Pier Ulmann lives from hand-to-mouth in Paris, between construction work and petty theft that he commits on behalf of Rachid, his only “family”. But life catches up with him the day his father is found dead in the street after a long decline. The black sheep of a rich Antwerp family who deals in diamonds, he has left his son nothing, apart from the story of his banishment from the Ulmann family and a thirst for revenge.

Student Claire lives with her mother, Anne, and Sebastien — a young man Claire brought home out of pity who is now trying to seduce them both. At school, Claire meets Gregoire, who loans her a book by philosopher Soren Kierkegaard that makes the reader attracted to whoever gave it to them. Smitten with Gregoire, Claire passes the book on to her therapist, who then falls in love with her.