In the bustling city of Philadelphia, young Frank Cowperwood dreams big, starting his journey to wealth by flipping inexpensive soaps for profit. With a banking legacy behind him, he quickly climbs the corporate ladder, first at Henry Waterman & Company and then at Tighe & Company. Despite his youth, he marries a wealthy widow, but as ambition drives him, he becomes embroiled in a web of municipal embezzlement. The devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871 triggers a stock market crash that leaves him bankrupt and exposed, leading to a desperate battle against the political machinations that seek to make him a scapegoat. Amidst the chaos, he embarks on a passionate affair with Aileen Butler, a girl who vows to wait for him through his tumultuous jail sentence. As Frank navigates love, betrayal, and the pursuit of wealth, he ultimately reinvents himself after his release, seizing a new opportunity in the wake of the Panic of 1873. Leaving Philadelphia behind, he sets his sights on a fresh start in the West. (Introduction by Wikipedia) This is Book 1 of the Trilogy of Desire.