Vanessa

Following her uncle Richard's death, Vanessa is a misfit student at a Bavarian convent. She travels to Hong Kong to assume ownership of his estate and confront the people who challenge his will. The move marks the start of a world of wealth, power, and peril that will test her resolve.

A taxi driver who is secretly a magician, Prinz Bandor transports Vanessa to Richard's palatial home. He serves as her guide in this unfamiliar world and emerges as a recurring ally. The arrival sets the stage for political and magical intrigue at the estate in Hong Kong.

Inside the estate, Vanessa meets Jackie, Richard's attorney's niece, and Anthony Grüder, his close confidant. They become part of her emerging network in a foreign world. The meeting hints at alliances and tensions that will shape later decisions.

Jackie's sister Cle is married to Major Kenneth Cooper, and Cle pursues extramarital affairs hoping to force a divorce. The subplot introduces a volatile dynamic at the upper ranks of Vanessa's new social circle. These relationships complicate Vanessa's position as the estate's heir.

Vanessa learns she has inherited a chain of bordellos and a large citrus plantation. Adrian, the plantation administrator, asserts he is Richard's illegitimate son and challenges the will. The legal and familial conflict immediately places Vanessa under pressure to secure her claim.

Adrian invites Vanessa to visit the plantation to persuade her to concede the estate to him. The invitation foreshadows a power play over control of the assets. The plantation becomes a central stage for manipulation and danger.

Adrian makes a move to rape Vanessa, but Kenneth intervenes and stops the assault. The act highlights the dangers Vanessa faces from those who want to control her inheritance. It also cements a dangerous alliance of power around her.

Tai-Neh, Adrian's devotee who loves him, grows jealous of Vanessa's involvement with Adrian. She uses sympathetic magic to inflict agony on Vanessa and keep her bedridden. The magical attack adds supernatural peril to the estate war.

Jackie, sensing the magical interference, brings in Prinz Bandor. Bandor identifies Tai-Neh's magic as the source of Vanessa's pain and works to counter it. His intervention helps Vanessa regain her health and momentum in the dispute.

After legal wrangling, the court rejects Adrian's challenge and grants the entire estate to Vanessa. The win consolidates her position as the rightful heir, at least legally. Adrian's plans are thwarted, and Vanessa pivots toward consolidating wealth.

Adrian tries to persuade Vanessa that he truly loves her, but she remains cautious and fires him. The rejection ends his direct influence over the estate for the time being. Vanessa moves to solidify her control with independent actions.

Vanessa decides to keep the plantation but has Anthony sell all the bordellos previously tied to the estate. This move significantly increases her wealth and changes the family business's moral footprint. The shift marks her ascendancy in the social and economic order.

Kenneth invites Vanessa to his home, drugs her, and sexually assaults her. Jackie, Adrian, and Cle arrive as the crime unfolds, and Adrian rescues Vanessa from the assault. The incident underscores the peril Vanessa faces from those seeking to control her.

Kenneth asks Cle to return to him, but she refuses. The stubborn choices among the powerful figures connected to the estate intensify the social tension surrounding Vanessa. Cle remains aloof from Kenneth's attempt at reconciliation.

Vanessa hires Adrian to run the plantation again, re-establishing trust in him as the steward of the estate. She then returns to Europe, leaving open the possibility of a future relationship with him. The ending sets her on a path to secure her wealth while preserving independence.