Desiree is a tough young woman living the anti-heroic life of an outsider, a "squale," in the suburban ghetto of Paris. She quickly establishes herself as the leader of a local girl gang by claiming she is the daughter of Souleimane, a legendary hero whose ghost still reigns supreme over the project. One can see his legacy in Toussaint, a fierce, unpredictable, and unrepentant local crime boss who flaunts his virility by molesting young Arab women. But Desiree is every bit his match. Their shared respect for Souleimane convinces Desiree that she and Toussaint are two of a kind and, in true femme fatale style, she seduces him. A violent yet unusually tender love develops between them, but his desire to conquer the studious Yasmine leads Desiree to exact a cunning revenge.