The year is 1950, somewhere in the Middle East. Extravagant tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda survives a series of assassination attempts and plots a grandiose transcontinental project called the Phoenician Scheme. In an effort to protect his empire, Korda appoints his daughter Lisle as his sole heir, pulling her out of a convent. They must face numerous enemies, state intrigue, and fight for the future of the family, the business, and all of Phoenicia.