Chocolate and coffee are prohibited, paper is worth its weight in gold, water is carefully dosed, New York is mired in crime and poverty. But for Anya Balanchine, the 16-year-old daughter of a criminal (and now murdered) boss, life goes on as usual: school, caring for her brother, sister and dying grandmother, breaking up with her boyfriend and a new romantic interest. The measured course of life is interrupted by the news that her ex-boyfriend has been poisoned by chocolate produced by the Balanchine family. Anya becomes the main suspect. Now she must decide whether to accept the evil machinations and endanger her family, or become the head of the clan, as prescribed by her birthright, and abandon her own feelings.