London, 1641. In a world where reputation is everything and one patron can make or break your career, two portrait painters are about to discover just how far they'll go to reach success.

When their envious master dies in a freak accident, English apprentice Henry Kentridge and talented Dutch studio assistant Antonis Van Laken see their chance. Instead of disclosing the death, they make a desperate bargain with a disgraced anatomist to hide the body and take control of the studio. Finally, they can pursue the royal patronage that will transform their lives—Antonis can replace the recently deceased Van Dyck as England's premier court painter, while Henry can raise the money he desperately needs for his starving family back in Exeter.

But every step toward their ambitions demands greater moral compromise. As they navigate the treacherous waters of noble patrons, growing suspicions, and the anatomist's increasingly dangerous demands, their carefully constructed lies begin to unravel. With England sliding toward civil war and powerful enemies closing in, they must choose: abandon their dreams or risk everything—including the gallows—for one last chance at the success that has always been just beyond their reach.

A darkly compelling tale of artistic ambition, moral compromise, and the price of creative dreams in a world where survival itself is never guaranteed.