The central antagonist, who poses as a therapist while manipulating and exploiting young women through emotional extortion and deceit.

Gus's romantic interest, an aspiring artist and the daughter of celebrity chef Anna, struggling with personal and external influences.

Mary's mother, a celebrity chef and ceramicist whose public trial and personal history complicate her relationship with Mary.

A temperamental and controversial figure at the Melrose Academy in Rome, whose actions deeply impact the novel's central conflicts.

A determined mother seeking justice for her daughter, whose tragic story highlights the broader consequences of Jean's manipulations.