This novel, originally by Caridad Bravo Adams sets the scene in the Caribbean, specifically in the French
colonies; the Mexican adaptation is set in the Atlantic coast of Mexico. Francisco Alcazar is a wealthy and important man,
who owns sugar-cane fields, married to a severe and uncompassionate woman (Sofia) with whom he has a son (Andrés Alcazar y
Valle, perpetually pampered by his mother). Francisco has had an affair with a married woman who was physically abused by
her husband, before marrying Sofia. The woman becomes pregnant and dies when the chid is 3 years old. The boy, an illegitimate
child, is in fact, his true firstborn. When this woman became pregnant, his husband refused to let go of her, didn't let Francisco
recognize the child as his own, and he didn't recognize him either. Thus the boy, named Juan, became known as Juan del Diablo
(of the devil), because he had no last name. Juan's mother eventually died of the shame and bad treatment she received from
her husband, and the boy was raised with no love or instruction, in poverty and neglect. In his early teens, his mother's
husband dies, and then Francisco, hiding the fact that he's his son, invites him to live to the hacienda with his family,
on the pretext of being a play-mate for his son Andrés. Sofia finds out the truth, and tries to send Juan away, to which Francisco
objects. Finally Francisco has an accident while riding his horse, before he could legally recognize Juan as his son, as he
has planned to. Francisco has left a letter with his intentions, though, addressed to his friend (and lawyer), licenciado
Noel Mancera. Sofia seizes the letter and hides it. In his deathbed, Francisco sends for his son Andrés, and while not telling
the truth, asks him to care for Juan, as a brother would. After his death, Sofía sends Juan away without saying anything to
Andrés (whom later much misses Juan).
Beginning Juan grows up among the sailors and pirates of the port-city, earning a shocking reputation for
dirty business (contraband of licquor), winning his fights, and for being kind and just to his men, whom retributed him with
unbound loyalty. He is also a ladies-man, but his heart is still untaken. He now knows who his father was, because licenciado
Mancera told him (who is his closest friend and who gave him some education). Mancera has offered him his last-name, but he
refuses because he doesn't need one in his business. Mónica and Aimeé are two lovely young countesses, daughters of the deceased
Count of Altamira, a cousin of Mrs Sofia. They used to be very respectable in high society, but the De Altamira family is
in bankruptcy, and their only asset is their name and beauty, and the long promise of bethrothal between the eldest (Mónica)
and Andrés. Unfortunately, Mónica, who is reserved and extremely prudent, does not write to Andres. He, meanwhile, has forgotten
of their betrothal, and, while in Mexico City, meets Mónica's sister, Aimee. Aimee is beautiful, but flirty and selfish. She
shows interest in Andrés, who--to be sure--has wealth, influence, and power. Andrés falls completely in love with Aimee, a
fact he tells his mother when she comes to visit him. Sofía returns home to tell her cousin, Catalina, of her son's feelings.
When Catalina learns of the rejection of her daughter, she is dismayed, knowing that this may mean the ruin of her family.
When she learns Andres loves Aimee, she is horrified at the thought of Monica's heartbreak, but acquiesces to the match. When
Monica finds out about Andres' feelings, she is instantly heartbroken. This is the marriage she's always dreamed of, and she
geniunely came to love Andres. She falls ill with a fever, but, after she recovers, she decides to enter the local convent
and take up the life of a nun. Telling everyone that she is glad Andres broke their engagement, she pretends she always wanted
to be a nun anyway. Meanwhile, Aimee returns to her hometown with her mother. One day, while walking along the beach, she
spies a man taking a bath in a beach house. He is Juan del Diablo, though Aimee doesn't know him, his past, or his family
connections. She watches him from a distance, but Juan sees her. Over the next few days, Aimee returns several times to spy
on Juan. He decides to confront her and catches her while she's hiding and waiting for him. Soon, they are having an affair,
and they fall in love with each other. Juan leaves in order to make some fortune as Aimee promises to wait for and marry him.
Then Andres arrives at town and Aimee, who cannot reject such a profitable marriage, ignores her promise to Juan and marries
Andres. When Juan returns, he finds Aimee married to his half-brother and decides to kidnap her so that she carries out her
promise. Andres, who knows nothing about his kinship to Juan and the affair between him and his wife, decides to employ him
as the steward of Campo Real, his country estate. Meanwhile, Monica leaves the convent and joins all them. Concerned by the
miserable lives of the workers, defending Andres even after having abandoned her, she is then called "Saint Monica" by Juan,
while she and her mother discover the affair that he had with Aimee. As Monica is no longer going to be a nun, Andres wants
to repair his offence by making a match between her and his friend Alberto de la Serna, while he learns that Juan is actually
his brother and that he had an unseemly affair to a young lady who is in the house. Of course, Andres thinks that this lady
is Monica, because he cannot imagine the truth: that the lady is actually Aimee. Because of this misunderstanding, Monica
is lead to be married inmediately. She accepts to get married to protect Andres and her sister of the scandal, but she refuses
to marry Alberto. She has been told by Don Noel Mancera, the lawyer, that Juan is noble and generous, as she has learned by
his behaviour to her and the workers, so she proposes her mother to marry Juan instead of Alberto to separate him from Aimee
forever. Against any prediction, Juan accepts marrying Monica.
