The daily confrontation with the darkest abysses of the human soul has turned war reporter Paul Holland into an incorrigible cynic. Only one thing keeps him going: his love for his girlfriend Sybille. When she suddenly disappears without a trace one day, everything points to a kidnapping - but there doesn't seem to be a motive. Desperate, Paul goes in search of his beloved. Because he just doesn't want to and can't believe that Sybille is possibly dead.
Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.