Railroad tycoon Collis Huntington approaches Belle at Johnny Worsham's gambling parlor and tells her she has been ensnared in his memory.

The gambling parlor is raided by police; Belle saves Collis from arrest by hiding with him through a secret trapdoor.

Collis visits Belle at Yarrington House and presents her with the cameo bracelet she had previously seen only in her dreams.

Collis arranges for Johnny Worsham to pose as Belle's husband and moves the entire Yarrington family to New York.

A pregnant Belle maneuvers to permanently dismiss Johnny by sending him to Virginia, then locking him out and terminating his contract.

Belle gives birth to Collis's son and names him Archer Milton, deliberately avoiding using Collis's name.

Belle begins buying properties in prime New York locations with Collis's financial support to secure an independent future for herself and Archer.

Elizabeth Huntington threatens to leave Collis unless Archer is sent away; a devastated Belle is forced to comply.

Belle meets Collis's nephew Edward Huntington during a Yosemite trip and is instantly struck by an overwhelming and dangerous attraction.

Belle declares she will no longer be separated from Archer and tells Collis she is taking their son to Europe and bringing him home permanently.

A dying Elizabeth Huntington summons Belle to her bedside and extracts a solemn promise to always care for Collis and never harm him.

Collis proposes marriage to Belle during a work trip to New Orleans; she accepts despite her unresolved feelings for Edward.

Ward McAllister demands an exorbitant additional fee from the Huntingtons mid-ball; Belle and Collis refuse the demand and walk out immediately.

Clara's suitor Francis reveals Belle's sex-work past at a private family meeting and demands a large sum as Clara's dowry.

Collis falls ill and dies with Belle at his side; she later writes to Edward Huntington asking him to come to her.

Belle, a Champagne Girl in a Richmond gambling parlor, captures the attention of railroad tycoon Collis Huntington and embarks on an affair that transforms her life. Collis moves Belle and her family to New York, where she builds financial independence while navigating her role as his hidden mistress. The birth of their son Archer raises the stakes, as Collis's wife Elizabeth forces Belle into a painful separation from her child. Belle falls deeply for Collis's nephew Edward but suppresses her feelings, ultimately marrying Collis after Elizabeth's death. Their prosperous marriage is tested by social battles and a dangerous revelation about Belle's past, ending with Collis's death and Belle finally reaching out to Edward.

Belle's rise from gambling parlor girl to Collis Huntington's wife and widow.

Seventeen-year-old Belle works as a Champagne Girl at Johnny Worsham's illicit gambling parlor in Richmond, Virginia, to support her impoverished family.

Belle declines Collis's offer to move to New York alone and strategically plants the idea of bringing her entire family with her.

The Yarrington family leaves Virginia for a new life in New York, traveling in the comfort of Collis's private parlor railcar.

Belle disguises herself as a housemaid to secretly observe Collis's wife Elizabeth at the train station; Elizabeth recognizes her and is visibly angry.

Emma Yarrington accepts a marriage proposal from Thies Warnken, a Texan admirer she met while ice skating in Central Park.

Ten-year-old Clara Huntington encounters Belle on a city street when Archer's silver rattle falls in the snow and kindly returns it.

Belle visits Texas and discovers that her brother-in-law Thies's ranch is on the verge of financial collapse within a year.

With Collis's assistance, Belle purchases a house entirely in her own name and moves in on the very first day.

Belle persuades Collis to publicly escort her to an estate auction, marking their first deliberate visible appearance together in New York.

Clara and Belle meet at America's World's Fair; Belle surprises Clara by admitting she does not love Collis romantically.

Belle and Edward are caught alone together in the rain during the Yosemite trip and agree they must never be alone together again.

Clara notices her mother Elizabeth collapse at the dinner table; Elizabeth is later found to have advanced and painful cancer.

Belle and Edward meet at a Metropolitan Museum fundraiser, where two older women loudly insult Belle as a courtesan in front of the crowd.

Belle and Clara depart together for Europe, with Belle determined to launch Clara triumphantly into London's social season.

At Collis's funeral, Mary Alice confronts Belle and warns her to stay away from Edward, her children, and her allowance.

This pool traces the events and relationships surrounding Belle's arrival and establishment in New York, from the Yarrington family's relocation to the social encounters that define her position. Belle's sister Emma finds unexpected happiness in Texas while Belle navigates New York as a wealthy outsider denied full acceptance. Key encounters between Belle and Clara Huntington trace the unlikely bond between the two women across different stages of life. Belle and Edward's charged first private encounter at Yosemite sets the stage for their long-suppressed romance, while further social skirmishes reveal the firm ceiling above Belle's ambitions. The pool closes with the fracturing of the Huntington family in the wake of Collis's death.

The surrounding relationships and social encounters that shaped Belle's world in New York.

Belle and Collis begin meeting secretly every night at a house he rents along the river, talking freely about their lives and desires.

Johnny Worsham agrees to Collis's deal to pose as Belle's husband in New York in exchange for a house, servants, and a monthly stipend.

Catherine silently watches Johnny arrive at the door one evening and realizes with certainty that he has fallen in love with Belle.

Belle locks Johnny out of the house and writes to formally terminate his services while he is away visiting Virginia.

Lizzie warns a pregnant Belle not to name the baby after Collis, urging her sister to secure her own financial future instead.

Catherine recalls with quiet guilt the day she met Johnny Worsham to negotiate Belle's employment; she still cannot bring herself to eat off a white china plate.

After Archer is sent to Texas, Belle refuses to speak to Collis for a fortnight and then demands to be seen publicly at his side.

At a ball hosted by Mrs. Fish, Belle is described as a family niece accompanying the Huntingtons, leaving Elizabeth visibly humiliated before society.

Collis wins a Bouguereau painting called Mother and Child at auction; Belle later hangs it in her drawing room and renames it Temptation.

Belle sends Edward a letter saying she can afford a little idealism after all, and later mails him a Paris postcard reading only "Merci."

After Elizabeth's death, Clara flings open the curtains in the Huntington house for the first time, feeling a sudden rush of exhilaration.

On the train home from New Orleans, Edward confesses his love to Belle; she calls him the return of ruin to her life and walks away.

Catherine passes away peacefully at the Huntingtons' estate, imagining her late husband Richard rising from the river to carry her away with him.

A flashback reveals that a 15-year-old Belle was coerced into sex work on her very first night at Johnny's parlor, a situation Catherine arranged knowingly.

Colonel Mann's representative arrives at The Homestead to blackmail Belle about her past; Belle refuses to yield and that same evening writes to Edward.

This pool highlights the behind-the-scenes moments and revelations that quietly steer Belle's story at every stage. From the secret arrangement with Johnny and the warning signs of his dangerous attachment, to Belle's calculated moves to consolidate her position after Archer is sent away, these events reveal the calculated risks beneath her public rise. Collis winning the painting Belle renames Temptation captures the central emotional tension of her double life, while Edward's heartfelt confession on the train home marks the most painful sacrifice of her long climb. The shocking flashback to Belle's first night at Johnny's parlor reframes her entire story, and the pool closes with Belle finally choosing, after years of waiting, to reach out to Edward.

The hidden truths, pivotal decisions, and emotional turning points driving Belle's story.