It's been a month since Mila returned to Chernivtsi. And it had been an eventful homecoming. She was still contemplating how Pietro, whom she thought was the lost love of her life, could have been such a fraud and then killed so horribly?
She was glad the school year had started, and she was now able to focus on her courses and students instead.
However, with the arrival of the new dean circumstances become both good and bad for Mila. Though Sergei Vasilovici seems to be a challenging fellow with no real connections or much of a personal history, Mila finds him an acceptable replacement for Pietro Melnik as dean, especially when he offers her a promotion. At the same time, he is not as amiable with the students, particularly Ivan Popov. The two are seen arguing at Sergei's welcome assembly and when Sergei is found murdered in his office the next morning Ivan is pulled in as the likely killer.
When she realizes what has happened Mila rushes to help Ivan. For though Ivan may be a womanizer and headstrong, Mila is very sure he is NOT a murderer.
Ivan's arrest also brings his brother Oleck rushing home from his posting in Kyiv.
The two join forces to help Ivan and soon discover that there is more going on than meets the eye...and maybe that applies to the two of them as well.