Marieke wants to live her life. But how can she succeed if love has been taken away from her? She seeks warmth in the arms of much older men to find the strength to face the past and finally be herself. Marieke is 20 years old. She lives with her mother, Jeanne, a woman left cold and distant ever since her husband died. During the day, Marieke works in a Brussels chocolate factory. At night, she escapes into the arms of much older men. With them she feels strong, cherished and free. The arrival of Jacoby, a book editor living abroad, searching for her father's last manuscript, upsets Marieke's precarious balance. Her mother does everything in her power to keep them apart. She fears that he will reveal the secret that has remained hidden for so many years. Marieke falls in love with Jacoby but devastated by the truth of her father's death, she sinks despair. Will she find the strength to accept the truth and live anew?

Lola Arendt, 8, vanishes while on vacation on a wild Scottish island. Shattered by her disappearance, her parents, Sarah and Martin, separate. Two years later, Lola is found at the exact same spot. Martin returns to the island to bring her home. His delight at being reunited with Lola soon gives way to suspicion and fear. Why won't Lola talk? Who are these men watching them? What did Sarah know about Lola's disappearance? And who is beautiful and mysterious Norah Kross? When the weather conspires to stop them leaving, Martin and Lola embark on a journey across the island with Norah, headed for a tragic discovery...