Following Moray's decision to jilt Katherine and chose Denise, Lord Glendenning's vengeance was very quick. He took ownership of The Paradise and Moray was cast out. Denise and Moray were forced to live apart whilst Moray worked in Paris and The Paradise struggled. A year on and The Paradise is still struggling to survive without Moray. Denise was allowed to keep her job at the store with Moray's letters the only thing helping her to get by. Lord Glendenning and Katherine also vanished from the city. Lord Glendenning has decided to sell The Paradise. Moray returns and he and Denise are reunited. The sudden arrival though of Katherine and her new husband Tom Weston leaves everybody in a spin.

With the return of Moray the fortunes of the Paradise are on the up, but Moray must box clever if he is to wrest his store back from Tom and Katherine Weston. Moray welcomes his friend from Paris, Clémence Romanis, to the Paradise. A dazzling and tactile woman, her intimacy with Moray instantly rouses Denise's jealousy. The Paradise buzzes with talk of who will replace Miss Audrey as head of ladieswear now she is to marry Edmund Lovett. Clémence questions why Miss Audrey should forfeit her position when she marries, planting a worm in Miss Audrey's mind which sparks an internal battle about her future happiness.

Spirits are high at the Paradise in anticipation of the annual staff outing. Unbeknownst to the staff, however, Tom has overruled Moray's suggestion to take them to the music hall and it falls to Dudley to give them the unhappy news. Applications for head of Ladieswear flood in, and Clara and Denise find themselves the object of staff gambling. Katherine arranges a treat for Flora, a beautiful doll, imported from France. Flora's guileless enjoyment in the doll irritates Tom, and he begins to question whether her indulgent and unstructured days are rendering her ignorant. Myrtle finds herself the butt of the joke yet again, but an act of kindness from an unlikely ally reassures her.

Edmund Lovett returns to the news that his beloved shop has had a break-in. Denise is met with tough decisions and realises that becoming head of Ladieswear brings many new challenges that she hadn't anticipated. At odds with her friends, and finding Moray more and more distant, she realises it can be lonely at the top. In an effort to exert his ownership, Tom Weston begins plans to expand the Paradise which could take the store beyond Moray's financial reach. Katherine's attempts to build a relationship between Tom and Flora go badly when Flora asks Tom about his youth. When Moray offers her a hand of friendship Katherine enjoys a trip down memory lane, but her fragility to Moray's charms doesn't go unnoticed by her husband.

Tom Weston is furious to see that Moray has set up a display of pocket watches which might steal attention away from his new Food Hall. When he sees Ladieswear buzzing from Denise's latest innovation he decides to harness the effervescence of Moray's 'little champion' and asks her to spend time in other departments to make improvements. Jonas begins to reel Tom in even closer and Tom, oblivious to Jonas' duplicity, orders him to report on Moray's movements. However, when Tom invites Moray and Denise to dine at Belville Hall and reveals plans to send Denise to Paris, Moray is incensed. He begs Denise not to go and instructs Jonas to tell Tom the truth, seemingly oblivious to the consequences his actions will have for Katherine and that the forfeiting of Paris is a bitter pill for Denise to swallow.

Lucille Ballentine arrives in town with her newly-wed and somewhat wealthy husband in tow. Although exuberantly cheerful, the girls sense she is troubled. Denise and Mr Ballentine discuss the business of the Paradise; impressed, he suggests she compiles a formal proposition. She tells Moray of this potential investment but he is dismissive. Dudley is frustrated by Moray's absence at the store and his elusive behaviour. Tom's behaviour is disturbingly spiteful, and a frightened Katherine confides in Moray. Fenton is pleased to hear that fractures are appearing between the Westons and he threatens to build a rival store if Tom refuses to sell.

A photographer pays a visits to the store and his portraits end up revealing extraordinary things. Denise is suffering with a broken heart and attempts to distract herself.

Clémence shows up at the store and she finds herself at the mercy of Tom Weston. Moray risks everything to be rid of his nemesis. Moray and Denise attempt to find a way to make their love work.