agent for New York's Metropolitan Opera, has arrived in town to sign European artists, signaling a possible breakthrough for Nella. The news heightens her hope for a future in America.

In the afternoon of that same day, Nella learns that her fiancé is having an affair with one of her enemies, shattering her trust and intensifying her longing for love and recognition from a major stage. The shock pushes her toward a dramatic personal choice.

Furious and seeking authentic love, Nella hires the mysterious man, Jim, hoping the romance will sharpen her performance for Fletcher. Jim, secretly Fletcher, pretends to be a gigolo and gives her an ultimatum: spend the night with him or leave within three minutes.

Nella spends the night with Jim but leaves at dawn before he wakes, still unsure and torn about him. The encounter tugs at her emotions while advancing her ambitions for a New York contract.

That same night, she delivers Tosca again, and the performance is hailed as the greatest of her entire career. The triumph elevates her confidence but also deepens the moral conflict over her earlier actions with Jim.

Upon returning home, Nella is overjoyed to learn she has secured a contract with the Metropolitan Opera, yet she feels guilty about the night she spent with Jim. The decision between love and career weighs heavily on her.

Jim visits again, returns the necklace she left him to pay for his services, and pressures her to choose between him and the contract. When she tears up the contract, Jim reveals that he is the Marchesa's nephew and a famous talent scout, linking their romance to her American dream.

With Jim's true identity revealed, Nella realizes she can pursue a New York career while sustaining love. The story ends on a note that her dream can come true, balancing art and affection.