In a nation with a strict marriage assignment system to address a falling birth rate, 22-year-old college graduate Nova Silva faces rejection by her family and the official end of her engagement. Disowned and uncertain, Nova learns she has been added to the state's Marriage Bureau list to be assigned a partner. The bureau reveals a rare 100% genetic match for her: Lucian Yach, a wealthy billionaire bachelor who has avoided marriage for years. As preparations begin for their union, the episode closes with Nova's future controlled by the state, setting up a tense forced match between two reluctant individuals.