Filippo, a cold-hearted customs and tax investigator, shakes down business owners. With the blessings of his boss, he leaves his job to become a private investor with inside information on distressed and undervalued properties. His boss advises him to have an entrée into high society, so he seduces Caterina, an older woman with social connections. She believes he loves her. He has an obsession for an old girlfriend, Francesca: can he succeed in winning back her affection, how will Caterina react, and how far will he go to protect his racket?