This is the story of Laura. A beautiful 26 year old Italian woman in a relationship with Mario. She knows what she wants and acts accordingly. Her next step in life is to buy a house in her home town and open her own shop. But money doesn't grow on trees. Especially in this rather poor part of the country. It's her partner, Mario, who will push her into an adventure that will take her to a world she doesn't know. A world unlike her own, where money seems easier to come by, especially if you're young and beautiful...
Laura and Mario have been a couple of street vendors for the past eight years, selling fruit and vegetables in the markets around Bria, a picturesque town in Puglia. Lately, Laura has been dreaming of opening her own shop right in the heart of town. After some searching, they find the perfect building — available as a life annuity. It’s a beautiful, well-located property, but unfortunately, just a bit out of their financial reach. Mario hears about a game show that might give them the boost they need to secure a bank loan. Hosted by Canale 6, the show offers one female contestant a grand prize: 50,000 euros and a leading role in a brand-new TV series. The series stars a famous singer-turned-actor making his big comeback after a two-year break. The twist? The identity of the male lead remains a mystery until the show begins. The winner will play his wife. At first, Laura is hesitant. But after a conversation with the property owner — and some encouragement from the town's mayor — she decides to give it a shot. Following a casting session in Naples, Laura is selected to join the show. She heads off to a secret location to film the first two episodes, alongside 19 other contestants, over the course of a week.
Episode 2
Episode 1 ended with an unpleasant surprise for Mario: the mysterious star is none other than Vincenzo Ecosibelo — a charming heartthrob he deeply despises. Due to Vincenzo’s troubled past and past allegations of domestic violence, Laura isn’t too fond of him either, despite having been a fan during his early career. Over the course of the week, however, and after filming a key scene for the competition, Laura begins to see him in a different light. She learns more about his story and slowly reconsiders her opinion. It turns out Vincenzo had been the victim of a scandal-hungry tabloid press, and was fully acquitted in court — something few people ever knew, as the trial took place during his time away from the spotlight. In person, he proves to be friendly and down-to-earth. Despite the constant attention he gets from the other female contestants, he remains neither flirtatious nor arrogant. By the end of the second show, four finalists are announced — and Laura tops the list.
Episode 3
In Episode 3, Laura creates a sensation on the show by crafting hilarious fruit figurines. Her playful idea sparks a national trend — suddenly, every child in Italy wants to make one. Vincenzo, no fool, sees the potential right away. He discreetly approaches Laura and asks if she’d be willing to join him in an upcoming ad campaign. At 5,000 euros a day, the offer is hard to turn down. But what will Mario think? Watching Laura spend more and more time with Vincenzo is starting to wear on him — but the money, and the building, weigh heavily on his mind... In the end, he agrees to let Laura spend two days in Rome for a photo shoot with Vincenzo. It’s her first glimpse into a very different world — luxury hotels, the glamorous pace of advertising... And through it all, she’s accompanied by a charming Vincenzo, who’s clearly becoming more and more interested in her.
Episode 4
Whether she likes it or not, the trip to Rome has left its mark on Laura — and now, she has to deal with the consequences. The four finalists must prepare for the final stage of the competition, which will determine the winner. Each contestant is required to shoot a few scenes in their hometown, to be judged by both a professional jury and the public. The film crew arrives in Bria, welcomed by the mayor — and a surprising assistant: Gloria, the owner of the building Laura dreams of buying. It’s also the first meeting between Vincenzo and Mario. Given the stakes, Mario swallows his pride and hides his resentment — a wise move. After a friendly lunch and the shooting of a short tourism promo — the mayor’s main reason for backing the project — Laura and Vincenzo begin filming their first real scene together. It ends with a romantic kiss. And with that, Laura is faced with her first real choice. It won’t be the last. From here on, two key decisions will shape the rest of the story — and lead to four very different paths.
Episode 5
By the end of Episode 4, Laura had already been faced with an important decision: should she simulate the on-screen kisses, or allow real ones to make the scenes more believable — and give herself a fair shot at competing with the other finalists, especially Sofia? The second day of filming brings a string of romantic scenes, and Vincenzo’s undeniable charm isn’t making things any easier. Laura finds herself unexpectedly stirred by emotions she thought long gone — remnants of her past as a devoted fan. Two events further complicate the situation. First, a troubling revelation about Sofia’s behavior off-camera — her fiercest rival may not be playing entirely fair. Second, Mario’s growing discomfort: his childish reactions and thinly veiled jealousy begin to wear on Laura, especially in the face of her professional obligations and the increasing closeness between her and Vincenzo. Now, Laura must make a second crucial choice — one that will define the direction of her story from here on out.
From Episode 6 onwards, the story branches out.
There are now four possible routes — each shaped by Laura’s two key decisions. Did she accept the real kisses during filming? Did she push back against Mario’s growing discomfort over her closeness with Vincenzo? Four combinations. Four routes. Four stories — and four very different outcomes.
Laura Volonto is the youngest of a family that arrived in Puglia when she was 16. She had two brothers who died in rough situations in Naples, where her family is from. Did this family have to flee? Either way, after she finished school, Laura had to help her parents, who had become traveling clothes sellers in the Bria markets. That's where she met Mario, a fruit and vegetable vendor with her father. At first, Mario, who was 10 years her senior, was just admiring her from afar. He was hoping to get with this beauty, just like all the other guys in the area. After Mario's dad passed away, he couldn't go on alone. Laura offered to help him out until he could find a solution. But she ended up being the go-to solution. Mario and Laura hit it off, and business was going great. They fell in love and got together, even though Laura's parents weren't thrilled. But Laura didn't care! It was hard to understand how someone as gorgeous as Laura could be attracted to a guy like Mario, even with all his good qualities. Only she knew. Some people were quick to point out that it was Laura who seemed to run the business. She really had a knack for business and knew how to use her charm whenever and with whoever she had to. She was probably just independent and ambitious, and she saw in Mario and his business the chance to get her foot in the door.
Mario
When he first saw Laura, Mario was already 28 and she 18. He worked alone with his recently widowed father. His mother had died 10 years earlier, at the age of 40, of a particularly aggressive and poorly treated form of breast cancer. An old-boy type, Mario wasn't exactly a born flirt! It's not that Laura didn't fancy him, it's just that he had less time than the others and didn't believe for a second in his chances of seducing her. When her father died suddenly, however, she spontaneously offered to help him while he got back on his feet. Little by little, they grew closer, eventually forming the unlikely couple no one had expected. Mario was proud to have won her over in front of all the local seducers! Mario's a nice guy, not stupid and hard-working. Mario's a nice guy, not stupid and hard-working. Neither handsome nor ugly. However, the age difference between him and Laura is noticeable, and even more so as the years go by... In the eight years they've been together, he's never had to doubt her fidelity. At least, he hasn't seen anything, and nothing has ever aroused his suspicion. Anyway, he's not jealous by nature. The only thing that annoyed her at one point was the stir caused in her by a young successful actor-singer. He put it down to youth. He got over it!
Gloria
A career of supporting roles and film extras. Models for advertising brochures, but never at the top! TV commercials, but at best at national level. RAI weather presenter... She married a cook, her childhood sweetheart, at a very young age, and spent the rest of her life cheating on him. She had the opportunity: she was often away, while he was stuck in his restaurant in Bria. And then, he never knew, and she never left him for another: you never know what tomorrow will bring! Physically, she always took care of herself, her appearance, her body. And in that respect, there's no denying that she's a success! Financially, she lacks nothing. With no children of her own, she sees no point in keeping a building that's too big for her and too expensive to maintain. So she sells it, as a life annuity. When she met Laura and heard about the project, she naturally took an interest and believed in her chances of winning. Perhaps she secretly hopes to be part of the adventure. In any case, she'll be sure to offer her services and advice to Laura.
Vincenzo
Vincenzo was born 28 years ago in Naples to a wealthy family. His father, whose business seemed, shall we say, Neapolitan, always preferred his older brother to him. At the age of 22, just as he was finishing his graphic design studies in Rome, fame came looking for Vincenzo. He was cast as a supporting character in a series for teenagers when letters from female viewers brought him to the attention of the production. The script was quickly changed to put him in the spotlight and all hell broke loose. Series success, first songs, concerts, tours. At 24, he was rich and famous. Two years later he found himself in court, having to defend himself against false accusations of domestic violence. He was acquitted after a year-long trial, but the tabloids had made a big deal of his downfall and his acquittal went unnoticed. He made the wise decision to forget about it and calmly prepare for his comeback. This was made possible by the support of Silvio, the boss of Canale 6, who knew how to make people forget his troubles with the law...
Lucia
Lucia just celebrated her 18th birthday and painstakingly finished high school. School wasn't really her thing! Since she'd rather start working right away than chase after a hypothetical degree, her great aunt Gloria thinks of “placing” her with Laura and Mario. And it works! She's good at sales, she's outgoing, she's talkative, and she's quick-witted. She's a hit at the street markets! Mario, in particular, gets along well with her, even if it means giving Laura more “freedom”...
Rodolfo
When he was 14, Rodolfo's mother left home to live with a man from Naples, leaving him alone with his father (he is an only child). They coped together and ended up doing well as a pair. As his father was often at work, Rodolfo was given a lot of freedom from an early age. This was helped by the fact that he was doing well at school. He quickly realized that he had been blessed by nature and that he was the object of attention of many girls and women. He then began a series of adventures and conquests with women, which quickly earned him a reputation as a ladies' man. After a year working in a company, he was fired, much to the chagrin of the boss's wife, according to gossip! He was therefore looking for a job when he sold his old scooter to Laura. As she lived outside the city with Mario and didn't go out much, he hadn't yet had the opportunity to meet her. But after seeing her on TV and up close, she became a serious temptation. Depending on the route taken, his attempts at seduction will be different. Will they be successful?
Lorenzo
If you are primarily seeking material comfort, what could be better than the son of a banker?
Manuela & Cinzia
Men are fine. Sometimes... But sometimes not. And for some women, not at all, ever. This is the case for Manuela, the producer at Canale 6, and Cinzia, the director.
Gloria reveals to Laura that she managed to get Rodolfo hired as a model for the Benitto catalog. He’ll therefore be accompanying her to Capri in a few weeks. Rodolfo and Lucia have also just been hired as a second team to take over the street markets.
While accompanying him to meet Octavio, the photographer and artist, Laura learns a bit more about Rodolfo. Their conversations and shared projects bring them closer together, and the charm starts to work—especially since Rodolfo knows how to play it cool despite his young age.
Little by little, Laura feels increasingly drawn to him, especially as she still can’t shake a certain resentment toward Mario’s past behavior. If a new opportunity presents itself, she feels she won’t hesitate to seize it—with or without Mario’s approval—even if it means giving in a little to the charm of Rodolfo, on the romantic island of Capri.
But for now, it's time for the traditional San Antonella festivities to begin in the town where Mario and Laura now live. On the eve of the weekend, they go for a drink at their usual bar with friends. Rodolfo joins them there, and before long, he and Laura find themselves chatting alone, while Mario doesn't seem to notice...
